Senior Tory says it is 'absolutely fine' that Tony Blair plays role in post-war GazaThe Conservative shadow chancellor has said it is "absolutely fine" that former PM Sir Tony Blair could be part of a future board overseeing the administration of Gaza.
Speaking to our political correspondent Amanda Akass, Sir Mel Stride said: "I think clearly Tony Blair has a lot of experience of politics in that region, is extremely well-connected with many of the figures that matter in that region, and to that extent it may well be that he has a significant role to play.
"Those arrangements, but we don't yet know what those arrangements are, so difficult to comment on them precisely, but yes, I think in principle, if he is able to make a meaningful contribution there, then that's absolutely fine."
The ceasefire deal itself is "hugely welcome", the senior Tory said, but also said there is "clearly a long way to go in terms of forming some kind of interim governance in Gaza and then moving on towards a final endpoint of a two-state solution, which I think would be the best outcome here".
Asked what he would like to see the UK government doing, Stride told Amanda that the "key priorities here are to firstly make sure that the hostages are indeed released, to make sure humanitarian aid goes into Gaza", and "to make that there is some stability in what's being called phase two here, which is the governance arrangements".