The Geographies of the UK Government's Response to the 2026 Energy Crisis: Where Next for Labour's Politics of Resilience?

ABSTRACT Sir Keir Starmer invoked a politics of resilience in his response to the 2026 conflict in Iran and the ensuing energy crisis. The critical geographical literature gives us an insight into why Starmer took this approach, how it played out and what comes next. I will argue that if Andy Burnham's Labour are to navigate the mercurial politics of resilience, they will need to emphasise the transformative potential of resilience policy, rather than framing it as a defence of the status quo .