🔗 Share this article Keir Starmer Commends President Trump's Gaza Ceasefire Deal – But Declines of Peace Prize Backing The Prime Minister has asserted that the truce deal in Gaza "could not have happened without the leadership of Donald Trump," yet stopped short of endorsing the American leader for a Nobel Prize. Ceasefire Deal Welcomed as a "Welcome Development to the World" Starmer commented that the first phase of the agreement would be a "relief to the world" and noted that the UK had played its own role in private discussions with the US and negotiators. Addressing the media 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 postponement, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza." Peace Prize Inquiry Answered However, when asked if the Nobel prize committee should now award Trump the prestigious prize, the Prime Minister implied that more time was needed to determine if a longer lasting peace could be attained. "The priority now is to press on and execute this ... my focus now is moving this from the stage it's at now ... and make a success of this, because that matters to me above all," he told reporters at a media briefing in Mumbai. Business Deals Announced During Trip to India The Prime Minister has celebrated a number of deals finalized during his tour to India – his maiden visit there – joined by over a hundred executives and arts figures. The trip marks the passing of the countries' free trade agreement. The UK government has announced a range of financial commitments, from financial technology to university campuses, as well as the production of multiple Indian movies in the United Kingdom. On Thursday, the Prime Minister signed a military agreement worth £350 million for UK missiles, produced in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian military. "The shared history is profound, the personal ties between our people are truly special," Starmer said as he departed the city. "Building on our landmark agreement, we are reinventing this alliance for our times." Digital Identification Initiative Studied The Prime Minister has dedicated time in India studying the national digital identification program, including meeting key figures who developed the widespread system used by over a billion individuals for social services, payments, and identification. He suggested that the UK was interested in expanding the application of digital ID beyond making it compulsory to prove rights to work. He proposed that the UK 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 optional basis [in India] in huge numbers, not least because it means that you can retrieve your own funds, conduct transactions so much more easily than is available with others," he explained. "The efficiency with which it enables residents here to access services, especially financial services, is something that was recognized in our talks recently, and in fact a financial technology discussion that we had today. So we're examining those examples of how digital ID helps people with processes that often take excessive time and are too cumbersome and simplifies them for them." Popular Backing for Changes The Prime Minister admitted that the government had to make the case for the reforms to the British public, which have declined sharply in popularity since Starmer announced 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, citizens say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and therefore I want to get on 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 leader regarding human rights and relations with the Russian Federation, though he seemed to have made little headway. Starmer acknowledged that he and Prime Minister Modi discussed how the country was persisting to purchase oil from Russia, which is facing widespread western sanctions. "For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on resolving this situation and the various steps will be taken to that purpose," he said. "And that was a wide range of dialogue, but we outlined the actions that we are undertaking in relation to energy." The Prime Minister additionally mentioned he had brought up the case of the British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, who has been held in an Indian prison for nearly eight years without undergoing a complete legal process. It is frequently mentioned as one of the most egregious cases of unfair treatment among UK nationals still held overseas. But, he did not suggest much advancement had been made. "Indeed, we brought up the consular cases," he said. "We consistently address them when we have the opportunity to do so. I should say that the top diplomat is scheduled to meet the relatives in the near future, as well as discussing it today." Upcoming Initiatives Starmer is largely anticipated to take a similar trade-focused visit to China in the next 12 months as part of a mission to improve relations between the UK and China. That relationship is receiving attention because of the dismissal of a espionage investigation, said to have happened because the British authorities has been reluctant to provide new proof that the country is deemed a security risk. Starmer said the UK was keen to pursue other trading relationships but emphasized that a trade deal with China was not currently planned. "It is not a priority, for a bilateral pact as such, but our position is to work together where we are able, challenge where we need to, and that's been the consistent policy of the administration in regarding China."