🔗 Share this article

The Prime Minister has declared that the truce deal in Gaza "could not have happened without the leadership of Donald Trump," yet stopped short of supporting the US president for a Nobel peace prize.

Truce Agreement Hailed 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 played its own role in private discussions with the US and mediators.

Speaking on the final day of his trade visit to the Indian subcontinent, Starmer stressed that the agreement "needs to be put into action in full, without delay, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all limitations on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Inquiry Answered

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

"The priority now is to press on and implement this ... my attention now is moving this from the phase it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that is important to me more than anything else," he stated at a media briefing in Mumbai.

Business Deals Revealed During Trip to India

Starmer has celebrated a series of agreements finalized during his visit to India – his maiden visit there – joined by 126 business leaders and arts figures. The trip marks the implementation of the countries' free trade agreement.

• The UK government has unveiled a range of financial commitments, from fintech to university campuses, as well as the making of multiple Indian movies in the UK.
• On Thursday, Starmer finalized a military agreement worth £350m for British-made missiles, manufactured in Northern Ireland, to be deployed by the Indian military.

"The shared history is profound, the personal ties between our citizens are truly special," he said as he departed the city. "Expanding upon our landmark agreement, we are reinventing this partnership for our era."

Digital ID Initiative Studied

Starmer has spent time in India analyzing the national digital identification program, including meeting key figures who developed the widespread system utilized by more than 1 billion people for benefits, transactions, and identification.

He hinted that the UK was interested in expanding the scope of digital ID beyond making it mandatory to verify eligibility to work. He indicated that the UK would eventually look at linking it to banking and transaction networks – on a optional basis – as well as for official procedures such as home loan and educational enrollments.

"It's been taken up on a optional basis [in India] in huge numbers, partly because it ensures that you can access your own money, conduct transactions so much more conveniently than is available with others," he explained.

"The speed with which it allows citizens here to utilize facilities, particularly financial services, is something that was recognized in our talks recently, and actually a Fintech discussion that we had as well. So we're looking at those instances of how digital ID helps people with procedures that often take excessive time and are overly complex and makes them easier for them."

Public Support for Reforms

Starmer acknowledged that the government had to build public support for the reforms to the UK citizens, which have declined sharply in popularity since he proposed them.

"I think now we need to go out and make that case the huge benefits ... And I believe that the greater number of individuals see the benefits that come with this ... as has happened in other countries, citizens say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and therefore I want to get on with it," he affirmed.

Human Rights and Global Affairs Discussed

Starmer said he had raised a range of challenging issues with the Indian premier regarding human rights and relations with the Russian Federation, though he appeared to have made little headway. He confirmed that he and Modi talked about how the country was persisting to buy oil from Russia, which is subject to widespread western sanctions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the priority on resolving this situation and the various steps will be taken to that end," he said. "And that was a wide range of dialogue, but we outlined the actions that we are undertaking in regarding energy."

The Prime Minister also said he had raised the case of the British Sikh 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 often cited as one of the worst examples of unfair treatment among Britons still held abroad.

But, he did not indicate much advancement had been achieved. "Yes, we brought up the diplomatic matters," he stated. "We always raise them when we have the opportunity to do so. I should say that the foreign secretary is meeting the families in the near future, as well as raising it today."

Upcoming Initiatives

Starmer is widely expected to take a comparable trade-focused visit to the People's Republic of China in the coming year as part of a mission to ease diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and China.

That relationship is receiving attention because of the collapse of a Chinese spying case, reportedly occurring because the UK has been reluctant to provide fresh evidence that the country is deemed a threat.

Starmer clarified the UK was keen to pursue other trading relationships but stated that a commercial agreement with China was not on the agenda. "It is not a priority, for a bilateral pact as such, but our stance is to work together where we are able, challenge where we must, and this has been the consistent policy of the administration in relation to China."