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Keir Starmer has declared that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without the leadership of Donald Trump," but stopped short of endorsing the American leader for a Nobel Prize.

Ceasefire Deal Hailed as a "Welcome Development to the Globe"

Starmer remarked that the first phase of the deal would be a "relief to the world" and noted that the United Kingdom had contributed significantly behind the scenes with the United States 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 immediate lifting of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Inquiry Answered

But, when questioned if the Nobel committee should now award Donald Trump the coveted prize, Starmer implied that time was needed to know if a longer lasting 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 stated at a media briefing in Mumbai.

Trade and Investment Announced During India Visit

Starmer has hailed a number of deals finalized during his tour to India – his maiden visit there – accompanied by 126 business leaders and arts figures. The visit marks the passing of the two nations' free trade agreement.

• The UK government has unveiled 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, the Prime Minister signed a defence deal worth £350 million for UK missiles, produced in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian army.

"The shared history is profound, the personal ties between our people are exceptionally strong," he said as he left Mumbai. "Building on our landmark agreement, we are reinventing this alliance for our era."

Digital Identification Initiative Studied

Starmer has spent time in Mumbai analyzing the Indian digital ID system, including consulting principal architects who designed the widespread system used by more than 1 billion people for social services, payments, and identification.

The prime minister suggested that the UK was interested in expanding the application of digital ID beyond making it compulsory to verify eligibility to work. He proposed that the UK would in time look at linking it to financial and transaction networks – on a voluntary basis – as well as for official procedures such as mortgage and school applications.

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

"The speed with which it enables citizens here to utilize facilities, especially financial services, is something that was recognized in our discussions yesterday, and in fact a Fintech discussion that we had today. So we're examining those examples of how digital ID assists people with procedures that often take excessive time and are too cumbersome and makes them easier for them."

Public Support for Reforms

The Prime Minister admitted that the government had to make the case for the reforms to the British public, which have declined sharply in popularity since Starmer announced them.

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

Human Rights and Global Affairs Discussed

Starmer confirmed he had brought up a range of challenging issues with the Indian premier regarding human rights and relations with the Russian Federation, though he appeared to have made minimal progress. He confirmed that he and Modi discussed how India was continuing to buy oil from Russia, which is subject to extensive international restrictions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the priority on resolving this situation and the multiple measures will be taken to that end," he said. "This included a wide range of dialogue, but we outlined the steps that we are taking in regarding energy."

The Prime Minister also mentioned he had brought up the case of the UK-based activist the individual, from Dumbarton, who has been detained in an Indian prison for almost a decade without facing a complete legal process. It is often cited as one of the worst examples of unfair treatment among Britons currently detained abroad.

However, Starmer did not indicate much progress had been made. "Indeed, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he stated. "We consistently address them when we have the chance to do so. I must add that the top diplomat is scheduled to meet the relatives in coming weeks, as well as raising it now."

Future Plans

The prime minister 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 effort to ease relations between the United Kingdom and the Asian nation.

That relationship is receiving attention because of the collapse of a Chinese spying case, 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 eager to pursue additional commercial partnerships 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 work together where we are able, confront where we must, and that's been the consistent policy of the administration in regarding China."