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

Ceasefire Deal Welcomed as a "Relief to the World"

The prime minister commented that the initial stage of the deal would be a "relief to the world" and noted that the United Kingdom had played its own role behind the scenes with the United States and negotiators.

Speaking on the last day of his trade visit to India, Starmer stressed that the deal "needs to be put into action in full, without postponement, and accompanied by the prompt removal of all limitations on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Inquiry Addressed

But, when questioned if the Nobel prize committee should at this time award Donald Trump the prestigious award, Starmer implied that more time was required to know if a durable peace could be attained.

"The priority now is to move forward and execute 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 Mumbai.

Business Deals Announced During India Visit

The Prime Minister has celebrated a series of agreements finalized during his visit to the country – his first time there – accompanied by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The trip signifies the implementation of the countries' free trade agreement.

• The UK government has announced a range of financial commitments, from financial technology to higher education facilities, as well as the production of multiple Indian movies in the United Kingdom.
• On the final day, Starmer finalized a defence deal worth £350 million for British-made missiles, manufactured in Northern Ireland, to be deployed by the Indian military.

"The shared history is profound, the human connections between our citizens are exceptionally strong," Starmer remarked as he left Mumbai. "Expanding upon our landmark agreement, we are reinventing this partnership for our times."

Digital Identification Initiative Studied

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in India analyzing the national digital identification program, including consulting key figures who designed the comprehensive platform utilized by over a billion individuals for benefits, payments, and verification.

He hinted that the United Kingdom was considering expanding the scope of digital identification beyond making it mandatory to prove rights to work. He indicated that the Britain would eventually look at connecting it to banking and transaction networks – on a voluntary basis – as well as for official procedures such as home loan and school applications.

"It's been taken up on a optional basis [in India] in huge numbers, partly because it means that you can access your own money, conduct transactions so much more easily than is possible with others," he noted.

"The speed with which it allows citizens here to access services, particularly financial services, is something that was recognized in our discussions recently, and in fact a financial technology discussion that we had today. So we're examining those examples of how digital ID assists people with processes that sometimes take excessive time and are too cumbersome and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Reforms

Starmer admitted that the government had to make the case for the reforms to the British public, which have plummeted in public approval since he proposed them.

"I think now we need to go out and make that case the huge benefits ... And I think 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 therefore I want to proceed with it," he stated.

Rights Issues and International Relations Addressed

Starmer said he had raised a number of difficult topics with the Indian premier regarding human rights and ties with Russia, though he seemed to have made minimal progress. He acknowledged that he and Prime Minister Modi discussed how India was persisting to buy Russian oil, which is facing extensive international restrictions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the focus on ending this situation and the various steps will be taken to that end," he said. "And that was a broad spectrum of discussion, but we did set out the actions that we are taking in relation to energy."

Starmer additionally said he had raised the case of the British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Scotland, who has been detained in an Indian prison for almost a decade without undergoing a full trial. It is frequently mentioned as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among UK nationals still held abroad.

However, he did not indicate much progress had been made. "Yes, we brought up the consular cases," he stated. "We always raise them when we have the opportunity to do so. I must add that the foreign secretary is scheduled to meet the relatives in coming weeks, as well as raising it now."

Upcoming Initiatives

Starmer is largely anticipated to take a comparable business-oriented visit to the People's Republic of China in the next 12 months as part of a mission to improve diplomatic ties between the UK and the Asian nation.

This bilateral connection is receiving attention because of the collapse of a Chinese spying case, said to have happened because the British authorities has been unwilling to provide new proof that the country is deemed a threat.

The Prime Minister clarified the United Kingdom was eager to explore other trading relationships but emphasized that a commercial agreement with the nation was not currently planned. "That's not on our list, for a bilateral pact as such, but our stance is to cooperate where we are able, confront where we need to, and that's been the consistent policy of the government in relation to China."