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Keir Starmer has asserted that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without the leadership of Donald Trump," but avoided supporting the American leader for a Nobel Prize.

Ceasefire Deal Welcomed as a "Relief to the World"

The prime minister commented that the initial stage 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.

Addressing the media on the final day of his business trip to the Indian subcontinent, Starmer stressed that the deal "needs to be put into action in full, without delay, and paired with the prompt removal of all limitations on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Addressed

However, when questioned if the Nobel prize committee should now grant Trump the prestigious award, Starmer implied that more time was needed to know if a durable peace could be achieved.

"The priority now is to move forward and execute this ... my attention now is transitioning this from the stage it's at now ... and make a success of this, because that matters to me above all," he stated at a media briefing in Mumbai.

Trade and Investment Revealed During India Visit

The Prime Minister has hailed a series of agreements finalized during his visit to the country – his maiden visit there – joined by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The trip signifies the passing of the countries' trade pact.

• The UK government has unveiled a range of financial commitments, from fintech to university campuses, as well as the making of three Bollywood films in the United Kingdom.
• On Thursday, Starmer finalized a defence deal worth £350m for British-made missiles, manufactured in the UK region, to be used by the Indian army.

"Our history together is profound, the human connections between our citizens are truly special," Starmer said as he left the city. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are remaking this partnership for our times."

Digital ID System Studied

Starmer has spent time in India analyzing the Indian digital ID system, including consulting key figures who developed the comprehensive platform utilized by over a billion individuals for social services, payments, and identification.

The prime minister hinted that the UK was interested in expanding the application of digital ID beyond making it compulsory to verify eligibility to work. He proposed that the Britain would eventually look at linking it to banking and transaction networks – on a voluntary basis – as well as for official procedures such as mortgage and educational enrollments.

"It's been taken up on a voluntary basis [in India] in huge numbers, partly because it ensures that you can retrieve your own money, conduct transactions so much more conveniently than is available with alternative methods," he explained.

"The speed with which it allows citizens here to access services, especially financial services, is something that was acknowledged in our talks yesterday, and actually a financial technology conversation that we had as well. So we're examining 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

The Prime Minister admitted that the administration had to build public support 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 significant advantages ... And I believe that the greater number of individuals see the positive outcomes that accompany this ... as has happened in different nations, people say: 'That will make my life easier,' and therefore I want to proceed with it," he affirmed.

Rights Issues and International Relations Discussed

Starmer confirmed he had brought up a range of challenging issues with the Indian premier regarding human rights and relations with the Russian Federation, though he appeared to have made little headway. Starmer confirmed that he and Modi talked about how the country was continuing to buy Russian oil, which is subject to widespread western sanctions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on resolving this conflict and the various steps will be taken to that end," he said. "This included a wide range of dialogue, but we did set out the actions 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 Dumbarton, who has been detained 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 injustice among Britons currently detained abroad.

However, Starmer did not indicate much progress had been made. "Indeed, we brought up the diplomatic matters," he stated. "We always raise them when we have the opportunity to do so. I should say that the top diplomat is scheduled to meet the families in coming weeks, as well as discussing it now."

Future Plans

Starmer is largely anticipated to take a comparable trade-focused trip to China in the coming year as part of a mission to ease diplomatic ties between the UK and the Asian nation.

That relationship is under the spotlight because of the dismissal of a Chinese spying case, reportedly occurring because the UK has been reluctant to provide fresh evidence that China is deemed a security risk.

The Prime Minister said the United Kingdom was eager to pursue additional commercial partnerships but stated that a commercial agreement with the nation was not on the agenda. "It is not a priority, for a bilateral pact as such, but our stance is to cooperate where we are able, challenge where we need to, and this has been the consistent policy of the government in relation to China."