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Keir Starmer has asserted that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without President Trump's leadership," yet stopped short of endorsing the US president for a Nobel Prize.

Truce Agreement Hailed as a "Relief to the World"

Starmer commented that the first phase of the agreement would be a "welcome news globally" and highlighted that the UK had contributed significantly behind the scenes with the United States and negotiators.

Addressing the media on the last day of his trade visit to the Indian subcontinent, Starmer stressed that the agreement "must now be implemented in full, without postponement, and paired with the immediate lifting of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Question Answered

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

"What matters now is to press on and implement this ... my attention now is moving this from the stage it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that matters to me above all," he stated at a media briefing in India's financial capital.

Business Deals Announced During India Visit

Starmer has hailed a series of agreements finalized during his tour to India – his first time there – accompanied by over a hundred executives and arts figures. The trip marks the implementation of the two nations' trade pact.

• No 10 has announced 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, Starmer finalized a defence deal worth £350m for UK missiles, produced in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian military.

"Our history together is deep, the human connections between our people are exceptionally strong," Starmer remarked as he departed the city. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are remaking this alliance for our era."

Digital Identification System Studied

The Prime Minister has spent time in Mumbai analyzing the national digital identification program, including meeting key figures who designed the comprehensive platform used by over a billion individuals for social services, transactions, and verification.

The prime minister suggested that the United Kingdom was considering broadening the application of digital ID beyond making it compulsory to prove rights to work. He indicated that the UK would in time look at linking it to banking and transaction networks – on a voluntary basis – as well as for official procedures such as home loan and school applications.

"It's been taken up on a voluntary basis [in India] in massive scale, not least because it means that you can access your own funds, make payments so much more conveniently than is available with alternative methods," he explained.

"The efficiency with which it allows citizens here to utilize facilities, especially banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions recently, and in fact a Fintech conversation that we had today. So we're looking at those examples of how digital ID helps people with processes that often take too long and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Reforms

Starmer acknowledged that the administration had to build public support for the reforms to the British public, which have plummeted in popularity since he announced them.

"I think now we need to go out and make that case the huge benefits ... And I believe that the greater number of individuals see the positive outcomes that come with this ... as has happened in different nations, citizens say: 'That will make my life easier,' and consequently I want to get on with it," he stated.

Human Rights and Global Affairs Addressed

The Prime Minister confirmed he had raised a number of difficult topics with the Indian premier regarding civil liberties and relations with the Russian Federation, though he appeared to have made little headway. Starmer confirmed that he and Modi talked about how India was persisting to purchase oil from Russia, which is subject to widespread western sanctions.

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

The Prime Minister also said he had raised the situation of the British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Scotland, who has been detained 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 Britons still held overseas.

But, Starmer did not suggest much progress had been achieved. "Indeed, we brought up 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 the near future, as well as discussing it now."

Future Plans

Starmer is largely anticipated to take a comparable trade-focused trip to the People's Republic of China in the coming year as part of a effort to improve relations between the UK and the Asian nation.

That relationship is under the spotlight because of the collapse of a espionage investigation, reportedly occurring because the UK has been unwilling to provide new proof that China is considered a threat.

The Prime Minister said the UK was eager to pursue additional commercial partnerships but stated 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 need to, and that's been the consistent policy of the government in regarding China."