Starmer Praises President Trump's Gaza Ceasefire Deal – However Declines of Peace Prize Backing

Keir Starmer has asserted that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "could not have happened without the leadership of Donald Trump," yet stopped short of endorsing the American leader for a Nobel peace prize.

Truce Agreement Welcomed 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 highlighted that the United Kingdom had contributed significantly behind the scenes with the United States and negotiators.

Speaking on the last day of his business trip to the Indian subcontinent, the British leader stressed that the deal "must now be implemented in full, without delay, and paired with the immediate lifting of all restrictions on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Inquiry Answered

But, when questioned if the Nobel committee should at this time grant Trump the prestigious award, the Prime Minister implied that time was required to know if a longer lasting peace could be attained.

"What matters now is to move forward and implement this ... my focus now is moving this from the phase it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that is important to me more than anything else," 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 tour to India – his maiden visit there – accompanied by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The visit marks the implementation of the countries' trade pact.

• The UK government has unveiled a range of financial commitments, from fintech to higher education facilities, as well as the making of three Bollywood films in the UK.
• On Thursday, the Prime Minister signed a military agreement worth £350m for British-made missiles, produced in the UK region, to be used by the Indian military.

"The shared history is profound, the human connections between our people are exceptionally strong," he remarked as he left the city. "Expanding upon our landmark agreement, we are reinventing this partnership for our times."

Digital Identification Initiative Studied

The Prime Minister has spent time in Mumbai analyzing the national digital identification program, including consulting principal architects who developed the comprehensive platform used by over a billion individuals for benefits, payments, and verification.

The prime minister hinted that the UK was considering expanding the scope of digital identification beyond making it mandatory to verify eligibility to work. He proposed that the Britain would in time look at linking it to banking and transaction networks – on a optional basis – as well as for official procedures such as home loan and educational enrollments.

"It has been adopted on a optional basis [in India] in massive scale, partly because it ensures that you can access your own money, conduct transactions so much more easily than is possible with alternative methods," he explained.

"The efficiency with which it enables residents here to access services, particularly banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions recently, and in fact a Fintech conversation that we had today. So we're examining those examples of how digital ID helps people with processes that sometimes 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 initiatives 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 huge benefits ... And I think that the greater number of individuals see the benefits that come with this ... as has happened 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 Global Affairs Addressed

The Prime Minister confirmed he had brought up a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding human rights and ties with Russia, though he seemed to have made little headway. He acknowledged that he and Modi talked about how the country was persisting to buy Russian oil, which is subject to widespread western sanctions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on ending this situation and the various steps will be taken to that purpose," he commented. "And that was a broad spectrum of dialogue, but we outlined the steps that we are undertaking in regarding energy."

The Prime Minister additionally mentioned he had brought up the situation of the UK-based activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, who has been held in an Indian prison for nearly eight years without undergoing a full trial. It is frequently mentioned as one of the worst examples of unfair treatment among UK nationals still held abroad.

But, Starmer did not indicate much advancement had been achieved. "Indeed, 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 meeting the families in coming weeks, as well as raising it today."

Upcoming Initiatives

The prime minister is widely expected to take a similar trade-focused visit to China in the next 12 months as part of a mission to ease relations between the UK and China.

This bilateral connection is under the spotlight because of the collapse of a espionage investigation, reportedly occurring because the British authorities has been unwilling to provide fresh evidence that China is deemed a security risk.

Starmer said the United Kingdom was keen to explore additional commercial partnerships but stated that a trade deal with China was not on the agenda. "It is not a priority, for a trade deal as such, but our position is to cooperate where we are able, confront where we need to, and this has been the ongoing approach of the administration in relation to China."