Starmer Praises Trump's Gaza Ceasefire Agreement – However Declines of Peace Prize Endorsement

Keir Starmer has asserted that the truce deal in Gaza "could not have happened without President Trump's leadership," but stopped short of supporting the US president for a Nobel Prize.

Truce Agreement Welcomed as a "Welcome Development to the Globe"

Starmer commented that the first phase of the agreement would be a "relief to the world" and highlighted that the UK had played its own role in private discussions with the United States and negotiators.

Speaking on the final day of his business trip to India, the British leader emphasized that the agreement "needs to be put into action in full, without postponement, and paired with the immediate lifting of all limitations on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Answered

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

"The priority now is to move forward and implement this ... my attention now is transitioning this from the phase it's at now ... and make a success of this, because that matters to me more than anything else," he stated at a media briefing in India's financial capital.

Trade and Investment Announced During Trip to India

Starmer has hailed a number of deals sealed during his tour to the country – his maiden visit there – joined by over a hundred executives and cultural leaders. The visit marks the passing of the countries' trade pact.

• No 10 has announced a range of financial commitments, from financial technology to university campuses, as well as the production of three Bollywood films in the United Kingdom.
• On the final day, Starmer finalized a defence deal worth £350 million for British-made missiles, manufactured in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian army.

"The shared history is deep, the personal ties between our citizens are exceptionally strong," Starmer said as he departed Mumbai. "Building on our historic trade deal, we are remaking this partnership for our times."

Digital ID System Studied

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in India studying the national digital identification program, including meeting principal architects who developed the widespread system used by more than 1 billion people for social services, payments, and verification.

He suggested that the United Kingdom was interested in expanding the scope of digital ID beyond making it mandatory to verify eligibility to work. He proposed that the UK would eventually look at linking it to banking and transaction networks – on a optional basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as mortgage and school applications.

"It's been taken up on a voluntary basis [in India] in huge numbers, not least because it ensures that you can retrieve your own money, make payments so much more conveniently than is possible with alternative methods," he noted.

"The speed with which it allows residents here to access services, particularly banking options, is something that was recognized in our discussions recently, and actually a financial technology conversation that we had today. So we're examining those instances of how digital identification assists individuals with processes that often take too long and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Changes

Starmer admitted that the administration had to build public support for the initiatives to the British public, which have declined sharply in public approval since he proposed them.

"In my view now we need to go out and advocate for the significant advantages ... And I think that the more people see the positive outcomes that accompany this ... as has occurred in other countries, citizens say: 'That will make my life easier,' and therefore I want to proceed with it," he affirmed.

Human Rights and Global Affairs Addressed

The Prime Minister said he had brought up a range of challenging issues with the Indian premier regarding civil liberties and ties with Russia, though he seemed to have made little headway. He confirmed that he and Modi discussed how India was continuing to buy oil from Russia, which is subject to widespread western sanctions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the priority on resolving this situation and the various steps will be taken to that end," he commented. "And that was a wide range of dialogue, but we did set out the actions that we are undertaking in regarding energy."

Starmer also said he had brought up the case of the UK-based activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, who has been detained in an Indian jail for almost a decade without undergoing a complete legal process. It is frequently mentioned as one of the most egregious cases of unfair treatment among Britons still held abroad.

However, Starmer did not indicate much advancement had been achieved. "Yes, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he said. "We always raise them when we have the chance to do so. I must add that the foreign secretary is scheduled to meet the relatives in the near future, as well as raising it now."

Future Plans

The prime minister is widely expected to take a similar trade-focused trip to the People's Republic of China in the next 12 months as part of a mission to improve relations between the United Kingdom and China.

This bilateral connection is receiving attention because of the collapse of a Chinese spying case, reportedly occurring because the UK has been unwilling to provide new proof that China is deemed a threat.

The Prime Minister clarified the United Kingdom was keen to pursue other trading relationships but emphasized that a trade deal with China was not on the agenda. "That's not on our list, for a bilateral pact 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 government in relation to China."