🔗 Share this article

Keir Starmer has stated that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without the leadership of Donald Trump," yet stopped short of supporting the US president for a Nobel Prize.

Truce Agreement Welcomed as a "Relief to the World"

The prime minister commented that the initial stage of the agreement would be a "welcome news globally" and highlighted that the UK had contributed significantly behind the scenes with the US and negotiators.

Speaking on the last day of his business trip to India, Starmer emphasized that the deal "needs to be put into action in full, without delay, and paired with the immediate lifting of all restrictions on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Addressed

But, when questioned if the Nobel prize committee should now award Trump the coveted award, Starmer suggested that more time was needed to know if a longer lasting peace could be achieved.

"The priority now is to press on and implement this ... my attention now is transitioning this from the phase it's at now ... and make a success of this, because that is important to me above all," he told reporters at a press conference in Mumbai.

Trade and Investment Announced During Trip to India

Starmer has celebrated a number of deals finalized during his visit to India – his first time there – accompanied by 126 business leaders and arts figures. The visit signifies the implementation of the two nations' free trade agreement.

• No 10 has unveiled a range of financial commitments, from financial technology to university campuses, as well as the production of three Bollywood films in the UK.
• On Thursday, Starmer signed a military agreement worth £350 million for UK missiles, produced in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian army.

"The shared history is deep, the human connections between our people are truly special," Starmer said as he left Mumbai. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are remaking this partnership for our era."

Digital ID Initiative Studied

Starmer has dedicated time in Mumbai analyzing the national digital identification program, including consulting key figures who developed the comprehensive platform used by over a billion individuals for social services, transactions, and identification.

He suggested that the UK was considering expanding the scope of digital ID beyond making it mandatory to verify eligibility to work. He indicated that the Britain would in time look at linking it to banking and payments systems – on a optional basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as mortgage and educational enrollments.

"It has been adopted on a optional basis [in India] in massive scale, partly because it means that you can access your own funds, make payments so much more conveniently than is possible with alternative methods," he explained.

"The efficiency with which it allows citizens here to utilize facilities, especially financial services, is something that was recognized in our talks yesterday, and in fact a Fintech discussion that we had as well. So we're examining those instances of how digital ID helps individuals with processes that often take excessive time and are too cumbersome and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Reforms

Starmer acknowledged that the government had to build public support for the reforms to the British public, which have declined sharply in public approval since Starmer announced them.

"I think now we need to go out and make that case the huge benefits ... And I think that the greater number of individuals see the benefits that accompany this ... as has occurred in different nations, citizens say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and consequently I want to get on with it," he stated.

Human Rights and Global Affairs Discussed

Starmer said he had brought up a number of difficult topics with the Indian premier regarding civil liberties and relations with Russia, though he seemed to have made little headway. He confirmed that he and Modi talked about how the country was continuing to purchase oil from Russia, which is facing extensive international restrictions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on resolving this conflict and the various steps will be implemented to that end," he said. "And that was a broad spectrum of dialogue, but we did set out the actions that we are taking in relation to energy."

The Prime Minister additionally said he had raised the situation of the British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, who has been detained in an Indian jail for almost a decade without undergoing a complete legal process. It is often cited as one of the worst examples of unfair treatment among Britons still held overseas.

But, Starmer did not indicate much advancement had been achieved. "Yes, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he said. "We consistently address them when we have the opportunity to do so. I must add that the foreign secretary is meeting the families in the near future, as well as discussing it today."

Future Plans

The prime minister is widely expected to take a comparable trade-focused visit to the People's Republic of China in the next 12 months as part of a mission to improve diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and the Asian nation.

That relationship is receiving attention because of the dismissal of a Chinese spying case, reportedly occurring because the British authorities has been unwilling to provide fresh evidence that China is considered a security risk.

The Prime Minister said the United Kingdom was eager to explore other trading relationships but stated that a trade deal with the nation was not on the agenda. "That's not on our list, for a trade deal as such, but our stance is to work together where we can, challenge where we must, and this has been the consistent policy of the government in relation to China."