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Keir Starmer has declared that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "would not have occurred without the leadership of Donald Trump," but stopped short of supporting the American leader for a Nobel peace prize.

Ceasefire Deal Welcomed as a "Welcome Development to the World"

Starmer commented that the initial stage of the agreement would be a "relief to the world" and highlighted that the United Kingdom had played its own role behind the scenes with the United States and negotiators.

Speaking on the final day of his business trip to India, Starmer emphasized that the deal "needs to be put into action in full, without postponement, and paired with the prompt removal of all limitations on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Inquiry Answered

However, when questioned if the Nobel committee should now award Donald Trump the coveted prize, Starmer suggested that more time was required to determine if a durable peace could be attained.

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

Trade and Investment Announced During Trip to India

Starmer has celebrated a series of agreements finalized during his tour to India – his first time there – joined by 126 business leaders and cultural leaders. The trip signifies the passing of the countries' trade pact.

• The UK government has announced a range of financial commitments, from fintech to higher education facilities, as well as the making of three Bollywood films in the UK.
• On the final day, the Prime Minister signed a military agreement worth £350m for UK missiles, produced in the UK region, to be deployed by the Indian army.

"The shared history is profound, the human connections between our people are exceptionally strong," he said as he left the city. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this partnership for our times."

Digital ID System Studied

The Prime Minister has dedicated time in Mumbai studying the national digital identification program, including meeting principal architects who designed the widespread system utilized by over a billion individuals for social services, payments, and verification.

The prime minister hinted that the UK was considering broadening the application of digital identification beyond making it compulsory to verify eligibility to work. He proposed that the Britain would in time look at connecting it to financial and transaction networks – on a optional basis – as well as for official procedures such as home loan and school applications.

"It has been adopted on a voluntary basis [in India] in massive scale, not least because it means that you can retrieve your own money, make payments so much more easily than is available with others," he explained.

"The efficiency with which it allows residents here to access services, particularly banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions recently, and actually a financial technology discussion that we had today. So we're looking at those instances of how digital identification assists people with procedures that often take excessive time and are overly complex and makes them easier for them."

Popular Backing for Reforms

Starmer acknowledged that the administration had to make the case for the initiatives to the UK citizens, which have plummeted in public approval since he proposed 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 happened in different nations, citizens say: 'That will simplify my daily routine,' and consequently I want to get on with it," he stated.

Rights Issues and Global Affairs Discussed

The Prime Minister said he had brought up a number of difficult topics with the Indian premier regarding civil liberties and ties with Russia, though he appeared to have made minimal progress. Starmer confirmed that he and Modi discussed how India was persisting to purchase oil from Russia, which is subject to widespread western sanctions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the focus on resolving this situation and the multiple measures will be implemented to that end," he said. "And that was a broad spectrum of dialogue, but we outlined the steps that we are undertaking in regarding energy."

Starmer also said he had raised the situation of the British Sikh activist the individual, 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 injustice among Britons still held abroad.

However, Starmer did not indicate much progress had been achieved. "Yes, we did raise the consular cases," he stated. "We consistently address them when we have the chance to do so. I should say that the top diplomat is scheduled to meet the relatives in coming weeks, as well as discussing it now."

Upcoming Initiatives

Starmer is largely anticipated to take a similar trade-focused visit to China in the coming year as part of a effort to ease relations between the UK and the Asian nation.

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

Starmer clarified the UK was eager to pursue other trading relationships but emphasized that a commercial agreement with the nation was not on the agenda. "It is not a priority, for a bilateral pact as such, but our stance is to cooperate where we can, challenge where we need to, and this has been the consistent policy of the administration in relation to China."