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Keir Starmer has declared that the truce deal in Gaza "could not have happened without the leadership of Donald Trump," yet avoided supporting the US president 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 highlighted that the United Kingdom had played its own role in private discussions with the US and negotiators.

Addressing the media on the last day of his trade visit to the Indian subcontinent, Starmer emphasized that the deal "must now be implemented in full, without postponement, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all restrictions on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Addressed

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

"The priority now is to move forward and implement this ... my attention now is moving 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.

Business Deals Revealed During Trip to India

The Prime Minister has hailed a series of agreements sealed during his visit to the country – his first time there – accompanied by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The trip signifies the passing of the countries' free trade agreement.

• The UK government has unveiled a slew of investments, from financial technology to university campuses, as well as the production of three Bollywood films in the United Kingdom.
• On the final day, Starmer finalized a military agreement worth £350m for UK missiles, produced in the UK region, to be deployed by the Indian military.

"Our history together is profound, the human connections between our people are truly special," he said as he departed the city. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this alliance for our times."

Digital Identification Initiative Studied

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in India analyzing the national digital identification program, including meeting principal architects who designed the comprehensive platform utilized by more than 1 billion people for social services, transactions, and identification.

He hinted that the UK was considering expanding the application of digital identification beyond making it compulsory to verify eligibility to work. He indicated that the Britain would eventually look at connecting it to financial and payments systems – on a voluntary basis – as well as for official procedures such as mortgage and school applications.

"It has been adopted on a voluntary basis [in India] in massive scale, partly because it ensures that you can access your own funds, make payments so much more easily than is available with alternative methods," he noted.

"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 Fintech discussion that we had as well. So we're looking at those instances of how digital ID helps people with procedures that sometimes take excessive time and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Reforms

The Prime Minister admitted that the government had to make the case for the reforms to the British public, which have plummeted in popularity since he proposed them.

"I think 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 come with this ... as has happened in other countries, people say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and therefore I want to proceed with it," he stated.

Human Rights and International Relations Discussed

The Prime Minister confirmed he had brought up a number of difficult topics with the Indian premier regarding human rights and ties with the Russian Federation, though he seemed to have made little headway. Starmer acknowledged that he and Modi discussed how the country was persisting to purchase Russian oil, which is subject to extensive international restrictions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the focus on ending this situation and the multiple measures will be taken to that end," he commented. "This included a broad spectrum of dialogue, but we did set out the steps that we are undertaking in relation to energy."

The Prime Minister additionally 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 facing a full trial. It is frequently mentioned as one of the most egregious cases of unfair treatment among Britons still held abroad.

But, he did not suggest much advancement had been made. "Indeed, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he stated. "We always raise them when we have the chance to do so. I should say that the top diplomat is meeting the relatives in the near future, as well as discussing it now."

Future Plans

The prime minister is widely expected to take a similar trade-focused trip to the People's Republic of China in the next 12 months as part of a effort to improve relations between the UK and China.

This bilateral connection is under the spotlight because of the collapse of a espionage investigation, reportedly occurring because the UK has been unwilling to provide fresh evidence that the country is considered a threat.

The Prime Minister clarified the UK was keen to pursue additional commercial partnerships but emphasized that a trade deal with the nation 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, challenge where we must, and this has been the consistent policy of the administration in relation to China."