🔗 Share this article

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

Ceasefire Deal Welcomed as a "Relief to the World"

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

Addressing the media on the last day of his business trip to the Indian subcontinent, Starmer emphasized that the agreement "must now be implemented in full, without delay, and paired with the immediate lifting of all limitations on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Answered

However, when asked if the Nobel committee should at this time grant Donald Trump the prestigious award, Starmer suggested that time was required to determine if a durable peace could be attained.

"The priority now is to move forward and implement this ... my attention now is transitioning this from the stage it's at now ... and make a success of this, because that is important to me more than anything else," he stated at a press conference in Mumbai.

Trade and Investment Revealed During India Visit

Starmer has celebrated a number of deals sealed during his visit to India – his maiden visit there – joined by over a hundred executives and arts figures. The visit marks the implementation of the two nations' trade pact.

• No 10 has unveiled a range of financial commitments, from fintech to higher education facilities, as well as the making of multiple Indian movies in the United Kingdom.
• On the final day, the Prime Minister signed a military agreement worth £350 million for British-made missiles, manufactured in Northern Ireland, to be deployed by the Indian army.

"Our history together is profound, the human connections between our citizens are truly special," he said as he left the city. "Expanding upon our landmark agreement, we are reinventing this partnership for our times."

Digital Identification System Examined

The Prime Minister has spent time in India analyzing the Indian digital ID system, including meeting principal architects who designed the comprehensive platform utilized by over a billion individuals for social services, payments, and verification.

He hinted that the UK was interested in broadening the scope of digital ID beyond making it compulsory to prove rights to work. He indicated that the UK would in time look at connecting it to financial and transaction networks – on a optional basis – as well as for official procedures such as home loan and school applications.

"It has been adopted on a optional basis [in India] in huge numbers, partly because it ensures that you can access your own funds, conduct transactions so much more conveniently than is available with alternative methods," he explained.

"The efficiency with which it allows citizens here to access services, especially banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our talks recently, and actually a financial technology conversation that we had as well. So we're examining those examples of how digital ID assists individuals with procedures that often take too long and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Changes

The Prime Minister acknowledged that the government had to make the case for the initiatives to the UK citizens, which have plummeted in public approval since he proposed them.

"I think now we need to go out and make that case the significant advantages ... And I believe that the more people see the benefits that accompany this ... as has happened in other countries, citizens say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and therefore I want to proceed with it," he stated.

Human Rights and Global Affairs Discussed

Starmer said he had brought up a range of challenging issues with the Indian premier regarding civil liberties and ties with the Russian Federation, though he seemed to have made little headway. He confirmed that he and Prime Minister Modi discussed how the country was persisting to buy oil from Russia, which is subject to extensive international restrictions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on resolving this situation and the multiple measures will be taken to that purpose," he said. "This included a broad spectrum of dialogue, but we outlined the actions that we are undertaking in regarding energy."

The Prime Minister additionally said he had brought up the situation of the British Sikh activist the individual, 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 injustice among Britons currently detained overseas.

However, he did not suggest much advancement had been made. "Yes, we brought up the diplomatic matters," he stated. "We consistently address them when we have the chance to do so. I must add that the foreign secretary is meeting the relatives in the near future, as well as discussing it today."

Future Plans

Starmer is widely expected to take a comparable trade-focused trip to the People's Republic of China in the next 12 months as part of a effort to ease 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 UK has been reluctant to provide fresh evidence that China is deemed a threat.

The Prime Minister clarified the United Kingdom was keen to pursue additional commercial partnerships but emphasized that a trade deal with China was not on the agenda. "That's not on our list, for a bilateral pact as such, but our stance is to work together where we are able, confront where we need to, and that's been the consistent policy of the government in relation to China."