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The Prime Minister has asserted that the truce deal in Gaza "could not have happened without the leadership of Donald Trump," but stopped short of supporting the US president for a Nobel Prize.

Ceasefire Deal Hailed as a "Welcome Development to the World"

The prime minister remarked that the first phase of the agreement would be a "welcome news globally" and highlighted that the United Kingdom had played its own role in private discussions with the United States and negotiators.

Addressing the media on the last day of his business trip to the Indian subcontinent, Starmer emphasized that the agreement "must now be implemented in full, without delay, and accompanied by the prompt removal of all limitations on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Question Answered

But, when questioned if the Nobel committee should at this time award Donald Trump the prestigious award, the Prime Minister suggested that time was needed to know if a durable peace could be attained.

"What matters now is to press on and implement this ... my focus now is moving this from the phase it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that matters to me more than anything else," he stated at a press conference in India's financial capital.

Business Deals Announced During Trip to India

Starmer has hailed a series of agreements finalized during his tour to the country – his maiden visit there – joined by over a hundred executives and cultural leaders. The trip signifies the implementation of the two nations' trade pact.

• No 10 has unveiled a range of financial commitments, from fintech to university campuses, as well as the production of multiple Indian movies in the United Kingdom.
• On the final day, the Prime Minister finalized a military agreement worth £350 million for UK missiles, manufactured in Northern Ireland, to be deployed by the Indian army.

"The shared history is profound, the personal ties between our people are exceptionally strong," he remarked as he left Mumbai. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this partnership for our times."

Digital ID Initiative Examined

Starmer has dedicated time in Mumbai analyzing the Indian digital ID system, including consulting principal architects who developed the comprehensive platform used by over a billion individuals for social services, transactions, and verification.

He suggested that the UK was considering expanding the scope of digital ID beyond making it mandatory to verify eligibility to work. He proposed that the UK would eventually look at connecting it to financial and transaction networks – on a voluntary basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as mortgage and educational enrollments.

"It has been adopted on a optional basis [in India] in huge numbers, not least because it means that you can access your own funds, conduct transactions so much more easily than is available with alternative methods," he noted.

"The speed with which it allows residents here to access services, especially financial services, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions yesterday, and actually a financial technology conversation that we had today. So we're looking at those instances of how digital identification assists individuals with procedures that often take excessive time and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Changes

The Prime Minister acknowledged that the administration had to build public support for the reforms to the British public, which have plummeted 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 more people see the benefits that accompany this ... as has happened in different nations, citizens say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and therefore I want to get on with it," he stated.

Rights Issues and International Relations Discussed

The Prime Minister said he had raised a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and relations with the Russian Federation, though he appeared to have made little headway. He acknowledged that he and Modi discussed how the country was continuing to buy Russian oil, which is facing extensive international restrictions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the priority on ending this conflict and the various steps will be taken to that end," he said. "This included a broad spectrum of discussion, but we outlined the steps that we are undertaking in relation to energy."

The Prime Minister also said he had brought up 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 complete legal process. It is often cited as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among UK nationals still held abroad.

But, Starmer did not suggest much progress had been achieved. "Indeed, we did raise the consular cases," he said. "We consistently address 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 raising it now."

Future Plans

The prime minister is widely expected to take a similar trade-focused visit to the People's Republic of China in the coming year as part of a mission to ease relations between the United Kingdom and China.

That relationship is under the spotlight because of the collapse of a Chinese spying case, said to have happened because the UK has been reluctant to provide fresh evidence that China is considered a threat.

The Prime Minister said the United Kingdom was eager to pursue additional commercial partnerships but emphasized that a commercial agreement with China was not on the agenda. "That's not on our list, for a bilateral pact as such, but our position is to cooperate where we can, challenge where we need to, and that's been the ongoing approach of the administration in regarding China."