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The Prime Minister has declared that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "could not have happened without the leadership of Donald Trump," yet stopped short of supporting the American leader for a Nobel Prize.

Truce Agreement Welcomed as a "Relief to the Globe"

Starmer remarked that the first phase of the deal would be a "relief to the world" and highlighted that the UK had played its own role behind the scenes with the United States and mediators.

Speaking on the last day of his trade visit to India, the British leader emphasized that the deal "needs to be put into action in full, without postponement, and accompanied by the prompt removal of all restrictions on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Addressed

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

"What matters now is to move forward and execute this ... my focus 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 stated at a media briefing in Mumbai.

Trade and Investment Announced During India Visit

Starmer has hailed a number of deals finalized during his tour to India – his first time there – accompanied by 126 business leaders and arts figures. The trip signifies the passing of the countries' trade pact.

• No 10 has announced a range of financial commitments, from financial technology to university campuses, as well as the production of three Bollywood films in the UK.
• On Thursday, the Prime Minister finalized a defence deal worth £350m for British-made missiles, produced in the UK region, to be deployed by the Indian army.

"Our history together is profound, the personal ties between our citizens are truly special," Starmer remarked as he left the city. "Building on our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this partnership for our era."

Digital Identification System Studied

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in India studying the Indian digital ID system, including consulting principal architects who developed the widespread system used by more than 1 billion people for benefits, payments, and identification.

The prime minister suggested that the UK was interested in broadening the scope of digital ID beyond making it mandatory to prove rights to work. He indicated that the UK would eventually look at linking it to financial and transaction networks – on a voluntary basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as mortgage and educational enrollments.

"It's been taken up on a optional basis [in India] in massive scale, not least because it ensures that you can retrieve your own money, conduct transactions so much more easily than is possible with others," he explained.

"The speed with which it enables residents here to access services, especially financial services, is something that was recognized in our discussions yesterday, and in fact a financial technology discussion that we had today. So we're looking at those instances of how digital ID helps individuals with processes that sometimes take too long and are too cumbersome and makes them easier for them."

Popular Backing for Reforms

The Prime Minister admitted that the government had to build public support for the initiatives to the UK citizens, which have declined sharply in public approval since he announced them.

"In my view now we need to go out and advocate for the significant advantages ... 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 simplify my daily routine,' and consequently I want to get on with it," he stated.

Rights Issues and International Relations Discussed

Starmer said he had brought up a range of challenging issues with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and relations with the Russian Federation, though he seemed to have made minimal progress. Starmer confirmed that he and Prime Minister Modi discussed how the country was persisting to buy oil from Russia, which is facing widespread western sanctions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the priority on resolving this situation and the various steps will be implemented to that end," he commented. "This included a wide range of discussion, but we did set out the actions that we are taking in relation to energy."

The Prime Minister additionally said he had brought up the case of the UK-based activist the individual, from Scotland, who has been held in an Indian jail for nearly eight years without undergoing a full trial. It is frequently mentioned as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among UK nationals currently detained abroad.

But, he did not indicate much progress had been achieved. "Indeed, we brought up the consular cases," he stated. "We consistently address them when we have the opportunity to do so. I should say that the foreign secretary is scheduled to meet the families in the near future, as well as raising it today."

Future Plans

The prime minister is widely expected to take a comparable business-oriented visit to China in the next 12 months as part of a mission to improve diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom 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 China is considered a threat.

Starmer said the UK was eager to explore other trading relationships but emphasized that a trade deal with China was not on the agenda. "It is not a priority, for a trade deal as such, but our stance is to cooperate where we are able, challenge where we must, and that's been the ongoing approach of the administration in relation to China."