Labour leader Keir Starmer declined to say whether Donald Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for his claimed role in efforts to end the Gaza conflict.
Since taking office again, the US president has made it painfully obvious that he wants to get the coveted award.
Israel and Hamas just agreed to the first phase of his peace plan to end their battle in Gaza, despite the fact that his attempts to stop the war in Ukraine have not yet succeeded.
At a press conference today in Mumbai, Channel 4's Paul McNamara questioned the prime minister about if that was enough to give Trump his desired honor.
The journalist said:
“Yes or no: do you now think President Trump would be a deserved winner of the Nobel Peace Prize?”
But Starmer sidestepped the question.
“It’s a very significant step forward and it would not have happened without President Trump’s leadership on this,”
the PM said.
“I want to be really clear on that and I say that from the informed position of the UK having played a part behind the scenes with the US and the mediators.
What matters now is to press on and implement this.”
He continued:
“All parties need to implement and take forwards the commitments they have made to the next stage, that is hugely important, we will work with others to make sure that happens.”
"That matters to me more than anything else," he added, adding that while the current stage is "strongly welcomed," everyone engaged must ensure that it advances to the next step.
The US president acknowledged that the Gaza conflict was one of the few points of contention between him and Starmer following the official recognition of a Palestine state by the Labour government.
At a time when Hamas is the real obstacle to a truce and the release of all the detainees, his press secretary Karoline Leavitt even dismissed it as a "clumsy" action that would benefit Hamas.
Starmer also steered clear of inquiries about the possible involvement of former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair in Gaza's future.
Trump previously named Blair as one of 20-odd figures who would sit on a “Board of Peace” in Egypt, and oversee the governance of the Palestinian territory, if the US peace agreement gets over the line.
But Blair is a controversial figure, having taken the UK into the Iraq war along with the States on the false belief that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.
Asked about his predecessor’s involvement, Starmer said:
“The first and most important thing today is the deal. Today is a real breakthrough, that’s why it’s important we recognise that and recognise the human impact that is going to have on those who will be most affected.”
He added:
“I’m less interested, to be frank, in discussions about personnel. What I am interested in is getting it implemented.”
How has Starmer's stance on Trump affected UK public opinion?
Starmer has largely maintained a cautious stance, not strongly endorsing nor criticizing Trump. Some believe this is a pragmatic effort to maintain a working relationship with the U.S. and to protect UK interests.
Many Labour voters are still uneasy or critical of him, with polling showing about a two-thirds of Labour voters worried about the consequences of his presidency, even pushing Starmer to focus on building closer ties to Europe rather than cozying up to Trump.
Polling shows the British public is split on Trump being in the UK, with nearly half of participants opposed to state visits or welcoming close ties with him. Starmer has faced pressure, in certain spheres, to be tougher.