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Keir Starmer has asserted that the truce deal in Gaza "could not have happened without President Trump's leadership," but stopped short of supporting the American leader for a Nobel peace prize.

Ceasefire Deal Welcomed as a "Relief to the Globe"

The prime minister remarked that the initial stage of the agreement would be a "relief to the world" and highlighted that the UK had played its own role in private discussions with the United States and mediators.

Speaking on the final day of his trade visit to the Indian subcontinent, Starmer stressed that the deal "must now be implemented in full, without delay, and paired with the prompt removal of all limitations on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Inquiry Answered

But, when asked if the Nobel prize committee should now grant Donald Trump the coveted award, the Prime Minister suggested that more time was needed to know if a durable peace could be attained.

"What matters now is to press on and execute this ... my attention now is transitioning this from the stage it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that matters to me above all," he told reporters at a media briefing in Mumbai.

Trade and Investment Revealed During India Visit

Starmer has celebrated a number of deals finalized during his tour to India – his first time there – joined by over a hundred executives and cultural leaders. The visit signifies the passing of the countries' free trade agreement.

• No 10 has announced a slew of investments, from financial technology to higher education facilities, as well as the making of three Bollywood films in the United Kingdom.
• On Thursday, Starmer signed a military agreement worth £350m for UK missiles, manufactured in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian army.

"The shared history is deep, the personal ties between our citizens are truly special," he said as he departed Mumbai. "Building on our landmark agreement, we are remaking this partnership for our times."

Digital Identification Initiative Examined

Starmer 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 benefits, payments, and verification.

He suggested that the UK was considering 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 payments systems – on a voluntary basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as mortgage and school applications.

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

"The speed with which it enables residents here to access services, particularly banking options, is something that was recognized in our talks yesterday, and actually a Fintech conversation that we had today. So we're looking at those instances of how digital ID helps individuals with processes that sometimes take excessive time and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Reforms

Starmer admitted that the administration had to build public support for the initiatives to the UK citizens, which have declined sharply in popularity 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 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.

Rights Issues and Global Affairs Addressed

The Prime Minister said he had brought up a range of challenging issues with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and ties with the Russian Federation, though he appeared to have made little headway. He acknowledged that he and Prime Minister Modi discussed how the country was continuing 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 multiple measures will be taken to that purpose," he said. "And that was a broad spectrum of discussion, but we did set out the steps that we are taking in relation to energy."

The Prime Minister also mentioned he had raised the case of the UK-based activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Scotland, who has been detained in an Indian jail for almost a decade without facing a full trial. It is frequently mentioned as one of the worst examples of unfair treatment among UK nationals still held overseas.

However, Starmer did not indicate much progress had been achieved. "Yes, we brought up the diplomatic matters," he stated. "We consistently address 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 now."

Upcoming Initiatives

The prime minister is largely anticipated to take a similar business-oriented trip to China in the coming year as part of a mission to ease relations between the United Kingdom and the Asian nation.

That relationship is under the spotlight because of the collapse of a espionage investigation, said to have happened because the UK has been reluctant to provide new proof that the country is considered a security risk.

The Prime Minister clarified the United Kingdom was eager to explore other trading relationships but stated that a commercial agreement with the nation was not currently planned. "That's not on our list, for a trade deal as such, but our stance is to work together where we are able, confront where we need to, and this has been the consistent policy of the administration in regarding China."