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Keir Starmer has asserted that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without the leadership of Donald Trump," yet stopped short of endorsing the American leader for a Nobel Prize.

Truce Agreement Welcomed as a "Relief to the World"

The prime minister remarked that the first phase of the agreement would be a "welcome news globally" and noted that the UK had played its own role behind the scenes with the United States and mediators.

Addressing the media on the final day of his business trip to India, Starmer emphasized that the agreement "needs to be put into action in full, without postponement, and accompanied by the prompt removal of all limitations on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Inquiry Answered

However, when asked if the Nobel committee should now award Trump the prestigious prize, the Prime Minister suggested that time was required to know if a longer lasting peace could be achieved.

"What matters now is to move forward 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 stated at a media briefing in Mumbai.

Trade and Investment Announced During India Visit

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

• The UK government has unveiled a range of financial commitments, from financial technology to university campuses, as well as the production of multiple Indian movies in the UK.
• On Thursday, Starmer signed a military agreement worth £350 million for British-made missiles, produced in the UK region, to be used by the Indian army.

"Our history together is deep, the personal ties between our citizens are truly special," he said as he departed the city. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are remaking this partnership for our era."

Digital Identification Initiative Studied

Starmer has dedicated time in Mumbai studying the national digital identification program, including consulting key figures who designed the widespread system used by over a billion individuals for social services, transactions, and identification.

He hinted that the United Kingdom was considering expanding the application of digital ID beyond making it mandatory to prove rights to work. He proposed that the UK would in time look at connecting it to financial and payments systems – on a voluntary basis – as well as for official procedures such as home loan and educational enrollments.

"It has been adopted on a optional basis [in India] in massive scale, not least because it ensures that you can retrieve your own funds, make payments so much more conveniently than is available with alternative methods," he explained.

"The speed with which it allows citizens here to access services, particularly banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our talks yesterday, and actually a Fintech discussion that we had today. So we're looking at those examples of how digital ID assists people with procedures that often take excessive time and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Changes

The Prime Minister acknowledged that the government had to make the case for the reforms to the British public, which have declined sharply in public approval since Starmer announced them.

"I think now we need to go out and advocate for the huge benefits ... And I believe that the more people see the positive outcomes that come with this ... as has occurred 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 Discussed

Starmer confirmed he had raised a range of challenging issues with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and ties with the Russian Federation, though he appeared to have made minimal progress. Starmer confirmed that he and Modi discussed how India was continuing to buy oil from Russia, which is subject to widespread western sanctions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the priority on resolving this situation and the multiple measures will be taken to that purpose," he said. "And that was a broad spectrum of dialogue, but we did set out the actions that we are undertaking in regarding energy."

The Prime Minister also said he had raised the case of the UK-based activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, who has been detained in an Indian jail for almost a decade without undergoing a full trial. It is often cited as one of the most egregious cases of unfair treatment among Britons currently detained overseas.

But, Starmer did not suggest much progress had been made. "Indeed, we brought up the consular cases," he said. "We always raise them when we have the chance to do so. I should say that the foreign secretary is meeting the relatives in coming weeks, as well as discussing it now."

Future Plans

The prime minister is largely anticipated to take a similar trade-focused visit to the People's Republic of China in the next 12 months as part of a effort to ease relations between the UK and China.

This bilateral connection is receiving attention because of the collapse of a espionage investigation, reportedly occurring because the British authorities has been unwilling to provide new proof that China is deemed a security risk.

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