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Keir Starmer has declared that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "could not have happened without President Trump's leadership," yet avoided supporting the US president for a Nobel Prize.

Truce Agreement Welcomed as a "Relief to the Globe"

The prime minister remarked that the first phase of the deal would be a "relief to the world" and noted that the UK had contributed significantly in private discussions with the US and mediators.

Speaking on the final day of his business trip to India, Starmer emphasized that the deal "must now be implemented in full, without delay, and paired with the immediate lifting of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Inquiry Answered

However, when asked if the Nobel committee should at this time award Donald Trump the coveted award, the Prime Minister implied that time was needed to determine if a longer lasting peace could be achieved.

"What matters now is to move forward and implement 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 press conference in Mumbai.

Trade and Investment Revealed During Trip to India

Starmer has hailed a number of deals finalized during his tour to the country – his first time there – joined by over a hundred executives and cultural leaders. The trip marks the passing of the countries' trade pact.

• No 10 has announced a slew of investments, from financial technology to university campuses, as well as the making of three Bollywood films in the UK.
• On Thursday, Starmer finalized a military agreement worth £350 million for British-made missiles, produced in the UK region, to be deployed by the Indian military.

"Our history together is profound, the personal ties between our citizens are truly special," he remarked as he departed the city. "Building on our historic trade deal, we are remaking this alliance for our times."

Digital Identification System Studied

Starmer has dedicated time in India analyzing the Indian digital ID system, including consulting principal architects who designed the widespread system utilized by more than 1 billion people for social services, payments, and identification.

The prime minister hinted that the UK was interested in broadening the scope of digital identification beyond making it compulsory to prove rights to work. He proposed that the Britain would eventually look at linking it to banking and transaction networks – on a optional basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as mortgage and educational enrollments.

"It has been adopted 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 possible with alternative methods," he noted.

"The speed with which it allows citizens here to utilize facilities, especially banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our talks yesterday, and in fact a financial technology discussion that we had as well. So we're looking at those examples of how digital identification helps individuals with processes that often 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 initiatives to the British public, which have declined sharply in public approval since he announced them.

"In my view 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 accompany this ... as has occurred in other countries, people say: 'That will make my life easier,' and consequently I want to proceed with it," he stated.

Human Rights and Global Affairs Discussed

Starmer said he had brought up a range of challenging issues with the Indian premier regarding civil liberties and relations with the Russian Federation, though he appeared to have made minimal progress. Starmer acknowledged that he and Prime Minister Modi talked about how the country was persisting to buy Russian oil, which is facing extensive international restrictions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on resolving this conflict and the multiple measures will be implemented to that purpose," he commented. "And that was a wide range of discussion, but we outlined the steps that we are taking in regarding energy."

Starmer also said he had brought up the case of the British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Scotland, who has been detained in an Indian prison for almost a decade without facing a full trial. It is frequently mentioned as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among UK nationals currently detained abroad.

However, Starmer did not indicate much advancement had been made. "Yes, we did raise the consular cases," he said. "We consistently address them when we have the chance to do so. I should say that the top diplomat is scheduled to meet the families in coming weeks, as well as raising it today."

Future Plans

Starmer is largely anticipated to take a similar business-oriented visit to the People's Republic of China in the next 12 months as part of a mission to improve relations between the UK and China.

This bilateral connection is receiving attention because of the collapse of a Chinese spying case, reportedly occurring because the British authorities has been reluctant to provide fresh evidence that the country is deemed a threat.

The Prime Minister clarified the United Kingdom was keen 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 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 regarding China."