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The Prime Minister has declared that the truce deal in Gaza "would not have occurred without the leadership of Donald Trump," but avoided supporting the US president for a Nobel peace prize.

Truce Agreement Welcomed as a "Welcome Development to the Globe"

The prime minister commented that the initial stage 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 negotiators.

Speaking on the final day of his business trip to the Indian subcontinent, Starmer emphasized that the deal "must now be implemented in full, without delay, and paired with the immediate lifting of all limitations on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Answered

But, when questioned if the Nobel committee should now grant Donald Trump the coveted prize, Starmer 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 attention 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 stated at a media briefing in Mumbai.

Business Deals Revealed During India Visit

The Prime Minister has celebrated a number of deals sealed during his visit to the country – his maiden visit there – joined by 126 business leaders and arts figures. The visit signifies the implementation of the countries' free trade agreement.

• No 10 has unveiled a slew of investments, from fintech to university campuses, as well as the making of three Bollywood films in the UK.
• On the final day, the Prime Minister signed a defence deal worth £350m for UK missiles, manufactured in Northern Ireland, to be deployed by the Indian army.

"Our history together is profound, the personal ties between our people are truly special," he said as he departed Mumbai. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are remaking this partnership for our times."

Digital ID System Studied

Starmer has spent time in Mumbai studying the national digital identification program, including meeting key figures who designed the widespread system utilized by over a billion individuals for social services, transactions, and identification.

He suggested that the United Kingdom was considering expanding the application of digital identification beyond making it mandatory to prove rights to work. He proposed that the UK would in time look at linking it to financial 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 massive scale, not least because it ensures that you can retrieve your own funds, conduct transactions so much more easily than is available with alternative methods," he explained.

"The speed with which it allows citizens here to utilize facilities, particularly financial services, is something that was recognized in our discussions recently, and in fact a financial technology discussion that we had as well. So we're looking at those instances of how digital identification assists individuals with processes that sometimes take too long and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Reforms

The Prime Minister admitted that the administration had to make the case for the reforms to the British public, which have declined sharply in public approval since Starmer proposed them.

"In my view now we need to go out and make that case the huge benefits ... And I believe that the more people see the benefits that accompany this ... as has occurred in other countries, citizens say: 'That will make my life easier,' and therefore I want to proceed with it," he stated.

Human Rights and International Relations Discussed

Starmer said he had brought up a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and ties with the Russian Federation, though he appeared to have made minimal progress. He acknowledged that he and Prime Minister Modi talked about how the country was continuing to buy oil from Russia, which is facing widespread western sanctions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the priority on resolving this conflict and the multiple measures will be taken to that purpose," he said. "And that was a broad spectrum of discussion, but we outlined the steps that we are taking in relation to energy."

The Prime Minister additionally mentioned he had raised the case of the British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Scotland, who has been held in an Indian jail for almost a decade without facing a complete legal process. It is often cited as one of the most egregious cases of injustice among Britons currently detained abroad.

But, Starmer did not suggest much advancement had been made. "Yes, we brought up the consular cases," he stated. "We always raise them when we have the chance to do so. I should say that the top diplomat is scheduled to meet the families in coming weeks, as well as discussing it now."

Future Plans

Starmer is largely anticipated to take a similar trade-focused trip to 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 British authorities has been reluctant to provide new proof that the country is considered a threat.

The Prime Minister said the UK was keen to pursue additional commercial partnerships but stated 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 cooperate where we are able, challenge where we must, and that's been the consistent policy of the administration in relation to China."