🔗 Share this article

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

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

The prime minister remarked that the initial stage 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 US and mediators.

Speaking on the last day of his trade visit to the Indian subcontinent, Starmer emphasized that the agreement "needs to be put into action in full, without postponement, and paired with the immediate lifting of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Question Answered

But, when questioned if the Nobel committee should at this time grant Trump the coveted prize, the Prime Minister suggested that time was required to determine if a durable peace could be achieved.

"What matters 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 matters to me above all," he told reporters at a press conference in Mumbai.

Business Deals Announced During Trip to India

Starmer has hailed a series of agreements sealed during his visit to the country – his maiden visit there – accompanied by 126 business leaders and arts figures. The visit marks the passing of the countries' trade pact.

• The UK government has announced a range of financial commitments, from financial technology to higher education facilities, as well as the production of three Bollywood films in the United Kingdom.
• On Thursday, the Prime Minister finalized a military agreement worth £350 million for British-made missiles, produced in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian army.

"Our history together is profound, the human connections between our people are truly special," he said as he left Mumbai. "Building on our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this alliance for our era."

Digital Identification Initiative Examined

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in Mumbai analyzing the Indian digital ID system, including consulting principal architects who developed the widespread system used by more than 1 billion people for benefits, transactions, and identification.

The prime minister hinted that the UK was interested in expanding the application of digital identification beyond making it mandatory to prove rights to work. He proposed that the UK would eventually look at linking it to financial and payments systems – on a voluntary basis – as well as for official procedures such as home loan and educational enrollments.

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

"The efficiency with which it allows residents here to access services, particularly banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions recently, and actually a financial technology discussion that we had as well. So we're examining those examples of how digital identification assists individuals with procedures that sometimes take excessive time and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Changes

The Prime Minister admitted that the administration had to make the case for the initiatives to the UK citizens, which have declined sharply in public approval since Starmer proposed them.

"In my view now we need to go out and make that case the significant advantages ... And I believe that the greater number of individuals see the benefits that accompany this ... as has occurred in different nations, citizens say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and therefore I want to proceed with it," he affirmed.

Rights Issues and International Relations Addressed

Starmer said he had brought up a range of challenging issues with the Indian leader regarding human rights and relations with Russia, though he seemed to have made minimal progress. Starmer acknowledged that he and Modi discussed how India was continuing to buy Russian oil, which is subject to widespread western sanctions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on ending this situation and the various steps will be implemented to that purpose," he commented. "This included a wide range of discussion, but we did set out the actions that we are taking in regarding energy."

Starmer also said he had raised 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 undergoing a full trial. It is frequently mentioned as one of the worst examples of unfair treatment among Britons currently detained overseas.

However, he did not suggest much progress had been made. "Indeed, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he said. "We always raise them when we have the chance to do so. I should say that the foreign secretary is scheduled to meet the families in the near future, as well as discussing it today."

Upcoming Initiatives

The prime minister is largely anticipated to take a similar trade-focused visit to China in the next 12 months as part of a effort to ease relations between the United Kingdom and the Asian nation.

This bilateral connection is receiving attention because of the dismissal of a Chinese spying case, said to have happened because the British authorities has been unwilling to provide fresh evidence that China is considered a threat.

The Prime Minister said the UK was keen to pursue other trading relationships but stated that a trade deal with China was not currently planned. "It is not a priority, for a trade deal as such, but our stance is to work together where we are able, challenge where we must, and this has been the ongoing approach of the administration in regarding China."