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Keir Starmer has stated that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without President Trump's leadership," but avoided endorsing the American leader for a Nobel Prize.

Truce Agreement Hailed as a "Welcome Development to the World"

The prime minister commented 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 US and negotiators.

Addressing the media on the last day of his trade visit to India, Starmer stressed that the deal "must now be implemented in full, without postponement, and paired with the prompt removal of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Inquiry Answered

However, when questioned if the Nobel prize committee should at this time grant Trump the prestigious prize, Starmer implied that more time was required to determine if a longer lasting peace could be achieved.

"What matters now is to move forward and implement this ... my focus now is transitioning this from the stage it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that is important to me above all," he stated at a media briefing in Mumbai.

Trade and Investment Revealed During India Visit

Starmer has hailed a series of agreements finalized during his visit to the country – his first time there – accompanied by over a hundred executives and arts figures. The visit signifies the passing of the two nations' free trade agreement.

• The UK government has announced a range of financial commitments, from financial technology to university campuses, as well as the production of three Bollywood films in the United Kingdom.
• On Thursday, the Prime Minister finalized a military agreement worth £350m for UK missiles, manufactured in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian military.

"The shared history is deep, the personal ties between our people are exceptionally strong," Starmer said as he left the city. "Building on our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this partnership for our era."

Digital ID System Studied

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in India studying the Indian digital ID system, including meeting key figures who developed the widespread system utilized by more than 1 billion people for benefits, payments, and verification.

He hinted that the United Kingdom was interested in broadening the application of digital ID beyond making it compulsory to prove rights to work. He proposed that the UK would eventually look at linking it to financial and transaction networks – 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, not least because it means that you can access your own money, conduct transactions so much more easily than is available with alternative methods," he noted.

"The efficiency with which it enables residents here to access services, particularly banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions yesterday, and in fact a Fintech conversation that we had as well. So we're looking at those examples of how digital ID helps people with procedures that often take excessive time and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Reforms

The Prime Minister acknowledged that the administration had to make the case for the initiatives to the British public, which have declined sharply in popularity since Starmer proposed 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 positive outcomes that come with this ... as has occurred in different nations, people say: 'That will make my life easier,' and consequently I want to proceed with it," he stated.

Rights Issues and International Relations Addressed

Starmer confirmed he had brought up a range of challenging issues with the Indian premier regarding civil liberties and ties with Russia, though he seemed to have made little headway. Starmer confirmed that he and Modi discussed how the country was continuing to purchase Russian oil, which is subject to extensive international restrictions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the focus on ending this conflict and the multiple measures will be implemented to that end," he said. "This included a wide range of dialogue, but we did set out the actions that we are undertaking in regarding energy."

Starmer additionally mentioned he had brought up the situation of the British Sikh activist the individual, from Scotland, who has been held in an Indian prison for nearly eight years without facing a complete legal process. It is often cited as one of the worst examples of unfair treatment among UK nationals still held overseas.

However, he did not suggest much advancement had been achieved. "Indeed, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he said. "We always raise them when we have the chance to do so. I must add that the foreign secretary is scheduled to meet the relatives in coming weeks, as well as discussing it now."

Future Plans

The prime minister is widely expected to take a similar trade-focused visit to China in the next 12 months as part of a effort to ease relations between the United Kingdom and China.

That relationship is receiving attention because of the collapse of a Chinese spying case, said to have happened because the UK has been reluctant to provide new proof that the country is considered a security risk.

The Prime Minister said the UK was eager to pursue additional commercial partnerships but emphasized that a trade deal with the nation was not currently planned. "It is not a priority, for a bilateral pact as such, but our position is to cooperate where we can, challenge where we must, and this has been the consistent policy of the government in regarding China."