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Keir Starmer has asserted that the truce deal in Gaza "could not have happened without President Trump's leadership," but stopped short of supporting the American leader for a Nobel Prize.

Truce Agreement Hailed as a "Relief to the Globe"

Starmer remarked 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 United States and negotiators.

Speaking on the final day of his trade visit to the Indian subcontinent, the British leader emphasized that the deal "must now be implemented in full, without postponement, and paired with the immediate lifting of all restrictions on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Inquiry Answered

However, when questioned if the Nobel prize committee should now award Donald Trump the prestigious prize, the Prime Minister suggested that time was required to determine if a longer lasting peace could be achieved.

"What matters now is to press on and implement this ... my focus now is transitioning this from the phase it's at now ... and make a success of this, because that matters to me above all," he told reporters at a press conference in India's financial capital.

Business Deals Revealed During Trip to India

The Prime Minister has hailed a number of deals sealed during his visit to the country – his maiden visit there – accompanied by over a hundred executives and cultural leaders. The visit signifies the passing of the countries' free trade agreement.

• No 10 has unveiled a range of financial commitments, from financial technology to higher education facilities, as well as the making of three Bollywood films in the UK.
• On the final day, Starmer signed a military agreement worth £350m for British-made missiles, manufactured in the UK region, to be deployed by the Indian military.

"Our history together is deep, the human connections between our people are truly special," Starmer said as he departed Mumbai. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are remaking this partnership for our era."

Digital ID System Studied

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in Mumbai studying the Indian digital ID system, including meeting principal architects who developed the comprehensive platform utilized by more than 1 billion people for benefits, payments, and verification.

The prime minister hinted that the United Kingdom was considering broadening the application of digital identification beyond making it compulsory to prove rights to work. He proposed that the UK would in time look at connecting it to banking and transaction networks – on a optional basis – as well as for official procedures such as mortgage and school applications.

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

"The speed with which it allows citizens here to utilize facilities, especially financial services, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions recently, and in fact a Fintech conversation that we had as well. So we're looking at those instances of how digital ID helps individuals with processes that often take too long and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Reforms

The Prime Minister acknowledged 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.

"I think now we need to go out and make that case the significant advantages ... And I believe that the more people see the positive outcomes that accompany this ... as has occurred in different nations, people say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and consequently I want to proceed with it," he affirmed.

Human Rights and Global Affairs Addressed

The Prime Minister said he had brought up a number of difficult topics with the Indian premier regarding human rights and relations with the Russian Federation, though he appeared to have made minimal progress. Starmer confirmed that he and Prime Minister Modi discussed how India was persisting to purchase oil from Russia, which is subject to extensive international restrictions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the priority on ending this situation and the various steps will be taken to that end," he said. "And that was a wide range of dialogue, but we did set out the actions that we are undertaking in relation to energy."

The Prime Minister additionally said he had raised the case of the UK-based activist the individual, from Scotland, 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 injustice among Britons currently detained overseas.

But, he did not indicate much advancement had been achieved. "Yes, we did raise the consular cases," he stated. "We always raise them when we have the opportunity to do so. I must add that the top diplomat 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 comparable business-oriented trip to the People's Republic of China in the coming year as part of a mission to improve relations between the UK and China.

That relationship is receiving attention because of the collapse of a espionage investigation, reportedly occurring because the British authorities has been reluctant to provide fresh evidence that the country is deemed a security risk.

Starmer clarified the United Kingdom was keen to pursue other trading relationships but stated that a trade deal with China was not currently planned. "That's not on our list, for a bilateral pact as such, but our position is to work together where we can, challenge where we need to, and that's been the ongoing approach of the administration in regarding China."