Starmer Applauds President Trump's Gaza Truce Deal – But Stops Short of Nobel Prize Endorsement

The Prime Minister has stated that the truce deal in Gaza "would not have occurred without the leadership of Donald Trump," but avoided endorsing the American leader for a Nobel peace prize.

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

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 behind the scenes with the US and negotiators.

Addressing the media on the final day of his trade visit to the Indian subcontinent, Starmer emphasized that the agreement "needs to be put into action in full, without delay, and paired with the prompt removal of all limitations on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Question Answered

However, when asked if the Nobel committee should now grant Donald Trump the coveted prize, Starmer suggested that time was required to determine if a longer lasting peace could be achieved.

"What matters now is to move forward and execute this ... my focus now is moving this from the stage it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that is important to me more than anything else," he stated at a media briefing in Mumbai.

Trade and Investment Revealed During Trip to India

The Prime Minister has celebrated a number of deals sealed during his tour to the country – his first time there – joined by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The visit signifies the passing of the countries' trade pact.

• The UK government has unveiled a slew of investments, from financial technology to higher education facilities, as well as the production of multiple Indian movies in the UK.
• On the final day, Starmer finalized a military agreement worth £350m for British-made missiles, produced in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian military.

"The shared history is deep, the personal ties between our citizens are truly special," he said as he departed the city. "Building on our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this alliance for our times."

Digital Identification System Studied

Starmer has dedicated time in Mumbai studying the Indian digital ID system, including consulting principal architects who designed the comprehensive platform utilized by over a billion individuals for benefits, transactions, and identification.

He suggested that the United Kingdom was considering expanding the application of digital identification beyond making it compulsory to verify eligibility to work. He proposed that the Britain would eventually look at linking it to banking and transaction networks – on a voluntary 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 huge numbers, partly because it means that you can access your own funds, make payments so much more easily than is possible with others," he explained.

"The efficiency with which it enables citizens here to utilize facilities, particularly financial services, is something that was acknowledged in our talks recently, and actually a Fintech discussion that we had today. So we're looking at those instances of how digital identification assists people with processes that sometimes take excessive time and are too cumbersome and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Changes

Starmer acknowledged that the government had to build public support for the reforms to the UK citizens, which have plummeted in popularity since he proposed 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 accompany this ... as has happened in different nations, people 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 confirmed he had raised a range of challenging issues with the Indian leader regarding human rights and relations with the Russian Federation, though he appeared to have made minimal progress. He confirmed that he and Prime Minister Modi talked about how India was persisting to purchase Russian oil, which is subject to extensive international restrictions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on resolving this conflict and the multiple measures will be implemented to that end," he said. "And that was a wide range of dialogue, but we did set out the steps that we are taking in regarding energy."

The Prime Minister also mentioned 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 full trial. It is often cited as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among Britons still held overseas.

But, Starmer did not indicate much advancement had been made. "Yes, we brought up the diplomatic matters," he stated. "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 raising it today."

Upcoming Initiatives

The prime minister is largely anticipated to take a similar trade-focused visit to the People's Republic of China in the coming year as part of a mission to improve diplomatic ties between the UK and China.

That relationship is under the spotlight because of the collapse of a Chinese spying case, reportedly occurring because the UK has been reluctant to provide new proof that China is considered a threat.

The Prime Minister clarified the UK was eager to pursue additional commercial partnerships but stated that a commercial agreement with China was not on the agenda. "That's not on our list, for a bilateral pact as such, but our position is to cooperate where we are able, confront where we must, and this has been the consistent policy of the administration in relation to China."