🔗 Share this article

Keir Starmer has stated that the truce deal in Gaza "could not have happened without the leadership of Donald Trump," yet avoided endorsing the US president for a Nobel Prize.

Ceasefire Deal Welcomed as a "Relief to the Globe"

The prime minister remarked that the first phase of the deal would be a "welcome news globally" and highlighted that the UK had contributed significantly behind the scenes with the United States and mediators.

Addressing the media on the final day of his trade visit to India, Starmer stressed that the agreement "must now be implemented in full, without postponement, and accompanied by the prompt removal of all limitations on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Answered

But, when questioned if the Nobel prize committee should at this time grant Trump the prestigious award, Starmer implied that time was required to determine if a longer lasting peace could be achieved.

"What matters now is to move forward and implement this ... my attention now is transitioning this from the stage it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that matters to me above all," he told reporters at a press conference in India's financial capital.

Business Deals Revealed During India Visit

Starmer has hailed a number of deals sealed during his visit to India – his first time there – accompanied by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The visit marks the passing of the countries' free trade agreement.

• The UK government has announced a range of financial commitments, from financial technology to higher education facilities, as well as the making of multiple Indian movies in the United Kingdom.
• On Thursday, Starmer signed a defence deal worth £350m for British-made missiles, manufactured in Northern Ireland, to be deployed by the Indian military.

"Our history together is profound, the personal ties between our citizens are exceptionally strong," Starmer remarked as he departed the city. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this partnership for our times."

Digital Identification System Studied

Starmer has dedicated time in Mumbai studying the Indian digital ID system, including consulting principal architects who designed the widespread system used by over a billion individuals for social services, payments, and verification.

The prime minister suggested that the UK was interested in broadening the scope of digital identification beyond making it mandatory to prove rights to work. He indicated that the UK would in time look at connecting it to banking and payments systems – on a optional basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as home loan and school applications.

"It has been adopted on a voluntary basis [in India] in huge numbers, not least because it means that you can retrieve your own funds, conduct transactions so much more conveniently than is possible with others," he explained.

"The speed with which it enables citizens here to utilize facilities, especially banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions yesterday, and in fact a financial technology discussion that we had today. So we're looking at those instances of how digital identification helps people with processes that sometimes take too long and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Changes

Starmer acknowledged that the administration had to build public support for the initiatives to the British public, which have plummeted in public approval since he announced them.

"In my view now we need to go out and make that case the significant advantages ... And I believe that the greater number of individuals see the benefits that accompany this ... as has occurred in different nations, people 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 confirmed he had brought up a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding human rights and relations with Russia, though he appeared to have made little headway. He acknowledged that he and Prime Minister Modi talked about how India was persisting to buy Russian oil, which is facing widespread western sanctions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the priority on resolving this situation and the multiple measures will be implemented to that end," he commented. "This included a wide range of dialogue, but we outlined the steps that we are taking in relation to energy."

Starmer also mentioned he had raised the case of the UK-based activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Scotland, who has been held in an Indian prison for nearly eight years without undergoing a complete legal process. It is often cited as one of the most egregious cases of unfair treatment among UK nationals currently detained abroad.

However, Starmer did not suggest much advancement had been made. "Indeed, we brought up the consular cases," he stated. "We always raise them when we have the opportunity to do so. I should say that the top diplomat is scheduled to meet the relatives in coming weeks, as well as discussing it now."

Upcoming Initiatives

The prime minister is widely expected to take a comparable business-oriented visit to the People's Republic of China in the coming year as part of a mission to ease diplomatic ties between the UK and China.

This bilateral connection is receiving attention because of the dismissal of a Chinese spying case, said to have happened because the UK has been reluctant to provide new proof that the country is considered a threat.

Starmer said the UK was eager to pursue other trading relationships but stated that a commercial agreement with the nation was not on the agenda. "It is not a priority, for a trade deal as such, but our position is to work together where we are able, challenge where we must, and that's been the consistent policy of the administration in regarding China."