Donlad Trump has cast doubt on Sir Tony Blair’s potential role in the Gaza ceasefire, suggesting his involvement is still to be ratified. As he travelled to the Middle East, the US president told reporters: “I like Tony, I have always liked Tony. But I want to find out that he is an acceptable choice to everybody.”
Ex-foreign secretary Lord Hague said it would be a “good thing” if former prime minister Sir Tony Blair was involved in the Gaza peace board which would be chaired by US President Donald Trump. “I think it is to his credit actually, whatever one thinks about his role in Iraq, since he left office 18 years ago, he has remained utterly preoccupied with the Palestinian issue,” Lord Hague told the Cheltenham Literature Festival.
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Lord Hague continued: “He does bring a lot of knowledge and credibility to this and clearly has been part of formulating the Trump plan. I think that will be good if he is involved in that.
“You either have to have the hard power or have some very knowledgeable and persuasive people involved.
“He is one of them that this country has got, I think that would be a good thing.”
Sir Keir Starmer said it was for “others to decide” if Sir Tony Blair should be on the peace board for Gaza to be chaired by Donald Trump.
He said he had not put himself forward for a role on the board.
“There are discussions going on about who should be on the board, but I can be clear with you, I haven’t put myself forward for that role.
“But what I have put myself forward for, what I put out country forward for, is to ensure that we keep doing what we’re best at, which is working, as we have done behind the scenes, to help get this deal to where it is today, and drawing on our experience in relation to decommissioning, monitoring the ceasefire, which is essential.”