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

Truce Agreement Welcomed as a "Relief to the World"

The prime minister commented that the initial stage of the agreement would be a "welcome news globally" and highlighted that the United Kingdom had contributed significantly behind the scenes with the United States and negotiators.

Addressing the media on the final day of his business trip to the Indian subcontinent, the British leader emphasized that the agreement "must now be implemented in full, without postponement, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all restrictions on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Inquiry Addressed

But, when questioned if the Nobel prize committee should now award Donald Trump the coveted award, Starmer implied that time was needed to know if a longer lasting peace could be attained.

"The priority now is to move forward and implement this ... my attention now is transitioning this from the stage it's at now ... and make a success of this, because that is important to me above all," he told reporters at a media briefing in Mumbai.

Trade and Investment Announced During Trip to India

Starmer has celebrated a series of agreements sealed during his visit to the country – his maiden visit there – joined by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The visit marks the implementation of the countries' 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 three Bollywood films in the United Kingdom.
• On the final day, Starmer signed a military agreement worth £350m for British-made missiles, produced in the UK region, to be used by the Indian military.

"The shared history is profound, the human connections between our people are exceptionally strong," Starmer said as he departed Mumbai. "Building on our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this alliance for our era."

Digital ID System Studied

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in Mumbai analyzing the Indian digital ID system, including consulting key figures who developed the widespread system utilized by over a billion individuals for benefits, payments, and verification.

He suggested that the United Kingdom was interested in broadening the application of digital ID beyond making it compulsory to verify eligibility to work. He proposed that the Britain would in time look at linking it to banking and transaction networks – on a optional basis – as well as for official procedures such as mortgage 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, conduct transactions so much more easily than is possible with others," he noted.

"The efficiency with which it enables residents here to access services, particularly financial services, is something that was recognized in our talks recently, and actually a financial technology conversation that we had today. So we're examining those examples of how digital ID helps individuals with processes that often take excessive time and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Popular Backing for Reforms

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

"In my view now we need to go out and make that case the significant advantages ... And I think that the greater number of individuals see the benefits that come with this ... as has occurred in different nations, citizens say: 'That will make my life easier,' and consequently I want to proceed with it," he affirmed.

Human Rights and Global Affairs Addressed

Starmer confirmed he had raised a range of challenging issues with the Indian leader regarding human rights and relations with the Russian Federation, though he seemed to have made minimal progress. Starmer acknowledged that he and Prime Minister Modi discussed how India was continuing to buy Russian oil, which is facing widespread western sanctions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the priority on ending this situation and the various steps will be implemented to that purpose," he commented. "This included a broad spectrum of dialogue, but we outlined the steps that we are taking in relation to energy."

Starmer also mentioned he had raised the case of the UK-based activist the individual, 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 UK nationals currently detained abroad.

However, he did not suggest much progress had been achieved. "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 foreign secretary is meeting the relatives in coming weeks, as well as discussing it today."

Upcoming Initiatives

The prime minister is largely anticipated to take a similar business-oriented visit to China in the coming year as part of a mission to improve 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 unwilling to provide fresh evidence that the country is considered a security risk.

The Prime Minister clarified the UK was eager to explore other trading relationships but stated that a commercial agreement with the nation was not on the agenda. "That's not on our list, for a trade deal as such, but our stance is to cooperate where we can, challenge where we must, and this has been the consistent policy of the administration in relation to China."