🔗 Share this article

The Prime Minister has stated that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without the leadership of Donald Trump," but avoided endorsing the US president for a Nobel Prize.

Truce Agreement Hailed as a "Relief to the World"

Starmer commented that the initial stage of the agreement would be a "relief to the world" and noted that the UK had played its own role in private discussions with the United States and mediators.

Speaking on the final day of his trade visit to the Indian subcontinent, Starmer emphasized that the deal "must now be implemented in full, without postponement, and paired with the prompt removal of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Addressed

But, when questioned if the Nobel committee should at this time award Donald Trump the coveted prize, the Prime Minister suggested that more time was needed to know if a longer lasting peace could be attained.

"The priority now is to press on and execute this ... my focus now is transitioning this from the stage it's at now ... and make a success of this, because that matters to me more than anything else," he told reporters at a press conference in India's financial capital.

Business Deals Announced During India Visit

The Prime Minister has hailed a series of agreements sealed during his visit to India – his first time there – joined by over a hundred executives and arts figures. The visit signifies the implementation of the two nations' free trade agreement.

• The UK government has announced a slew of investments, from financial technology to university campuses, as well as the production of multiple Indian movies in the United Kingdom.
• On the final day, the Prime Minister finalized 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 human connections between our people are truly special," he said as he left the city. "Building on our landmark agreement, we are remaking this alliance for our times."

Digital Identification Initiative Studied

Starmer has spent time in Mumbai analyzing the Indian digital ID system, including meeting principal architects who developed the widespread system utilized by more than 1 billion people for social services, payments, and verification.

The prime minister hinted that the UK was interested in broadening the application of digital ID beyond making it compulsory to verify eligibility to work. He proposed that the Britain would eventually look at connecting it to banking 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 voluntary basis [in India] in massive scale, partly because it means that you can retrieve your own money, conduct transactions so much more conveniently than is available with alternative methods," he noted.

"The speed with which it allows citizens here to access services, especially financial services, is something that was recognized in our discussions yesterday, and in fact a financial technology conversation that we had as well. So we're looking at those examples of how digital identification assists people with procedures that sometimes take too long and are too cumbersome and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Reforms

Starmer admitted that the government had to make the case for the initiatives to the British public, which have plummeted in public approval since he announced them.

"I think now we need to go out and advocate for the huge benefits ... And I believe that the greater number of individuals see the positive outcomes that accompany this ... as has happened in other countries, citizens say: 'That will make my life easier,' and consequently I want to proceed with it," he stated.

Human Rights and International Relations Addressed

Starmer said he had brought up a number of difficult topics with the Indian premier regarding human rights and relations with Russia, though he seemed to have made little headway. Starmer acknowledged that he and Modi talked about how India was persisting to purchase Russian oil, which is facing extensive international restrictions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the focus on ending this conflict and the multiple measures will be implemented to that purpose," he commented. "And that was a wide range of discussion, but we outlined the steps that we are taking in relation to energy."

Starmer also mentioned he had raised the situation of the British Sikh activist the individual, from Dumbarton, who has been detained in an Indian prison for nearly eight years without facing a full trial. It is often cited as one of the worst examples of injustice among UK nationals still held abroad.

However, he did not indicate much progress had been made. "Yes, we brought up the diplomatic matters," he said. "We always raise them when we have the chance to do so. I must add that the top diplomat is scheduled to meet the relatives in coming weeks, as well as discussing it now."

Upcoming Initiatives

Starmer 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 effort to ease relations between the UK and the Asian nation.

This bilateral connection is under the spotlight because of the dismissal of a espionage investigation, reportedly occurring because the British authorities has been reluctant to provide fresh evidence that the country is considered a threat.

Starmer clarified the UK was eager to pursue other trading relationships but stated 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 cooperate where we can, challenge where we need to, and this has been the consistent policy of the government in regarding China."