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British business owners urge Donald Trump to stop war in Middle East as pain is felt in the UK: "Stop treating the world like a

ended 19. March 2026

BRITISH business owners have urged Donald Trump to stop the war in Middle East as the UK feels the pain of the conflict.

The Bank of England yesterday chose to hold its base rate at 3.75%, with fears that it may have to raise it in the coming months.

Inflation is now expected to rise, with swap and mortgage rates on the up, and oil price rises feeding into the cost of petrol going up at the pump.

UK business owners have urged Trump to stop the war due its negative effect on the global and UK economy.

They say ordinary households are the ones paying for the conflict.

Nouran Moustafa, Practice Principal & IFA at Roxton Wealth, said Trump needs to push for de-escalation now.

She added: "If I could say one thing to Donald Trump, it would be this: stop escalating and start acting like the weight of the global economy is sitting on your desk, because right now it is. This war is no longer some distant geopolitical headline. 

"It is feeding straight into oil, gas, inflation, petrol prices, swap rates and mortgage pricing, and ordinary households are the ones paying for it. What should he do now? Push properly for de-escalation, calm the rhetoric, protect key energy routes and stop this getting dragged into something even bigger. 

"From my side, it is creating more fear, more client anxiety and more financial hesitation, because when markets get this nervous people start delaying major life decisions. My biggest fear over the next few weeks is that if this continues, the economic fallout will spread faster than the political response, and ordinary people will once again pay the price for chaos they did not create."

Mitali Deypurkaystha, Human-First AI Strategist & Author at Newcastle upon Tyne-based Impact Icon AI, said Britain is paying for Trump's actions.

She added: "One sulking superpower, and Britain is paying the penalty. This looks less like leadership and more like erratic ego driving global instability, while UK households absorb the shock through rising fuel, food and mortgage costs. 

"The real risk isn’t just inflation. It’s that allies are quietly recalculating how much they can rely on a partner that swings with the headlines. If I could say one thing to Donald Trump, it would be this: the world won’t wait for Washington’s whims, and it won’t keep indulging them either. 

"Push this further, and you won’t just rattle markets; you’ll accelerate a slow-motion split in which countries start doing business without you."

Samuel Mather-Holgate, Managing Director & IFA at Swindon-based Mather and Murray Financial, said Trump needs to de-escalate.

He added: "With oil and gas prices through the roof and the lagged impact that’s bound to have on petrol, energy bills and mortgage rates, it’s time to consider how to de-escalate here. 

"There’s only two options and they are both bad. The first is the war continues and Iran limps on. They are showing no signs of capitulating, and Israel seem to be enjoying the show. 

“The other is Trump declares some sort of victory and leaves a battered Iranian regime in place, emboldened by the fact they now know they can choke off Western economies by closing the Strait of Hormuz. The latter seems more realistic, but Trump needs to seize the opportunity to save face.”

Rohit Parmar-Mistry, Founder at Burton-on-Trent-based Pattrn Data, said the UK should do business elsewhere.

He added: "Mr President, If you choose isolation, don’t be surprised when allies hedge. The world does not wait for US mood swings. The UK and Europe should stop special pleading for American attention. 

“We should harden resilience: energy independence, secure domestic and allied tech infrastructure, and tighter rules on extractive ownership of essential public goods. We will trade, invest and cooperate where it is stable and reciprocal. If Washington opts out, we will do business elsewhere.”

Mike Staton, Director at Mansfield-based Staton Mortgages, urged Trump to “stop treating the world like a game of Risk”.

He said: "Inflation is rising, swaps are rising, mortgage rates are rising, and oil, gas and petrol prices are all climbing again, yet the Bank of England is expected to hold the base rate today because the last thing they want right now is panic. The war in the Middle East has poured fuel on an already fragile global economy, and every time energy prices spike, inflation follows, swap rates move and mortgage pricing goes up within days. 

"If I could say one thing to Donald Trump, it would be this, stop treating the world like a game of Risk and start acting like these decisions affect millions of ordinary people trying to pay their mortgage, fill their car and feed their family. 

“What needs to happen now is de-escalation, quickly, because markets hate uncertainty and uncertainty is exactly what we have. In my business we see the impact immediately, lenders pull products, rates rise and buyers lose confidence, and my biggest fear is that if this war drags on, inflation will climb again.”

Tony Redondo, Founder at Newquay-based Cosmos Currency Exchange, urged Trump to “finish the military job in Iran”.

He added: "The Iranian regime has killed tens of thousands of its own people and bankrolled terrorist organisations, including Hezbollah and Hamas. Few outside hardline Islamist circles should mourn its demise. Two messages for President Trump: first, finish the military job in Iran. 

