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The Prime Minister has declared that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "could not have happened without President Trump's leadership," but avoided endorsing the US president for a Nobel peace prize.

Ceasefire Deal Welcomed as a "Relief to the Globe"

Starmer commented that the initial stage of the deal would be a "welcome news globally" and noted that the United Kingdom had played its own role in private discussions with the US and mediators.

Addressing the media on the last day of his trade visit to India, Starmer stressed that the deal "must now be implemented in full, without postponement, and paired with the prompt removal of all restrictions on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question 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 durable peace could be achieved.

"The priority now is to press on and implement this ... my focus now is transitioning this from the stage it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that matters to me more than anything else," he stated at a media briefing in Mumbai.

Trade and Investment Revealed During India Visit

The Prime Minister has celebrated a number of deals sealed during his tour to the country – his maiden visit there – joined by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The trip marks the passing of the two nations' free trade agreement.

• The UK government has announced a range of financial commitments, from fintech to higher education facilities, as well as the production of multiple Indian movies in the United Kingdom.
• On Thursday, Starmer signed a defence deal worth £350m for British-made missiles, manufactured in the UK region, to be deployed by the Indian military.

"The shared history is deep, the human connections between our citizens are exceptionally strong," he remarked as he departed Mumbai. "Expanding upon our landmark agreement, we are remaking this partnership for our era."

Digital ID Initiative Studied

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in Mumbai analyzing the national digital identification program, including meeting principal architects who developed the widespread system used by more than 1 billion people for social services, transactions, and verification.

The prime minister hinted that the United Kingdom was interested in broadening the application of digital ID beyond making it mandatory to prove rights to work. He proposed that the Britain would in time look at connecting 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 voluntary basis [in India] in huge numbers, not least because it means that you can access 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 recently, and actually a Fintech discussion that we had today. So we're examining those examples of how digital identification assists people with procedures that sometimes take excessive time and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Changes

Starmer admitted that the government had to make the case for the reforms to the UK citizens, which have declined sharply in popularity since Starmer 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 accompany this ... as has happened in other countries, people say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and consequently I want to get on with it," he affirmed.

Rights Issues and International Relations Addressed

The Prime Minister said he had raised a number of difficult topics with the Indian premier regarding human rights and relations with the Russian Federation, though he appeared to have made minimal progress. He confirmed that he and Prime Minister Modi talked about how India was continuing to purchase oil from Russia, which is subject to widespread western sanctions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the priority on ending this situation and the various steps will be implemented to that end," he said. "And that was a wide range of dialogue, but we did set out the steps that we are undertaking in regarding energy."

The Prime Minister also said he had raised the case of the UK-based activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Scotland, who has been held in an Indian prison for almost a decade without undergoing a complete legal process. It is often cited as one of the worst examples of injustice among Britons still held abroad.

But, he did not indicate much progress had been achieved. "Yes, we brought up the consular cases," he stated. "We always raise them when we have the opportunity 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."

Upcoming Initiatives

Starmer is widely expected to take a similar trade-focused visit to China in the next 12 months as part of a effort to ease relations between the United Kingdom and China.

That relationship is receiving attention because of the collapse of a espionage investigation, said to have happened because the British authorities has been reluctant to provide fresh evidence that the country is considered a security risk.

The Prime Minister clarified the UK was keen to explore other trading relationships but emphasized that a trade deal with the nation was not on the agenda. "That's not on our list, for a trade deal as such, but our position is to cooperate where we can, confront where we must, and this has been the ongoing approach of the government in regarding China."