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The Prime Minister has asserted that the truce deal in Gaza "would not have occurred without President Trump's leadership," but stopped short of endorsing the US president for a Nobel Prize.

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

The prime minister remarked that the initial stage of the deal would be a "welcome news globally" and noted that the UK had contributed significantly in private discussions with the US and negotiators.

Speaking on the final day of his business trip to India, Starmer stressed that the agreement "must now be implemented in full, without delay, and paired with the prompt removal of all limitations on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Question Addressed

However, when asked if the Nobel committee should now grant Donald Trump the prestigious award, Starmer suggested that more time was needed to determine if a longer lasting peace could be achieved.

"The priority now is to move forward and execute this ... my focus now is moving this from the phase it's at now ... and make a success of this, because that matters to me above all," he told reporters at a press conference in Mumbai.

Business Deals Revealed During India Visit

The Prime Minister has celebrated a series of agreements sealed during his tour to the country – his first time there – joined by over a hundred executives and cultural leaders. The trip marks the implementation of the two nations' trade pact.

• No 10 has announced a range of financial commitments, from fintech to university campuses, as well as the production of three Bollywood films in the United Kingdom.
• On the final day, Starmer signed a military agreement worth £350 million for British-made missiles, produced in the UK region, to be deployed by the Indian military.

"The shared history is profound, the personal ties between our people are truly special," he remarked as he departed Mumbai. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are remaking this alliance for our era."

Digital ID Initiative Examined

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in Mumbai studying the Indian digital ID system, including consulting key figures who designed the widespread system used by over a billion individuals for benefits, transactions, and verification.

The prime minister hinted that the United Kingdom was interested in expanding the scope of digital identification beyond making it mandatory to verify eligibility to work. He indicated that the UK would in time look at linking it to banking and transaction networks – on a voluntary basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as mortgage and school applications.

"It has been adopted on a voluntary basis [in India] in huge numbers, partly because it means that you can retrieve your own money, conduct transactions so much more easily than is available with others," he explained.

"The speed with which it enables residents here to utilize facilities, especially financial services, is something that was acknowledged in our talks yesterday, and actually a financial technology discussion that we had as well. So we're examining those examples of how digital ID helps individuals with procedures that sometimes take too long and are too cumbersome and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Reforms

Starmer acknowledged that the government had to build public support for the initiatives to the UK citizens, which have declined sharply in public approval since Starmer proposed them.

"I think now we need to go out and advocate for the significant advantages ... 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 make my life easier,' and therefore I want to proceed with it," he stated.

Human Rights and International Relations Discussed

The Prime Minister confirmed he had brought up a range of challenging issues with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and ties with Russia, though he seemed to have made little headway. He confirmed that he and Prime Minister Modi discussed how the country was persisting to buy Russian oil, which is subject to widespread western sanctions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on ending this conflict and the various steps will be implemented to that end," he said. "This included a wide range of dialogue, but we outlined the actions that we are taking in relation to energy."

The Prime Minister also said he had brought up the case of the UK-based activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, who has been detained in an Indian jail for almost a decade without facing a full trial. It is often cited as one of the worst examples of unfair treatment among Britons currently detained overseas.

However, he did not indicate much progress had been made. "Indeed, we brought up the consular cases," he stated. "We consistently address them when we have the opportunity to do so. I should say that the foreign secretary is meeting the relatives in coming weeks, as well as discussing it today."

Upcoming Initiatives

Starmer is widely expected to take a similar trade-focused trip to the People's Republic of China in the next 12 months as part of a effort to ease diplomatic ties between the UK and China.

That relationship is receiving attention because of the collapse of a espionage investigation, reportedly occurring because the UK has been unwilling to provide fresh evidence that the country is deemed a threat.

The Prime Minister clarified the UK was keen 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 bilateral pact as such, but our position is to cooperate where we are able, challenge where we need to, and this has been the consistent policy of the administration in relation to China."