🔗 Share this article

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

Ceasefire Deal Welcomed as a "Relief to the Globe"

Starmer remarked that the first phase of the deal would be a "welcome news globally" and noted that the UK had played its own role in private discussions with the US and negotiators.

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

Peace Prize Inquiry Answered

However, when questioned if the Nobel committee should now grant Trump the coveted prize, Starmer suggested that time was required to determine if a durable peace could be attained.

"What matters now is to move forward and execute 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 more than anything else," he told reporters at a press conference in Mumbai.

Trade and Investment Announced During Trip to India

Starmer has hailed a series of agreements finalized during his tour to the country – his first time there – joined by over a hundred executives and cultural leaders. The trip marks the passing of the two nations' free trade agreement.

• No 10 has announced a slew of investments, from financial technology to university campuses, as well as the production of three Bollywood films in the UK.
• On Thursday, the Prime Minister signed a defence deal worth £350m for British-made missiles, produced in the UK region, to be used by the Indian army.

"Our history together is deep, the personal ties between our citizens are truly special," Starmer remarked as he departed the city. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this partnership for our times."

Digital Identification Initiative Studied

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in Mumbai studying the Indian digital ID system, including consulting principal architects who designed the comprehensive platform used by more than 1 billion people for benefits, payments, and verification.

The prime minister hinted that the United Kingdom was interested in broadening the scope of digital identification beyond making it mandatory to prove rights to work. He indicated that the Britain would in time 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's been taken up on a optional basis [in India] in massive scale, partly because it ensures that you can access your own funds, 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, especially financial services, is something that was acknowledged in our talks yesterday, and actually a Fintech conversation that we had as well. So we're examining those examples of how digital ID helps people with processes that often take excessive time and are overly complex and simplifies them 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 public approval since Starmer proposed them.

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

Rights Issues and Global Affairs Addressed

Starmer confirmed he had raised a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding human rights and ties 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 facing widespread western sanctions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on resolving this situation and the multiple measures will be implemented to that purpose," he said. "And that was a broad spectrum of dialogue, but we outlined the actions that we are taking in regarding energy."

The Prime Minister also mentioned he had brought up the situation of the UK-based activist the individual, from Scotland, who has been held in an Indian jail for nearly eight years without undergoing a full trial. It is often cited as one of the worst examples of unfair treatment among UK nationals currently detained overseas.

However, he did not suggest much advancement had been made. "Yes, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he stated. "We always raise them when we have the opportunity to do so. I must add that the foreign secretary is scheduled to meet the relatives in coming weeks, as well as discussing it today."

Upcoming Initiatives

The prime minister is widely expected to take a similar trade-focused trip to China in the next 12 months as part of a mission to ease diplomatic ties 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 China is deemed a security risk.

Starmer clarified the UK was eager to explore additional commercial partnerships but stated that a commercial agreement with the nation was not currently planned. "It is not a priority, for a bilateral pact as such, but our stance is to work together where we can, confront where we must, and that's been the consistent policy of the government in relation to China."