Keir Starmer Praises President Trump's Gaza Truce Agreement – However Stops Short of Nobel Prize Backing

Keir Starmer has declared that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without the leadership of Donald Trump," yet avoided supporting the US president for a Nobel peace prize.

Truce Agreement Hailed as a "Relief to the World"

Starmer remarked that the initial stage of the deal 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 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 immediate lifting of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Addressed

But, when questioned if the Nobel prize committee should now award Trump the coveted award, the Prime Minister suggested that more time was required to know if a longer lasting peace could be attained.

"The priority 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 Mumbai.

Trade and Investment Revealed During Trip to India

The Prime Minister has celebrated a number of deals sealed during his visit to India – his first time there – accompanied by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The visit signifies the implementation of the countries' free trade agreement.

• No 10 has unveiled a range of financial commitments, from financial technology to higher education facilities, as well as the production of multiple Indian movies in the United Kingdom.
• On the final day, the Prime Minister finalized a defence deal worth £350 million for British-made missiles, produced in the UK region, to be used by the Indian army.

"The shared history is profound, the personal ties between our people are truly special," Starmer said as he departed Mumbai. "Building on our historic trade deal, we are remaking this alliance for our times."

Digital ID System Examined

Starmer has dedicated time in Mumbai analyzing the national digital identification program, including consulting key figures who developed the widespread system utilized by over a billion individuals for benefits, payments, and verification.

The prime minister suggested that the United Kingdom was interested in broadening the scope of digital identification beyond making it mandatory to prove rights to work. He proposed that the UK would eventually look at connecting it to financial 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 optional basis [in India] in massive scale, partly because it means that you can retrieve your own funds, make payments so much more conveniently than is possible with alternative methods," he explained.

"The efficiency with which it enables residents here to utilize facilities, especially banking options, is something that was recognized in our talks recently, and actually a Fintech conversation that we had today. So we're looking at those instances of how digital identification helps individuals with procedures that often take too long and are too cumbersome and makes them easier for them."

Public Support for Changes

The Prime Minister admitted that the government had to make the case for the reforms to the British public, which have plummeted in public approval since he announced them.

"I think 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 different nations, citizens say: 'That will make my life easier,' and therefore I want to proceed with it," he affirmed.

Rights Issues and Global Affairs Discussed

The Prime Minister said he had brought up a range of challenging issues with the Indian premier regarding human rights and relations with the Russian Federation, though he seemed to have made minimal progress. Starmer confirmed that he and Prime Minister Modi talked about how India was continuing to buy Russian oil, which is facing extensive international restrictions.

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

Starmer also said he had raised the situation of the UK-based activist the individual, from Scotland, who has been detained in an Indian jail for almost a decade without facing a complete legal process. It is often cited as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among UK nationals still held overseas.

But, Starmer did not indicate much advancement had been made. "Indeed, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he stated. "We consistently address them when we have the chance 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

The prime minister is largely anticipated to take a comparable trade-focused visit to the People's Republic of China in the next 12 months as part of a effort to improve diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and China.

That relationship is receiving attention because of the dismissal of a Chinese spying case, said to have happened because the UK has been unwilling to provide fresh evidence that China is considered a security risk.

Starmer clarified the United Kingdom was eager to pursue other trading relationships but stated that a commercial agreement with China was not currently planned. "It is not a priority, for a bilateral pact as such, but our stance is to work together where we can, challenge where we must, and this has been the ongoing approach of the government in relation to China."