“Second, prioritise global energy stability. Brent crude at $116 and a disrupted Strait of Hormuz represent a direct tax on every Western household. The ‘America First’ agenda cannot ignore that reality. Secure Kharg Island, Iran's economic heartland, and the Strait of Hormuz. 

“Then coordinate with the G7 to release strategic reserves and issue clear fiscal guidance to steady bond markets, which are already pushing up mortgage swap rates. The looming economic threat is stagflation, with the Bank of England holding rates at 3.75% or higher despite stalled growth. If energy prices don't stabilise, a mortgage cliff could gut consumer spending by summer, risking a systemic shock to Western economies."
 

6 responses from the Newspage community

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Editor
Samuel Mather-Holgate
Managing Director & IFA at Mather and Murray Financial
With oil and gases prices through the roof and the lagged impact that’s bound to have on petrol, energy bills and mortgage rates, it’s time to consider how to deescalate here. There’s only two options and they are both bad. The first is the war continues and Iran limps on. They are showing no signs of capitulating, and Isreal seem to be enjoying the show. The other is Trump declares some sort of victory and leaves a battered Iranian regime in place, emboldened by the fact they now know they can choke off western economies by closing be Strait of Hormuz. The latter seems more realistic, but Trump needs to see and then seize and opportunity to save face.
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Editor
Tony Redondo
Founder at Cosmos Currency Exchange
The Iranian regime has killed tens of thousands of its own people and bankrolled terrorist organisations, including Hezbollah and Hamas. Few outside hardline Islamist circles should mourn its demise. Two messages for President Trump: first, finish the military job in Iran. Second, prioritise global energy stability. Brent crude at $116 and a disrupted Strait of Hormuz represent a direct tax on every Western household. The "America First" agenda cannot ignore that reality. Secure Kharg Island, Iran's economic heartland, and the Strait of Hormuz. Then coordinate with the G7 to release strategic reserves and issue clear fiscal guidance to steady bond markets, which are already pushing up mortgage swap rates. The looming economic threat is stagflation, with the Bank of England holding rates at 3.75% or higher despite stalled growth. If energy prices don't stabilise, a mortgage cliff could gut consumer spending by summer, risking a systemic shock to Western economies.
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Editor
Mike Staton
Director at Staton Mortgages
Inflation is rising, swaps are rising, mortgage rates are rising, and oil, gas and petrol prices are all climbing again, yet the Bank of England is expected to hold the base rate today because the last thing they want right now is panic. The war in the Middle East has poured fuel on an already fragile global economy, and every time energy prices spike, inflation follows, swap rates move and mortgage pricing goes up within days. If I could say one thing to Donald Trump, it would be this, stop treating the world like a game of Risk and start acting like these decisions affect millions of ordinary people trying to pay their mortgage, fill their car and feed their family. What needs to happen now is de-escalation, quickly, because markets hate uncertainty and uncertainty is exactly what we have. In my business we see the impact immediately, lenders pull products, rates rise and buyers lose confidence, and my biggest fear is that if this war drags on, inflation will climb again.
Copy

Editor
Nouran Moustafa
Practice Principal & IFA at Roxton Wealth
If I could say one thing to Donald Trump, it would be this: stop escalating and start acting like the weight of the global economy is sitting on your desk, because right now it is. This war is no longer some distant geopolitical headline. It is feeding straight into oil, gas, inflation, petrol prices, swap rates and mortgage pricing, and ordinary households are the ones paying for it. What should he do now? Push properly for de-escalation, calm the rhetoric, protect key energy routes and stop this getting dragged into something even bigger. From my side, it is creating more fear, more client anxiety and more financial hesitation, because when markets get this nervous people start delaying major life decisions. My biggest fear over the next few weeks is that if this continues, the economic fallout will spread faster than the political response, and ordinary people will once again pay the price for chaos they did not create.
Copy

Editor
Mitali Deypurkaystha
AI Governance Strategist & CMO at AISensa
One sulking superpower, and Britain is paying the penalty. This looks less like leadership and more like erratic ego driving global instability, while UK households absorb the shock through rising fuel, food and mortgage costs. The real risk isn’t just inflation. It’s that allies are quietly recalculating how much they can rely on a partner that swings with the headlines. If I could say one thing to Donald Trump, it would be this: the world won’t wait for Washington’s whims, and it won’t keep indulging them either. Push this further, and you won’t just rattle markets; you’ll accelerate a slow-motion split in which countries start doing business without you.
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Rohit Parmar-Mistry
Founder at Pattrn Data
Mr President,

If you choose isolation, don’t be surprised when allies hedge. The world does not wait for US mood swings.

The UK and Europe should stop special pleading for American attention. We should harden resilience: energy independence, secure domestic and allied tech infrastructure, and tighter rules on extractive ownership of essential public goods.

We will trade, invest and cooperate where it is stable and reciprocal. If Washington opts out, we will do business elsewhere.