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The Prime Minister has declared that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "could not have happened without President Trump's leadership," but avoided supporting the US president for a Nobel peace prize.

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

The prime minister commented that the first phase of the deal would be a "relief to the world" and noted that the UK had contributed significantly in private discussions with the United States and mediators.

Addressing the media on the last day of his business trip to India, Starmer emphasized that the deal "needs to be put into action in full, without postponement, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Question Addressed

But, when questioned if the Nobel committee should now award Donald Trump the prestigious prize, 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 implement this ... my focus now is moving 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 Announced During Trip to India

Starmer has celebrated a number of deals finalized during his visit to the country – his first time there – accompanied by over a hundred executives and arts figures. The trip marks the passing of the two nations' trade pact.

• The UK government has unveiled a range of financial commitments, from fintech to university campuses, as well as the making of three Bollywood films in the United Kingdom.
• On Thursday, the Prime Minister finalized a military agreement worth £350m for UK missiles, manufactured in the UK region, to be used by the Indian military.

"Our history together is deep, the human connections between our citizens are exceptionally strong," he remarked as he left Mumbai. "Building on our historic trade deal, we are remaking this partnership for our era."

Digital Identification System Studied

Starmer has dedicated time in Mumbai studying the national digital identification program, including meeting principal architects who designed the widespread system utilized by more than 1 billion people for benefits, transactions, and verification.

The prime minister hinted that the United Kingdom was interested in broadening the application of digital ID beyond making it mandatory to verify eligibility to work. He proposed that the UK would eventually look at connecting it to banking and payments systems – on a voluntary basis – as well as for official procedures such as mortgage and educational enrollments.

"It has been adopted on a optional basis [in India] in massive scale, partly because it ensures that you can retrieve your own money, conduct transactions so much more conveniently than is possible with alternative methods," he noted.

"The speed with which it enables residents here to utilize facilities, particularly banking options, is something that was recognized in our discussions yesterday, and in fact a Fintech discussion that we had today. So we're examining those instances of how digital ID helps individuals with processes that often take excessive time and are overly complex and makes them easier for them."

Popular Backing for Reforms

Starmer admitted that the administration had to make the case for the reforms to the British public, which have declined sharply in public approval since he announced them.

"In my view now we need to go out and advocate for the huge benefits ... And I believe that the more people see the benefits that come with this ... as has happened in other countries, people say: 'That will make my life easier,' and therefore I want to get on with it," he affirmed.

Human Rights and International Relations Discussed

The Prime Minister said he had brought up a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and relations with Russia, though he appeared to have made minimal progress. Starmer confirmed that he and Modi discussed how India was continuing to buy Russian oil, which is facing widespread western sanctions.

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

Starmer additionally mentioned he had brought up the situation of the UK-based activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Scotland, who has been detained in an Indian jail for almost a decade without facing a full trial. It is frequently mentioned as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among Britons still held abroad.

However, he did not indicate much progress had been made. "Yes, we did raise the consular cases," 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 the near future, as well as discussing it today."

Future Plans

The prime minister is largely anticipated to take a comparable trade-focused visit to China in the coming year as part of a mission to improve diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and the Asian nation.

That relationship is under the spotlight because of the collapse of a Chinese spying case, said to have happened because the British authorities has been unwilling to provide fresh evidence that the country is considered a threat.

The Prime Minister clarified the United Kingdom was eager to explore additional commercial partnerships but emphasized that a commercial agreement with China was not currently planned. "It is not a priority, for a trade deal as such, but our stance is to work together where we can, confront where we need to, and that's been the ongoing approach of the administration in relation to China."