Prime Minister leads tributes to former US president Jimmy Carter

Sir Keir Starmer has led a host of tributes to former US president Jimmy Carter, saying he “redefined the post-presidency with a remarkable commitment to social justice and human rights at home and abroad”.

The Prime Minister said Mr Carter, who died aged 100, will be remembered for the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt, as well as his “decades of selfless public service”.

He added that it was the Democrat’s “lifelong dedication to peace” that led to him receiving the Nobel Peace prize in 2002.

Sir Keir was joined in paying tribute to the 39th president by other leaders including the King, current President Joe Biden, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey and former PMs Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

The King remembered former US president Jimmy Carter’s 1977 visit to the UK with “great fondness” and praised his “dedication and humility”.

In a message to Mr Biden and the American people, Charles said: “It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of President Carter.

“He was a committed public servant, and devoted his life to promoting peace and human rights.

“His dedication and humility served as an inspiration to many, and I remember with great fondness his visit to the United Kingdom in 1977.

“My thoughts and prayers are with President Carter’s family and the American people at this time.”

Mr Biden said that Mr Carter was an “extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian”.

He said his fellow Democrat was a “dear friend”, as he announced that he will order a state funeral to be held for him in Washington DC.

“Today, America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian,” he said.

“Over six decades, we had the honour of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend. But, what’s extraordinary about Jimmy Carter though is that millions of people throughout America and the world who never met him thought of him as a dear friend as well.

“With his compassion and moral clarity, he worked to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil rights and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless, and always advocate for the least among us. He saved, lifted and changed the lives of people all across the globe.

“He was a man of great character and courage, hope and optimism.”

Speaking later from his family vacation in the US Virgin Islands, Mr Biden said America and the world had lost a “remarkable leader” who represented “the most fundamental human values we can never let slip away”.

Asked if there were any lessons President-elect Donald Trump could learn from Mr Carter, he answered: “Decency, decency, decency”.

“Jimmy Carter stands as a model for it means to live a life of meaning and purpose,” he said.

“I see a man not only not our times, but for all time. We could all do well to be a little more like Jimmy Carter.

“My team is working with his family and others to see to it that he is remembered appropriately.”

Writing on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump said Mr Carter had “worked hard to make America a better place, and for that I give him my highest respect.

“While I strongly disagreed with him philosophically and politically, I also realised that he truly loved and respected our Country, and all it stands for.

“The challenges Jimmy faced as president came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans.

“For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude.”

Vice President Kamala Harris said Mr Carter “reminded our nation and the world that there is strength in decency and compassion”.

US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin said his “lifelong leadership and deep faith will continue to inspire Americans and people around the world”.

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said Mr Carter “will be remembered for generations”.

“Jimmy Carter was an inspiration,” Mr Davey wrote on X.

“He led a truly remarkable life dedicated to public service with a genuine care for people.

“My thoughts are with his family, friends and all those who loved him. He will be remembered for generations.”

Mr Blair said: “Jimmy Carter’s life was a testament to public service; from his time in office, and the Camp David Accords, to his remarkable commitment to the cause of people and peace round the world over the past 40 years,” he said.

“I always had the greatest respect for him, his spirit and his dedication. He fundamentally cared and consistently toiled to help those in need.”

Mr Brown said the former president “will be mourned, not just in America, but in every continent where human rights are valued”.

“He will live on in the influence for good his life continues to have on those he leaves behind,” he said.

“As President of the United States of America and then, for the next 40 years, Jimmy Carter selflessly devoted his life to the service of others, whether helping the homeless in his native state of Georgia or in his endless work to promote peace and defend human rights across the entire world.

“I count it a privilege to have known and worked with Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn and to have learned from him.”

Foreign Secretary David Lammy described the former president as “a lifelong champion of rights, democracy and global health”.

World leaders added their tributes, French President Emmanuel Macron saying in a post on X: “Throughout his life, Jimmy Carter has been a steadfast advocate for the rights of the most vulnerable and has tirelessly fought for peace.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country appreciated Mr Carter’s “unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s unprovoked aggression”.

“He devoted his life to promoting peace in the world and defending human rights,” he said. “Today, let us remember: peace matters, and the world must remain united in standing against those who threaten these values.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said on X that Mr Carter’s significant role in achieving a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel “will remain etched in the annals of history”.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also praised the former president’s significant contributions to peace.

“President Carter’s commitment to international peace and human rights also found full expression after he left the presidency,” Mr Guterres said in a statement. “He played a key role in conflict mediation, election monitoring, the promotion of democracy, and disease prevention and eradication.

“President Carter will be remembered for his solidarity with the vulnerable, his abiding grace, and his unrelenting faith in the common good and our common humanity.”