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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 endorsing the US president for a Nobel Prize.

Ceasefire Deal Hailed as a "Relief to the World"

The prime minister remarked that the first phase of the deal would be a "welcome news globally" and highlighted that the United Kingdom had played its own role in private discussions with the United States and negotiators.

Speaking on the last day of his business trip to the Indian subcontinent, the British leader stressed that the agreement "needs to be put into action in full, without delay, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all limitations on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Addressed

But, when questioned if the Nobel prize committee should at this time grant Donald Trump the coveted award, Starmer implied that time was needed to determine if a durable peace could be achieved.

"The priority now is to press on and implement this ... my attention now is moving this from the phase it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that is important to me above all," he stated at a media briefing in India's financial capital.

Trade and Investment Revealed During India Visit

Starmer has hailed a series of agreements sealed during his visit to the country – his first time there – joined by over a hundred executives and cultural leaders. The trip signifies the implementation of the two nations' free trade agreement.

• The UK government has unveiled a slew of investments, from fintech to higher education facilities, as well as the making of three Bollywood films in the UK.
• On Thursday, the Prime Minister signed a military agreement worth £350 million for UK missiles, produced in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian army.

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

Digital Identification System Examined

Starmer has dedicated time in Mumbai studying the national digital identification program, including consulting key figures who developed the widespread system utilized by more than 1 billion people for social services, payments, and verification.

The prime minister suggested that the UK was interested in broadening the application of digital identification beyond making it mandatory to verify eligibility to work. He proposed that the UK would eventually look at linking it to financial and transaction networks – on a voluntary basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as home loan and educational enrollments.

"It's been taken up on a optional basis [in India] in huge numbers, not least because it ensures that you can retrieve your own funds, conduct transactions so much more conveniently than is possible with others," he explained.

"The efficiency with which it allows citizens here to utilize facilities, particularly financial services, is something that was acknowledged in our talks yesterday, and actually a financial technology discussion that we had today. So we're looking at those examples of how digital ID assists people with processes that often take too long and are overly complex and makes them easier for them."

Popular Backing for Reforms

The Prime Minister admitted that the administration had to build public support for the initiatives 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 believe that the more people see the positive outcomes that come with this ... as has occurred in different nations, people say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and consequently I want to proceed with it," he affirmed.

Human Rights and Global Affairs Discussed

Starmer said he had raised a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding human rights and ties with Russia, though he seemed to have made minimal progress. Starmer confirmed that he and Modi discussed how the country was persisting to purchase Russian oil, which is subject to extensive international restrictions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the priority on resolving this conflict and the multiple measures will be taken to that end," he said. "And that was a wide range of discussion, but we outlined the actions that we are undertaking in regarding energy."

The Prime Minister also said he had brought up the case of the British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, who has been held in an Indian jail for almost a decade without undergoing a complete legal process. It is often cited as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among UK nationals still held overseas.

However, Starmer did not suggest much advancement had been made. "Yes, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he stated. "We always raise them when we have the chance to do so. I should say that the foreign secretary is scheduled to meet the relatives in the near future, as well as raising it now."

Future Plans

Starmer is widely expected to take a comparable trade-focused trip to China in the coming year as part of a mission to improve relations between the United Kingdom and China.

This bilateral connection is under the spotlight because of the dismissal of a espionage investigation, reportedly occurring because the UK has been unwilling to provide new proof that China is deemed a threat.

Starmer clarified the UK was eager to explore other trading relationships but emphasized that a trade deal with the nation was not currently planned. "It is not a priority, for a trade deal as such, but our position is to work together where we are able, challenge where we must, and that's been the ongoing approach of the government in relation to China."