Labour ‘delusional’ for claiming UK was key player in Gaza peace deal
Mike Huckabee says Bridget Phillipson can ‘thank Donald Trump any time’ for Israel-Hamas ceasefire
The US ambassador to Israel has accused Labour of being “delusional” for claiming the UK played a key role in securing the ceasefire in Gaza.
Mike Huckabee criticised Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, after she claimed that Britain had been a leading player behind the scenes in negotiating the peace deal.
The row comes on the eve of the expected release of all the remaining Israeli hostages, with negotiations about prisoner swaps with Hamas going down to the wire.
Later on Monday, Sir Keir Starmer will join other world leaders at a peace summit in Egypt after all sides accepted Donald Trump’s proposals.
The Prime Minister has pledged to play a major role in the reconstruction of Gaza, insisting that there will be no involvement of Hamas in the territory.
Under the US president’s plan, Gaza will be run by a committee of Palestinian officials overseen by an international body that will be chaired by him and will include Sir Tony Blair, the former prime minister.
But Ms Phillipson refused to say whether Downing Street had been consulted before Sir Tony was offered the job.
The Education Secretary told Sky News on Sunday: “We have played a key role behind the scenes in shaping this.”
Responding to Ms Phillipson’s comments on X, the ambassador suggested Britain played little part, writing: “I assure you she’s delusional. She can thank Donald Trump any time just to set the record straight.”
Mr Huckabee’s comments threaten a diplomatic setback for Sir Keir, who has put significant effort into building up a good relationship with the US, inviting Mr Trump to a second state visit and securing an economic deal.
[…]
On Monday, Sir Keir will announce that the UK will play a leading role in phase two of Mr Trump’s plan, which includes the question of Hamas disarmament. On Saturday, Hamas said it would relinquish control of Gaza but refused to give up arms.
Sir Keir will also pledge £20m of British aid to prevent famine, malnutrition and disease in Gaza, and said he would host an international summit bringing together businesses, financiers and governments to help co-ordinate reconstruction efforts in the territory.
He will say: “We stand determined to seize this opportunity to deliver a lasting peace and a stable, secure future for the whole region.
“Today is the first, crucial phase of ending this war, and now we must deliver the second phase, in full.
“The UK will support the next stage of talks to ensure the full implementation of the peace plan, so that people on both sides can rebuild their lives in safety and security.”
Although some of the investment for the reconstruction is expected to come from the City of London, most of the money is expected to come from the Gulf states.
The UK has not said whether it would help with the disarmament of Hamas fighters in Gaza, but it has been suggested it would be able to bring considerable experience, thanks as a result of the peace initiatives which brought to an end the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
The Prime Minister will attend the “signing ceremony” for the Gaza peace plan in Sharm El Sheikh, where he is expected to heap praise on the US president and the diplomatic efforts of Egypt, Qatar and Turkey.
Sir Keir will pay “particular tribute” to the US leader and partners in the region for “bringing us to this point” before calling for “swift progress towards phase two”, Downing Street said.
Emmanuel Macron, the French president, will also attend, the Elysée Palace confirmed on Saturday.
Last month, Britain joined with France and other countries to recognise a Palestinian state, even though Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has pledged to oppose one.
On Sunday, Israel’s deputy foreign minister said Britain’s decision to recognise Palestine had prolonged the war by emboldening Hamas.
The Telegraph: continue reading
See Related Article Below
Starmer’s Delusion: Labour’s Fantasy Role in Trump’s Peace Deal
CP
By any rational measure, the Gaza peace deal is one of the most significant diplomatic achievements of recent years, a triumph of relentless American mediation, pragmatic Israeli courage, and the kind of no-nonsense deal-making that has Donald Trump’s fingerprints all over it. But not, emphatically not, the handiwork of Keir Starmer.
Let’s be absolutely clear, Keir Starmer played no role in brokering this important ceasefire.
Starmer has spent months undermining Israel, emboldening Hamas, and fuelling anti-Semitism across the United Kingdom. And now, in an act of political delusion bordering on parody, Labour is trying to claim credit for the work of the United States and its Middle Eastern partners.
