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The Prime Minister has asserted that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without President Trump's leadership," but stopped short of supporting the US president for a Nobel peace prize.

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

Starmer remarked that the initial stage of the agreement would be a "relief to the world" and noted that the United Kingdom had played its own role in private discussions with the US and mediators.

Speaking on the last day of his business trip to India, Starmer stressed that the agreement "must now be implemented in full, without delay, and paired with the immediate lifting of all limitations on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Inquiry Answered

But, when asked if the Nobel committee should now grant Trump the coveted award, the Prime Minister implied that more time was required to know if a durable peace could be attained.

"The priority now is to move forward and execute this ... my focus now is moving this from the stage it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that is important to me above all," he told reporters at a media briefing in India's financial capital.

Trade and Investment Announced During India Visit

Starmer has hailed a series of agreements finalized during his tour to the country – his first time there – joined by over a hundred executives and cultural leaders. The visit signifies the implementation 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 making of three Bollywood films in the United Kingdom.
• On Thursday, Starmer finalized a military agreement worth £350 million for UK missiles, produced 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 Mumbai. "Expanding upon our landmark agreement, we are reinventing this partnership for our era."

Digital ID Initiative Studied

Starmer has dedicated time in Mumbai studying 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 suggested that the UK was considering expanding the application of digital ID beyond making it compulsory to prove rights to work. He indicated that the Britain would in time look at linking it to financial and payments systems – on a optional basis – as well as for official procedures such as home loan and educational enrollments.

"It has been adopted on a voluntary basis [in India] in massive scale, not least because it ensures that you can access your own money, make payments so much more easily than is possible with others," he explained.

"The speed with which it allows residents here to access services, particularly financial services, is something that was recognized in our talks recently, and in fact a financial technology discussion that we had as well. So we're looking at those examples of how digital ID helps individuals with processes that sometimes take excessive time and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Reforms

Starmer admitted that the government had to build public support for the initiatives to the British public, which have declined sharply in public approval since he announced them.

"I think now we need to go out and advocate for the huge benefits ... And I think that the more people see the benefits that come with this ... as has occurred in other countries, citizens say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and consequently I want to get on with it," he affirmed.

Human Rights and International Relations Addressed

The Prime Minister confirmed he had raised a range of challenging issues with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and relations with Russia, though he appeared to have made minimal progress. He confirmed that he and Modi talked about how the country was continuing to buy Russian oil, which is subject to extensive international restrictions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the priority on ending this situation and the multiple measures will be taken to that end," he commented. "This included a broad spectrum of discussion, but we outlined the actions that we are undertaking in relation to energy."

Starmer 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 almost a decade without undergoing a full trial. It is frequently mentioned as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among Britons currently detained abroad.

However, he did not suggest much progress had been made. "Yes, we brought up the diplomatic matters," he stated. "We consistently address them when we have the opportunity to do so. I must add that the top diplomat is meeting the relatives in coming weeks, as well as discussing it now."

Future Plans

Starmer is largely anticipated to take a similar trade-focused trip to the People's Republic of China in the coming year as part of a effort to ease diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and China.

That relationship is under the spotlight because of the dismissal of a espionage investigation, said to have happened because the British authorities has been reluctant to provide new proof that China is deemed a threat.

The Prime Minister clarified the United Kingdom was eager to explore other trading relationships but emphasized that a trade deal with China was not currently planned. "That's not on our list, for a bilateral pact as such, but our stance is to cooperate where we can, confront where we need to, and that's been the consistent policy of the administration in relation to China."