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Keir Starmer has asserted that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without President Trump's leadership," yet stopped short of supporting the US president for a Nobel Prize.

Ceasefire Deal Hailed as a "Relief to the World"

The prime minister remarked that the initial stage of the agreement would be a "relief to the world" and highlighted that the UK had played its own role in private discussions with the US and negotiators.

Speaking on the final day of his trade visit to the Indian subcontinent, Starmer stressed that the deal "needs to be put into action in full, without delay, and accompanied by the prompt removal of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Answered

But, when questioned if the Nobel prize committee should now award Donald Trump the prestigious award, Starmer implied that time was needed to know 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 make a success of this, because that is important to me above all," he told reporters at a press conference in India's financial capital.

Business Deals Announced During India Visit

Starmer has celebrated a series of agreements sealed during his tour to India – his first time there – joined by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The trip signifies the implementation of the two nations' trade pact.

• No 10 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 signed a military agreement worth £350 million for British-made missiles, manufactured in the UK region, to be deployed by the Indian army.

"Our history together is profound, the personal ties between our citizens are truly special," Starmer remarked as he departed the city. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are remaking this partnership for our era."

Digital Identification System Studied

The Prime Minister has spent time in India analyzing the national digital identification program, including meeting key figures who designed the widespread system utilized by over a billion individuals for benefits, transactions, and verification.

He hinted that the UK was interested in broadening the scope of digital ID beyond making it mandatory to prove rights to work. He indicated that the UK would eventually look at connecting it to banking and transaction networks – on a voluntary basis – as well as for official procedures such as mortgage and educational enrollments.

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

"The efficiency with which it allows residents here to utilize facilities, especially banking options, is something that was recognized in our talks recently, and actually a financial technology conversation that we had today. So we're examining those instances of how digital ID helps people with procedures that often take excessive time and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Changes

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

"In my view now we need to go out and advocate for the significant advantages ... And I believe that the greater number of individuals see the benefits that come with this ... as has occurred in other countries, citizens say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and consequently I want to get on with it," he stated.

Human Rights and Global Affairs Discussed

The Prime Minister confirmed he had brought up a number of difficult topics with the Indian premier regarding civil liberties and relations with the Russian Federation, though he seemed to have made minimal progress. He confirmed that he and Prime Minister Modi discussed how the country was continuing to buy Russian oil, which is subject to widespread western sanctions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the priority on resolving this conflict and the multiple measures will be taken to that purpose," he said. "This included a wide range of dialogue, but we did set out the actions that we are undertaking in relation to energy."

Starmer additionally mentioned he had brought up the case of the UK-based activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Scotland, who has been held in an Indian jail for almost a decade without facing a full trial. It is frequently mentioned as one of the worst examples of unfair treatment among UK nationals currently detained abroad.

But, Starmer did not suggest much progress had been made. "Yes, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he said. "We consistently address them when we have the chance to do so. I should say that the foreign secretary is scheduled to meet the families in the near future, as well as discussing it today."

Upcoming Initiatives

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 China.

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

Starmer clarified the UK was keen to explore additional commercial partnerships but emphasized that a trade deal with China was not on the agenda. "It is not a priority, for a trade deal as such, but our stance is to cooperate where we can, confront where we must, and this has been the ongoing approach of the government in regarding China."