Keir Starmer Commends Trump's Gaza Ceasefire Agreement – However Declines of Nobel Prize Endorsement

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

Ceasefire Deal Hailed as a "Relief to the World"

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

Addressing the media on the final day of his business trip to the Indian subcontinent, Starmer emphasized that the deal "needs to be put into action in full, without delay, and paired with the immediate lifting of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Answered

However, when asked if the Nobel committee should now grant Trump the coveted prize, the Prime Minister implied that more time was required to know if a durable peace could be achieved.

"What matters now is to press on and implement this ... my focus now is moving 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 Mumbai.

Business Deals Revealed During India Visit

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

• The UK government has unveiled a range of financial commitments, from fintech to higher education facilities, as well as the production of three Bollywood films in the UK.
• On the final day, the Prime Minister finalized a military agreement worth £350 million for British-made missiles, manufactured in the UK region, to be deployed by the Indian army.

"Our history together is profound, the personal ties between our people are exceptionally strong," he said as he left Mumbai. "Expanding upon our landmark agreement, we are remaking this alliance for our times."

Digital ID Initiative Studied

Starmer has dedicated time in India studying the Indian digital ID system, including meeting principal architects who developed the widespread system utilized by over a billion individuals for social services, payments, and identification.

The prime minister hinted that the United Kingdom was considering expanding the scope of digital identification beyond making it mandatory to prove rights to work. He indicated that the Britain would in time look at linking it to banking and payments systems – on a optional 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 huge numbers, not least because it means that you can retrieve your own funds, conduct transactions so much more conveniently than is available with others," he explained.

"The speed with which it allows residents here to utilize facilities, especially banking options, is something that was recognized in our discussions yesterday, and in fact a financial technology conversation that we had today. So we're looking at those instances of how digital ID assists individuals with procedures that sometimes take excessive time and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Reforms

Starmer acknowledged that the government had to build public support for the reforms to the British public, which have plummeted in popularity since Starmer proposed them.

"In my view now we need to go out and make that case the significant advantages ... And I think that the greater number of individuals see the benefits that come with this ... as has occurred in other countries, citizens say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and consequently I want to get on with it," he stated.

Rights Issues and International Relations Addressed

The Prime Minister said he had brought up a number of difficult topics with the Indian premier regarding human rights and relations with the Russian Federation, though he appeared to have made little headway. He confirmed that he and Prime Minister Modi talked about how the country was continuing to purchase oil from Russia, which is facing extensive international restrictions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on ending this conflict and the various steps will be taken to that purpose," he said. "This included a wide range of dialogue, but we outlined the steps that we are undertaking in regarding energy."

The Prime Minister also mentioned he had raised the situation of the British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Scotland, who has been detained in an Indian prison for almost a decade without undergoing a full trial. It is frequently mentioned as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among UK nationals currently detained abroad.

However, he did not suggest much progress had been made. "Yes, we brought up the consular cases," he said. "We always raise them when we have the opportunity to do so. I must add that the foreign secretary is meeting the relatives in the near future, as well as discussing it now."

Future Plans

Starmer is largely anticipated to take a comparable business-oriented visit to the People's Republic of China in the next 12 months as part of a effort to ease diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and the Asian nation.

That relationship is under the spotlight because of the collapse of a Chinese spying case, said to have happened because the British authorities has been reluctant to provide new proof that China is considered a security risk.

The Prime Minister said the UK was eager to explore additional commercial partnerships but emphasized that a commercial agreement with the nation was not currently planned. "That's not on our list, for a trade deal as such, but our stance is to cooperate where we can, confront where we must, and this has been the ongoing approach of the government in regarding China."