🔗 Share this article

Keir Starmer has stated that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "could not have happened without the leadership of Donald Trump," but stopped short of supporting the US president for a Nobel peace prize.

Ceasefire Deal Hailed as a "Relief to the World"

The prime minister commented that the initial stage of the agreement would be a "relief to the world" and highlighted that the United Kingdom had played its own role behind the scenes with the US and mediators.

Speaking on the final day of his trade visit to the Indian subcontinent, the British leader emphasized that the deal "needs to be put into action in full, without postponement, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Inquiry Addressed

But, when asked if the Nobel prize committee should at this time grant Donald Trump the coveted prize, Starmer implied that time was required to determine if a durable peace could be achieved.

"What matters 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 is important to me above all," he told reporters at a media briefing in India's financial capital.

Trade and Investment Revealed During India Visit

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

• No 10 has announced a slew of investments, from fintech to higher education facilities, as well as the production of three Bollywood films in the United Kingdom.
• On the final day, the Prime Minister finalized a military agreement worth £350m for UK missiles, manufactured in Northern Ireland, to be deployed by the Indian military.

"Our history together is profound, the personal ties between our people are truly special," he remarked as he departed Mumbai. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are remaking this partnership for our times."

Digital ID Initiative Studied

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

He suggested that the UK was considering expanding the application of digital identification beyond making it compulsory to prove rights to work. He proposed that the UK would in time look at linking it to financial and payments systems – on a optional basis – as well as for official procedures such as home loan and educational enrollments.

"It has been adopted on a voluntary basis [in India] in massive scale, not least because it ensures that you can access your own money, conduct transactions so much more easily than is available with alternative methods," he explained.

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

Public Support for Reforms

Starmer acknowledged that the government had to make the case for the reforms to the UK citizens, which have declined sharply in popularity since Starmer proposed them.

"I think 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 other countries, people say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and consequently I want to get on with it," he affirmed.

Rights Issues and Global Affairs Discussed

Starmer said he had raised a number of difficult topics with the Indian premier regarding human rights and relations with Russia, though he appeared to have made minimal progress. Starmer acknowledged that he and Prime Minister Modi discussed how India was persisting to buy oil from Russia, which is facing widespread western sanctions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on ending this situation and the various steps will be implemented to that end," he said. "And that was a wide range of discussion, but we outlined the steps that we are taking in relation to energy."

Starmer additionally said he had raised the case of the British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Scotland, who has been detained in an Indian jail for nearly eight years without facing a complete legal process. It is often cited as one of the most egregious cases of unfair treatment among Britons still held overseas.

However, Starmer did not suggest much progress had been achieved. "Indeed, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he said. "We consistently address them when we have the opportunity to do so. I must add that the foreign secretary is scheduled to meet the relatives in the near future, as well as discussing it now."

Upcoming Initiatives

The prime minister is largely anticipated to take a similar business-oriented visit to China in the coming year as part of a effort to ease diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and the Asian nation.

That relationship is receiving attention because of the collapse of a Chinese spying case, said to have happened because the UK has been reluctant to provide new proof that the country is deemed a threat.

Starmer said the United Kingdom was keen to explore other trading relationships but emphasized 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, confront where we need to, and that's been the ongoing approach of the administration in regarding China."