🔗 Share this article

The Prime Minister has stated that the truce deal in Gaza "would not have occurred without President Trump's leadership," yet avoided endorsing the American leader for a Nobel peace prize.

Ceasefire Deal Hailed as a "Welcome Development to the Globe"

The prime minister commented that the first phase of the agreement would be a "welcome news globally" and highlighted that the United Kingdom had played its own role behind the scenes with the United States and negotiators.

Speaking on the final day of his trade visit to India, Starmer emphasized that the deal "needs to be put into action in full, without delay, and paired with the prompt removal of all limitations on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Answered

But, when asked if the Nobel prize committee should now award Donald Trump the prestigious prize, Starmer suggested that time was needed to know if a durable peace could be attained.

"The priority now is to move forward and implement this ... my attention now is moving this from the phase it's at now ... and make a success of this, because that matters to me above all," he told reporters at a media briefing in Mumbai.

Business Deals Announced During Trip to India

Starmer has hailed a number of deals finalized during his tour to the country – his maiden visit there – accompanied by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The visit signifies the implementation of the two nations' trade pact.

• No 10 has announced a range of financial commitments, from financial technology to university campuses, as well as the making of multiple Indian movies in the United Kingdom.
• On Thursday, Starmer finalized a defence deal worth £350m for British-made missiles, produced in Northern Ireland, to be deployed by the Indian army.

"The shared history is profound, the human connections between our people are truly special," Starmer remarked as he departed Mumbai. "Expanding upon our landmark agreement, we are reinventing this partnership for our era."

Digital Identification Initiative Examined

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in Mumbai analyzing the national digital identification program, including consulting key figures who designed the widespread system utilized by more than 1 billion people 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 compulsory to prove rights to work. He indicated that the UK would eventually look at linking it to banking and payments systems – on a optional basis – as well as for official procedures such as mortgage and school applications.

"It's been taken up on a voluntary basis [in India] in huge numbers, not least because it means that you can retrieve your own money, conduct transactions so much more easily than is possible with others," he explained.

"The speed with which it allows residents here to access services, especially banking options, is something that was recognized in our talks yesterday, and in fact a Fintech conversation that we had as well. So we're examining those examples of how digital identification assists people with procedures that sometimes take too long and are too cumbersome and makes them easier for them."

Public Support for Changes

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

"I think now we need to go out and make that case the huge benefits ... And I believe that the more people see the benefits that accompany this ... as has happened in different nations, people say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and therefore I want to get on with it," he affirmed.

Human Rights and International Relations Addressed

Starmer confirmed he had raised a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and ties with the Russian Federation, though he appeared to have made little headway. He confirmed that he and Modi discussed how India was continuing to buy oil from Russia, which is subject to extensive international restrictions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the focus on ending this situation and the various steps will be taken to that purpose," he commented. "This included a wide range of discussion, but we outlined the steps that we are taking in regarding energy."

Starmer additionally mentioned he had raised the situation of the UK-based activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Scotland, who has been held in an Indian jail for almost a decade without undergoing a complete legal process. It is frequently mentioned as one of the worst examples of unfair treatment among Britons currently detained abroad.

However, Starmer did not suggest much progress had been made. "Indeed, we did raise the consular cases," he stated. "We always raise them when we have the opportunity to do so. I must add that the foreign secretary is meeting the relatives in the near future, as well as discussing it now."

Upcoming Initiatives

Starmer is widely expected to take a comparable business-oriented visit to China in the next 12 months as part of a mission to ease diplomatic ties between the UK and the Asian nation.

This bilateral connection is under the spotlight because of the collapse of a Chinese spying case, reportedly occurring because the UK has been unwilling to provide fresh evidence that China is considered a threat.

The Prime Minister said the United Kingdom was eager to pursue other trading relationships but emphasized that a trade deal with the nation was not currently planned. "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 must, and that's been the ongoing approach of the administration in relation to China."