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Keir Starmer has asserted that the truce deal in Gaza "would not have occurred without President Trump's leadership," but avoided endorsing the US president for a Nobel Prize.

Ceasefire Deal Hailed as a "Relief to the Globe"

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

Addressing the media on the final day of his trade visit to the Indian subcontinent, the British leader emphasized that the agreement "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 Inquiry Addressed

But, when questioned if the Nobel committee should at this time award Trump the prestigious award, the Prime Minister implied that more time was needed to determine if a longer lasting peace could be attained.

"The priority now is to press on and implement this ... my focus 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 press conference in India's financial capital.

Business Deals Announced During Trip to India

Starmer has hailed a series of agreements finalized during his visit to the country – his first time there – joined by 126 business leaders and arts figures. The visit marks the implementation of the two nations' trade pact.

• The UK government has announced a range of financial commitments, from fintech to university campuses, as well as the making of multiple Indian movies in the UK.
• On the final day, Starmer finalized a military agreement worth £350m for UK missiles, produced in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian army.

"The shared history is profound, the personal ties between our citizens are exceptionally strong," he remarked as he departed the city. "Expanding upon our landmark agreement, we are reinventing this partnership for our era."

Digital ID System Studied

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in India analyzing the Indian digital ID system, including consulting key figures who developed the widespread system used by over a billion individuals for benefits, transactions, and identification.

He suggested that the United Kingdom was considering broadening the application of digital ID beyond making it compulsory to verify eligibility to work. He indicated that the UK would eventually look at linking it to banking and payments systems – on a optional basis – as well as for official procedures such as home loan and educational enrollments.

"It has been adopted on a optional basis [in India] in huge numbers, partly because it ensures that you can retrieve your own money, make payments so much more easily than is available with alternative methods," he noted.

"The efficiency with which it enables citizens here to utilize facilities, particularly financial services, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions yesterday, and in fact a Fintech conversation that we had as well. So we're examining those instances of how digital ID assists people with procedures that often take too long and are too cumbersome and makes them easier for them."

Public Support for Reforms

Starmer acknowledged that the administration had to build public support for the reforms to the British public, which have declined sharply in public approval since he announced them.

"I think now we need to go out and make that case the significant advantages ... And I think that the greater number of individuals see the positive outcomes that accompany this ... as has occurred in other countries, people say: 'That will make my life easier,' and therefore I want to get on with it," he stated.

Human Rights and Global Affairs Addressed

The Prime Minister said he had raised a range of challenging issues with the Indian premier regarding civil liberties and relations with Russia, though he seemed to have made little headway. Starmer acknowledged that he and Modi discussed how the country was persisting to purchase Russian oil, which is facing widespread western sanctions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the priority on ending this situation and the multiple measures will be implemented to that purpose," he said. "This included a broad spectrum of discussion, but we did set out the steps that we are taking in relation to energy."

Starmer also mentioned he had raised the case of the British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, who has been held in an Indian prison for nearly eight years without facing a full trial. It is often cited as one of the most egregious cases of unfair treatment among Britons still held abroad.

However, he did not suggest much progress had been made. "Yes, we brought up the diplomatic matters," he said. "We consistently address them when we have the opportunity to do so. I must add that the foreign secretary is scheduled to meet the families in coming weeks, as well as raising it today."

Future Plans

Starmer is widely expected to take a similar business-oriented visit to the People's Republic of China in the coming year as part of a mission to ease diplomatic ties between the UK and the Asian nation.

That relationship is receiving attention because of the collapse of a Chinese spying case, reportedly occurring because the UK has been unwilling to provide fresh evidence that China is deemed a threat.

The Prime Minister clarified the United Kingdom was eager 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 need to, and that's been the consistent policy of the administration in regarding China."