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The Prime Minister has declared that the truce deal in Gaza "would not have occurred without the leadership of Donald Trump," but stopped short of supporting the American leader for a Nobel peace prize.

Ceasefire Deal Welcomed as a "Relief to the World"

The prime minister remarked that the initial stage of the agreement would be a "relief to the world" and highlighted that the United Kingdom had contributed significantly in private discussions with the US and negotiators.

Speaking on the final day of his trade visit to India, the British leader emphasized that the deal "needs to be put into action in full, without delay, and paired with the prompt removal of all limitations on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Answered

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

"What matters now is to press on and implement this ... my focus now is moving this from the phase it's at now ... and make a success of this, because that is important to me more than anything else," he told reporters at a press conference in Mumbai.

Business Deals Revealed During Trip to India

Starmer has hailed a series of agreements sealed during his visit to India – his maiden visit there – joined by over a hundred executives and cultural leaders. The trip marks the implementation of the countries' trade pact.

• 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 £350 million for UK missiles, manufactured in Northern Ireland, to be deployed by the Indian army.

"The shared history is profound, the personal ties between our citizens are truly special," Starmer said as he left the city. "Building on our historic trade deal, we are remaking this alliance for our era."

Digital Identification System Studied

The Prime Minister has spent time in Mumbai analyzing the Indian digital ID system, including consulting key figures who designed the comprehensive platform used by more than 1 billion people for social services, transactions, and verification.

The prime minister hinted that the United Kingdom was considering broadening the application of digital ID beyond making it mandatory to prove rights to work. He proposed that the UK would eventually look at linking it to banking and transaction networks – on a voluntary basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as mortgage and educational enrollments.

"It's been taken up on a optional basis [in India] in massive scale, partly because it means that you can retrieve your own funds, conduct transactions so much more easily than is available with alternative methods," he explained.

"The efficiency with which it enables citizens here to access services, particularly banking options, is something that was recognized in our discussions yesterday, and actually a financial technology conversation that we had as well. So we're examining those examples of how digital ID assists individuals with procedures that often take too long and are too cumbersome and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Changes

Starmer admitted that the administration had to build public support for the reforms to the UK citizens, which have declined sharply in popularity since Starmer announced them.

"In my view now we need to go out and make that case the significant advantages ... And I believe that the more people see the benefits that come with this ... as has occurred in different nations, citizens say: 'That will make my life easier,' and consequently I want to proceed with it," he stated.

Human Rights and Global Affairs Discussed

Starmer confirmed he had raised a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and ties with the Russian Federation, though he seemed to have made minimal progress. Starmer confirmed that he and Prime Minister Modi discussed how India was continuing to purchase Russian oil, which is facing extensive international restrictions.

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

Starmer additionally said he had raised the case of the British Sikh activist the individual, from Dumbarton, who has been detained in an Indian jail for almost a decade without undergoing a full trial. It is frequently mentioned as one of the worst examples of unfair treatment among UK nationals still held abroad.

But, he did not suggest much advancement had been made. "Indeed, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he said. "We consistently address them when we have the chance to do so. I should say that the foreign secretary is scheduled to meet the families in coming weeks, as well as raising it today."

Future Plans

Starmer is widely expected to take a similar business-oriented visit to China in the coming year as part of a effort to ease diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and the Asian nation.

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 China is considered a security risk.

Starmer said the UK was eager to explore additional commercial partnerships but emphasized that a commercial agreement with the nation was not currently planned. "That's not on our list, for a trade deal as such, but our stance is to cooperate where we can, challenge where we must, and that's been the consistent policy of the government in regarding China."