Starmer tells Labour MPs his foreign trips can help fix cost of living crisis

Keir Starmer visiting Ikea Croydon on Monday. He says he believes there is a link between global security and bringing down the cost of living. Photograph: Ian Vogler/Reuters

Keir Starmer has defended his frequent trips out of the country to Labour MPs, attempting to draw a direct link with the cost of living at home, which he warned would not be solved by isolationism.

The prime minister told the meeting of the parliamentary Labour party (PLP) on Monday night that it was essential for him to be “in the room” for international negotiations on trade and defence, which would then have an impact on the domestic economy.