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Keir Starmer has stated that the truce deal in Gaza "could not have happened without the leadership of Donald Trump," but avoided supporting the American leader for a Nobel peace prize.

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

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 US and mediators.

Speaking on the last day of his trade visit to the Indian subcontinent, Starmer emphasized that the agreement "must now be implemented in full, without delay, and paired with the prompt removal of all limitations on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Inquiry Addressed

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

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

Trade and Investment Announced During India Visit

Starmer has hailed a series of agreements sealed during his tour to India – his maiden visit there – joined by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The trip signifies the passing of the two nations' trade pact.

• The UK government has unveiled a slew of investments, from financial technology to university campuses, as well as the production of three Bollywood films in the UK.
• On the final day, the Prime Minister signed a defence deal worth £350m for UK missiles, produced in the UK region, to be used by the Indian army.

"The shared history is deep, the personal ties between our citizens are exceptionally strong," Starmer said as he departed Mumbai. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are remaking this alliance for our era."

Digital ID System Studied

The Prime Minister has spent time in India studying the Indian digital ID system, including consulting principal architects who designed the widespread system utilized by over a billion individuals for social services, payments, and verification.

The prime minister hinted that the United Kingdom was interested in broadening the scope of digital identification beyond making it compulsory to prove rights to work. He indicated that the Britain would eventually look at connecting it to financial and transaction networks – on a optional basis – as well as for official procedures such as home loan and educational enrollments.

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

"The efficiency with which it enables citizens here to access services, especially banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions recently, and actually a financial technology discussion that we had today. So we're examining those examples of how digital ID helps people with processes that sometimes take excessive time and are overly complex and makes them easier for them."

Public Support for Changes

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

"In my view now we need to go out and make that case the huge benefits ... And I think that the greater number of individuals see the positive outcomes that accompany this ... as has happened in different nations, people say: 'That will make my life easier,' and consequently I want to get on with it," he stated.

Human Rights and Global Affairs Discussed

The Prime Minister confirmed he had raised a range of challenging issues with the Indian leader regarding human rights and relations with Russia, though he appeared to have made little headway. Starmer confirmed that he and Prime Minister Modi talked about how India was continuing to purchase oil from Russia, which is subject to extensive international restrictions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the focus on ending this conflict and the multiple measures will be taken to that end," he commented. "And that was a wide range of discussion, but we did set out the actions that we are undertaking in regarding energy."

Starmer additionally said he had raised the case of the British Sikh activist the individual, from Dumbarton, who has been held in an Indian prison for nearly eight years without facing a full trial. It is often cited as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among UK nationals still held overseas.

However, he did not indicate much progress had been made. "Indeed, we brought up the diplomatic matters," 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 the near future, as well as discussing it today."

Upcoming Initiatives

The prime minister is largely anticipated to take a similar business-oriented trip to the People's Republic of China in the coming year as part of a effort to ease diplomatic ties between the UK and China.

This bilateral connection is under the spotlight because of the collapse of a Chinese spying case, said to have happened because the UK has been unwilling to provide new proof that China is considered a threat.

Starmer said the UK was keen to explore 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 are able, confront where we must, and this has been the consistent policy of the government in regarding China."