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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," 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 agreement would be a "welcome news globally" and noted that the United Kingdom had contributed significantly behind the scenes with the United States and mediators.

Addressing the media on the last day of his trade visit to the Indian subcontinent, the British leader stressed that the deal "needs to be put into action in full, without delay, and paired with the immediate lifting of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Addressed

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

"The priority now is to move forward and implement this ... my attention now is transitioning this from the stage it's at now ... and make a success of this, because that is important to me more than anything else," he stated at a press conference in Mumbai.

Trade and Investment Announced During Trip to India

The Prime Minister has celebrated a series of agreements sealed during his tour to India – his first time there – joined by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The trip marks the implementation of the countries' trade pact.

• The UK government has announced a slew of investments, from fintech to university campuses, as well as the making of three Bollywood films in the United Kingdom.
• On Thursday, Starmer signed a defence deal worth £350m for UK missiles, produced in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian military.

"Our history together is deep, the personal ties between our people are exceptionally strong," Starmer said as he departed Mumbai. "Expanding upon our landmark agreement, we are remaking this partnership for our era."

Digital ID Initiative Examined

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in India studying the national digital identification program, including consulting principal architects who developed the comprehensive platform used by more than 1 billion people for benefits, payments, and verification.

The prime minister suggested that the UK was interested in expanding the scope of digital identification beyond making it mandatory to prove rights to work. He indicated that the Britain would eventually look at linking it to banking and payments systems – on a voluntary basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as home loan and school applications.

"It's been taken up on a voluntary basis [in India] in massive scale, not least because it means that you can access your own funds, make payments so much more easily than is possible with alternative methods," he noted.

"The speed with which it enables residents here to utilize facilities, particularly banking options, is something that was recognized in our discussions yesterday, and in fact a financial technology conversation that we had as well. So we're examining those instances of how digital identification helps individuals with processes that often take too long and are overly complex and makes them easier for them."

Public Support 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 popularity since he proposed them.

"In my view now we need to go out and make that case the significant advantages ... And I think that the greater number of individuals see the benefits that come with this ... as has occurred in different nations, people say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and therefore I want to proceed with it," he affirmed.

Human Rights and International Relations Addressed

Starmer said he had raised a number of difficult topics with the Indian premier regarding human rights and ties with the Russian Federation, though he appeared to have made minimal progress. He acknowledged that he and Prime Minister Modi discussed how the country was persisting to buy Russian oil, which is facing widespread western sanctions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the priority on ending this situation and the multiple measures will be implemented to that end," he said. "This included a broad spectrum of dialogue, but we did set out the steps that we are taking in regarding energy."

Starmer additionally said he had raised the case of the British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Scotland, who has been held in an Indian jail for nearly eight years without facing a full trial. It is often cited as one of the most egregious cases of unfair treatment among Britons still held overseas.

However, Starmer did not suggest much advancement had been achieved. "Yes, we brought up the consular cases," he said. "We always raise them when we have the opportunity to do so. I should say that the top diplomat is meeting the relatives in coming weeks, as well as discussing it now."

Future Plans

The prime minister is widely expected to take a comparable trade-focused trip to 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 espionage investigation, said to have happened because the British authorities has been reluctant to provide fresh evidence that China is considered a threat.

The Prime Minister clarified the United Kingdom was keen to pursue additional commercial partnerships but emphasized that a commercial agreement 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 need to, and that's been the ongoing approach of the government in relation to China."