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The Prime Minister has declared that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without the leadership of Donald Trump," but avoided endorsing the US president for a Nobel peace prize.

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

Starmer commented that the initial stage of the agreement would be a "relief to the world" and highlighted that the UK had contributed significantly in private discussions with the US and negotiators.

Speaking on the final day of his business trip to the Indian subcontinent, Starmer stressed that the agreement "must now be implemented in full, without delay, and accompanied by the prompt removal of all restrictions on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Inquiry Addressed

But, when asked if the Nobel committee should at this time award Donald Trump the prestigious award, the Prime Minister suggested that more time was needed to know if a longer lasting peace could be achieved.

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

Business Deals Announced During Trip to India

Starmer has celebrated a series of agreements sealed during his visit to India – his maiden visit there – accompanied by 126 business leaders and arts figures. The visit signifies the implementation of the countries' free trade agreement.

• The UK government has announced a slew of investments, from financial technology to higher education facilities, as well as the production of three Bollywood films in the UK.
• On Thursday, Starmer signed a defence deal worth £350m for UK missiles, manufactured in the UK region, to be deployed by the Indian military.

"The shared history is deep, the human connections between our citizens are truly special," Starmer remarked as he left Mumbai. "Building on our landmark agreement, we are remaking this alliance for our times."

Digital ID Initiative Studied

The Prime Minister has spent time in Mumbai studying the Indian digital ID system, including consulting key figures who designed the widespread system utilized by over a billion individuals for social services, transactions, and identification.

He hinted that the United Kingdom was considering broadening the scope of digital identification beyond making it compulsory to verify eligibility to work. He proposed that the UK would in time look at connecting it to financial and payments systems – on a optional basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as home loan and educational enrollments.

"It has been adopted on a voluntary basis [in India] in huge numbers, partly because it ensures that you can access your own funds, make payments so much more conveniently than is possible with alternative methods," he noted.

"The speed with which it enables citizens here to access services, particularly banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions recently, and in fact a financial technology discussion that we had as well. So we're examining those examples of how digital ID assists people with procedures that often take excessive time and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Changes

Starmer acknowledged that the administration had to build public support for the reforms to the UK citizens, which have declined sharply in public approval since he proposed them.

"I think now we need to go out and advocate for the significant advantages ... And I think that the greater number of individuals see the positive outcomes that accompany 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.

Rights Issues and International Relations Addressed

Starmer said he had raised a range of challenging issues with the Indian premier regarding human rights and ties with the Russian Federation, though he seemed to have made minimal progress. He confirmed that he and Modi talked about how the country was persisting to purchase oil from Russia, which is subject to extensive international restrictions.

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

Starmer additionally mentioned he had brought up the situation of the British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, who has been detained in an Indian jail for nearly eight years without undergoing a full trial. It is frequently mentioned as one of the worst examples of injustice among UK nationals still held abroad.

But, Starmer did not suggest much progress had been made. "Yes, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he said. "We consistently address them when we have the chance to do so. I must add that the top diplomat is scheduled to meet the families in coming weeks, as well as raising it today."

Upcoming Initiatives

Starmer is widely expected to take a comparable trade-focused trip to the People's Republic of China in the coming year as part of a mission to ease relations between the UK and China.

That relationship is receiving attention 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 security risk.

The Prime Minister said the United Kingdom was eager to explore other trading relationships but emphasized that a commercial agreement with China was not on the agenda. "It is not a priority, for a trade deal as such, but our position is to work together where we can, challenge where we need to, and this has been the ongoing approach of the government in relation to China."