Starmer praises Trump's role in Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, in a call with US President Donald Trump, praised Trump’s role in “brokering a landmark ceasefire and hostage deal in the Gaza Strip.” The call took place on Sunday, hours after Trump praised Sir Keir for “doing a very good job so far” and said the pair had a “very good relationship.”

The incoming Trump administration coordinated closely with the outgoing administration of President Joe Biden on the deal, which was reached earlier this month between Israel and Hamas. The President welcomed the recent release of British-Israeli hostage Emily Damari. Downing Street also said that Trump and Sir Keir “discussed the importance of working together for security in the Middle East.”

The Prime Minister outlined in the call how his government was “cutting red tape to boost growth.” Earlier this week, Sir Keir announced plans to block activists from bringing repeated legal challenges to planning decisions for major infrastructure projects, while his Chancellor hinted on Sunday that she would support the expansion of Heathrow Airport. Trump himself has supported a deregulation agenda, as has his advisor, tech billionaire Elon Musk, who complained that regulations hampered his companies before he took a position in the US government.

However, Musk has been highly critical of Sir Keir, repeatedly calling for the Prime Minister to be removed from office. Earlier this month, Musk said that Sir Keir was “deeply involved in mass rape for votes” in a sex grooming gang scandal. Sir Keir, who was the Director of Public Prosecutions from 2008 to 2013, has accused critics of “spreading lies and disinformation” and said he dealt with the prosecutions “head-on.” But in an interview with the BBC on Air Force One on Saturday, Trump praised the Prime Minister’s leadership, calling him a “very good guy.” “I may disagree with his philosophy, but I have a very good relationship with him.”

Despite the philosophical differences, the call appeared to be amicable. The President began the call by offering his condolences to Sir Keir for the death of his brother Nick on Boxing Day. He also expressed “respect” for the British Royal Family. Trump’s mother was born in Scotland, and he has long been a fan of the monarchy. Last month, after meeting Prince Charles in France, Trump called Prince William “a good guy” and “doing a very good job.” Sir Keir wrote on X after the call with Trump: “I look forward to meeting soon to strengthen the close ties between our two countries.”

The pair have met previously, including when Sir Keir visited Trump Tower in New York during the President’s election campaign, but their upcoming meeting will be their first since Trump’s return to the presidency. Last week, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said that Sir Keir would visit Washington “in the coming weeks” to talk with Trump. The call was not an occasion for in-depth policy discussion, and there was no mention in Downing Street’s statement of the potentially contentious proposed agreement to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, which host a joint US-UK military base. While trade was mentioned, the word “tariffs,” which Trump has threatened to impose on countries selling products in the US and which the UK hopes to avoid, did not appear in either the White House or Downing Street’s account of the call. The White House said the pair discussed “how the two countries can promote a fair bilateral economic relationship.”