It is, frankly, an insult, an insult to the victims of Hamas, to the Israelis who have endured their barbarity, and to the long-suffering people of Gaza who have been brutalised by the very group Labour has spent months indirectly legitimising.
The Delusion of Starmer’s “Key Role”
When Labour’s Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, declared on Sky News that “We have played a key role behind the scenes in shaping this,” one could almost hear the collective choking of diplomats from Washington to Tel Aviv.
The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, wasted no time cutting through the fog. “I assure you she’s delusional,” he posted bluntly on X. “She can thank Donald Trump any time just to set the record straight.”
Delusional indeed. Here was a Labour government that only weeks ago formally recognised Palestine as a state, a move Israel said “prolonged the war by emboldening Hamas.” Israel’s deputy foreign minister, Sharren Haskel, could not have been clearer, “The message that the UK Government sent Hamas was that the longer they continue this war, they will be rewarded.”
And yet, having inflamed tensions and undermined the peace process, Starmer now flutters into Sharm El Sheikh like some self-anointed statesman, ready to bask in reflected glory.
The Ceasefire That Trump Built
Make no mistake, this ceasefire, fragile though it is, was forged by Trump and by allies who actually did the work. The former president himself spoke of a “special event,” a moment when “everybody is cheering at one time, that’s never happened before.”
He wasn’t wrong. After months of attrition and bloodshed, Trump’s 20-point peace plan has brought an extraordinary coalition to the table, Israel, Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and even the Europeans. The deal incorporates key proposals from the UK and others, yes, but that does not make Starmer a player. It makes him a spectator with a selfie stick.
As Trump boarded Air Force One, grinning and giving his trademark thumbs-up, the world saw leadership in motion. Meanwhile, Starmer was busy preparing yet another statement about “phase two” and a £20 million aid pledge, a politician perpetually chasing the optics, never the outcome.
From Photo Ops to Farce
Starmer’s foreign policy is, at heart, performative. He has prioritised photo opportunities with world leaders above resolving the appalling divisive hatred we are witnessing on British streets towards our Jewish community. The rise in anti-Semitic abuse, graffiti, and intimidation since October has been shameful, and Starmer’s Labour has done precious little to stop it.
He talks of “lasting peace” and a “stable future for both sides,” yet his actions have emboldened extremists and alienated moderates. Even members of Israel’s own government are openly mocking him. “If Starmer wants to get into this mess, be our guest,” one Israeli official told The Telegraph. “He will soon find out how they drain countries for money and often have nothing to show for it.”
That might as well be the epitaph for modern Labour, lots of spending, nothing to show.
A Statesman Without a Statecraft
For a man who once prided himself on forensic precision, Starmer’s approach to foreign policy is astonishingly woolly. He recognised Palestine before Hamas was even defeated. He misjudged the ceasefire diplomacy completely. And now, rather than acknowledge the reality, that the ceasefire was achieved by Trump, Israel, and their allies, he is attempting to rewrite history before the ink on the deal is even dry.
Labour has become a party of illusionists, painting peace signs on press releases while others do the heavy lifting.
Hope Above Hatred, But Not Thanks to Starmer
This important ceasefire is a welcome one. It puts hope above the hatred we’ve seen for too long. It represents the triumph of persistence, realism, and hard diplomacy. But let’s give credit where it’s due, to President Trump, to Israel, to Egypt, and to the coalition of nations that made it happen.
Starmer should stop trying to claim any credit for it, and perhaps spend a little more time addressing the rot of anti-Semitism and division festering at home.
Because for all his posturing, the reality is simple, this ceasefire was made in Washington, not Westminster.
And no amount of photo-ops will change that.
As Chris Rose said on X: “Remember in high school when we had to do a group project and there was always one kid who did nothing but showed up at the end to take credit? Well that kid is now Keir Starmer.”
Remember in high school when we had to do a group project and there was always one kid who did nothing but showed up at the end to take credit?
Well that kid is now Keir Starmer. pic.twitter.com/wTBvNsEN34
— Chris Rose (@ArchRose90) October 13, 2025
This article (Starmer’s Delusion: Labour’s Fantasy Role in Trump’s Peace Deal) was created and published by Conservative Post and is republished here under “Fair Use” with attribution to the author CP
Featured image: The Telegraph
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