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

Truce Agreement Welcomed as a "Relief to the World"

The prime minister remarked that the first phase of the agreement would be a "relief to the world" and noted that the UK had contributed significantly in private discussions with the United States and mediators.

Speaking on the last day of his trade visit to India, 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 limitations on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Inquiry Answered

But, when questioned if the Nobel prize committee should now grant Donald Trump the prestigious award, the Prime Minister implied that more time was needed to know if a longer lasting peace could be achieved.

"The priority now is to move forward and execute this ... my attention now is transitioning this from the stage it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that is important to me more than anything else," he told reporters at a press conference in India's financial capital.

Trade and Investment Announced During India Visit

Starmer has celebrated a series of agreements finalized during his visit to the country – his maiden visit there – accompanied by over a hundred executives and cultural leaders. The visit signifies the passing of the two nations' trade pact.

• No 10 has unveiled a range of financial commitments, from financial technology to university campuses, as well as the production of three Bollywood films in the United Kingdom.
• On the final day, the Prime Minister finalized a defence deal worth £350m for UK missiles, produced in Northern Ireland, to be deployed by the Indian army.

"The shared history is deep, the personal ties between our people are exceptionally strong," Starmer said as he left the city. "Building on our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this partnership for our era."

Digital ID Initiative Studied

The Prime Minister has spent time in India studying the Indian digital ID system, including meeting key figures who designed the comprehensive platform utilized by over a billion individuals for benefits, transactions, and identification.

He suggested that the UK was considering expanding the application of digital identification beyond making it mandatory to verify eligibility to work. He indicated that the Britain would eventually look at linking it to banking and payments systems – on a voluntary basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as mortgage and educational enrollments.

"It has been adopted on a optional basis [in India] in massive scale, not least because it means that you can retrieve your own money, conduct transactions so much more conveniently than is available with alternative methods," he noted.

"The efficiency with which it allows citizens here to access services, particularly banking options, is something that was recognized in our talks yesterday, and in fact a Fintech conversation that we had as well. So we're looking at those examples of how digital identification helps people with processes that sometimes take excessive time and are overly complex and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Changes

The Prime Minister admitted that the administration had to build public support for the reforms to the British public, which have plummeted in popularity since he proposed them.

"In my view now we need to go out and advocate for the significant advantages ... And I think that the more people see the benefits that come with this ... as has happened in different nations, citizens say: 'That will make my life easier,' and consequently I want to proceed with it," he stated.

Rights Issues and International Relations Addressed

The Prime Minister said he had raised a number of difficult topics with the Indian leader regarding civil liberties and ties with Russia, though he appeared to have made minimal progress. Starmer acknowledged that he and Prime Minister Modi discussed how the country was continuing to purchase Russian oil, which is facing extensive international restrictions.

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on resolving this situation and the various steps will be taken to that purpose," he said. "And that was a broad spectrum of dialogue, but we did set out the steps that we are undertaking in regarding energy."

Starmer also mentioned he had brought up the situation of the British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Scotland, who has been detained in an Indian jail for nearly eight years without undergoing a full trial. It is often cited as one of the worst examples of unfair treatment among UK nationals currently detained abroad.

But, Starmer did not indicate much progress had been made. "Indeed, we brought up the consular cases," he said. "We always raise them when we have the chance to do so. I must add that the foreign secretary is scheduled to meet the relatives in the near future, as well as discussing it now."

Upcoming Initiatives

The prime minister is largely anticipated to take a comparable business-oriented visit to China in the next 12 months as part of a effort to improve diplomatic ties between the UK and China.

This bilateral connection is receiving attention because of the collapse of a espionage investigation, said to have happened because the British authorities has been reluctant to provide new proof that China is considered a threat.

Starmer clarified the United Kingdom was eager to pursue additional commercial partnerships but emphasized that a commercial agreement with China 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 that's been the ongoing approach of the government in regarding China."