🔗 Share this article

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

Truce Agreement Hailed as a "Welcome Development to the World"

The prime minister remarked that the first phase of the agreement would be a "welcome news globally" and noted that the UK had played its own role behind the scenes with the United States and negotiators.

Speaking on the last day of his trade visit to India, the British leader emphasized that the agreement "must now be implemented in full, without postponement, and paired with the immediate lifting of all limitations on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Answered

However, when asked if the Nobel prize committee should now award Donald Trump the prestigious prize, the Prime Minister implied that time was required to know if a longer lasting peace could be achieved.

"What matters now is to press on and execute this ... my focus 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 press conference in India's financial capital.

Business Deals Announced During Trip to India

Starmer has hailed a series of agreements sealed during his visit to India – his first time there – joined by over a hundred executives and cultural leaders. The trip signifies the implementation of the countries' free trade agreement.

• No 10 has unveiled a slew of investments, from fintech to university campuses, as well as the production of three Bollywood films in the UK.
• On Thursday, Starmer finalized a defence deal worth £350 million for UK missiles, produced in Northern Ireland, to be deployed by the Indian military.

"Our history together is deep, the human connections between our people are truly special," Starmer remarked as he left the city. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this partnership for our era."

Digital ID Initiative Examined

Starmer has dedicated time in India analyzing the Indian digital ID system, including meeting key figures who designed the widespread system used by over a billion individuals for social services, payments, and verification.

He suggested that the United Kingdom was interested in expanding the application of digital ID beyond making it compulsory to prove rights to work. He indicated that the UK would in time look at linking it to banking and transaction networks – on a optional basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as home loan and school applications.

"It has been adopted on a voluntary basis [in India] in massive scale, partly because it ensures that you can retrieve your own money, make payments so much more easily than is possible with others," he noted.

"The speed with which it allows citizens here to access services, especially financial services, is something that was recognized in our talks yesterday, and in fact a Fintech discussion that we had today. So we're looking at those instances of how digital identification helps individuals with processes that sometimes take too long and are overly complex and makes them easier for them."

Popular Backing for Reforms

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

"In my view now we need to go out and make that case the huge benefits ... And I believe that the more people see the benefits that come with 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.

Human Rights and International Relations Addressed

Starmer said he had raised a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and relations with the Russian Federation, though he seemed to have made minimal progress. He confirmed that he and Modi discussed how the country was continuing to purchase oil from Russia, which is facing widespread western sanctions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the priority on resolving this conflict and the various steps will be implemented to that purpose," he commented. "And that was a wide range of discussion, but we outlined the actions that we are undertaking in regarding energy."

Starmer also said he had brought up the case of the British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Scotland, who has been detained in an Indian prison for nearly eight years without undergoing a complete legal process. It is frequently mentioned as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among Britons still held overseas.

But, he did not indicate much progress had been achieved. "Yes, we did raise the consular cases," he said. "We consistently address them when we have the opportunity to do so. I should say that the top diplomat is meeting the relatives in coming weeks, as well as discussing it now."

Upcoming Initiatives

Starmer is largely anticipated to take a similar trade-focused trip to China in the coming year as part of a effort to improve diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and China.

This bilateral connection is receiving attention because of the dismissal of a espionage investigation, reportedly occurring because the UK has been reluctant to provide new proof that China is deemed a security risk.

The Prime Minister said the UK was keen to pursue additional commercial partnerships but emphasized that a commercial agreement with China was not currently planned. "That's not on our list, for a bilateral pact as such, but our stance is to cooperate where we can, challenge where we need to, and that's been the ongoing approach of the administration in relation to China."