Starmer Commends Trump's Gaza Truce Deal – But Stops Short of Nobel Prize Backing

Keir Starmer has declared that the truce deal in Gaza "would not have occurred without President Trump's leadership," but stopped short of supporting the US president for a Nobel Prize.

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

Starmer commented that the initial stage of the agreement would be a "relief to the world" and highlighted that the UK had played its own role behind the scenes with the US and negotiators.

Speaking on the final day of his trade visit to India, Starmer stressed that the agreement "must now be implemented in full, without delay, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all limitations on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Question Answered

However, when questioned if the Nobel committee should now award Donald Trump the coveted award, the Prime Minister implied that time was needed to determine if a longer lasting peace could be achieved.

"The priority now is to press on and implement this ... my attention now is transitioning this from the stage it's at now ... and make a success of this, because that matters to me above all," he told reporters at a press conference in Mumbai.

Trade and Investment Announced During Trip to India

Starmer has celebrated a number of deals sealed during his tour to India – his maiden visit there – accompanied by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The visit marks the passing of the two nations' free trade agreement.

• The UK government has unveiled a range of financial commitments, from fintech to university campuses, as well as the production of three Bollywood films in the UK.
• On Thursday, Starmer signed a defence deal worth £350m for UK missiles, produced in the UK region, to be used by the Indian army.

"Our history together is deep, the personal ties between our people are exceptionally strong," Starmer remarked as he left Mumbai. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this alliance for our era."

Digital Identification System Studied

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in India analyzing the national digital identification program, including consulting key figures who designed the comprehensive platform used by over a billion individuals for benefits, transactions, and verification.

He suggested that the UK was considering broadening the scope of digital identification beyond making it mandatory to verify eligibility to work. He indicated that the UK would eventually look at linking it to banking and payments systems – on a voluntary basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as home loan and educational enrollments.

"It's been taken up on a optional basis [in India] in massive scale, not least because it ensures that you can retrieve your own money, conduct transactions so much more easily than is available with alternative methods," he explained.

"The efficiency with which it enables citizens here to access services, particularly banking options, is something that was acknowledged 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 individuals with processes that sometimes take too long and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Changes

The Prime Minister admitted that the government had to build public support for the initiatives to the UK citizens, which have plummeted in popularity since he announced them.

"In my view now we need to go out and advocate for the significant advantages ... And I believe that the greater number of individuals see the positive outcomes that come with this ... as has happened in other countries, citizens say: 'That will make my life easier,' and therefore I want to get on with it," he affirmed.

Human Rights and Global Affairs Addressed

The Prime Minister said he had brought up a range of challenging issues with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and relations with Russia, though he seemed to have made minimal progress. Starmer acknowledged that he and Prime Minister Modi talked about how India was persisting to purchase oil from Russia, which is facing widespread western sanctions.

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

Starmer also mentioned he had brought up 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 facing a full trial. It is often cited as one of the most egregious cases of unfair treatment among Britons still held abroad.

However, he did not indicate much progress had been achieved. "Yes, we brought up the diplomatic matters," he stated. "We consistently address them when we have the opportunity to do so. I must add that the top diplomat is meeting the relatives in the near future, as well as discussing it now."

Future Plans

The prime minister is widely expected to take a comparable trade-focused visit to China in the coming year as part of a effort to improve diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and the Asian nation.

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

The Prime Minister said the United Kingdom was eager to explore other trading relationships but emphasized that a commercial agreement 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 need to, and that's been the ongoing approach of the administration in relation to China."