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The Prime Minister has asserted that the Gaza ceasefire agreement "could not have happened without President Trump's leadership," but stopped short of supporting the US president for a Nobel Prize.

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

The prime minister commented that the initial stage of the agreement would be a "relief to the world" and noted that the United Kingdom had contributed significantly in private discussions with the US and negotiators.

Speaking on the final day of his business trip to the Indian subcontinent, Starmer stressed that the deal "must now be implemented in full, without delay, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all limitations on critical humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Nobel Prize Inquiry Answered

But, when questioned if the Nobel committee should at this time award Trump the prestigious award, Starmer implied that time was required to know if a durable peace could be attained.

"The priority now is to press on and implement this ... my focus now is moving this from the phase it's at now ... and ensure the success of this, because that matters to me above all," he stated at a press conference in India's financial capital.

Business Deals Revealed During India Visit

The Prime Minister has hailed a series of agreements sealed during his visit to the country – his maiden visit there – accompanied by 126 business leaders and arts figures. The visit signifies the implementation of the countries' trade pact.

• The UK government has announced a range of financial commitments, from financial technology to university campuses, as well as the production of multiple Indian movies in the United Kingdom.
• On Thursday, the Prime Minister finalized a defence deal worth £350m for UK missiles, manufactured in Northern Ireland, to be used by the Indian military.

"The shared history is deep, the human connections between our people are exceptionally strong," Starmer remarked as he departed the city. "Expanding upon our historic trade deal, we are reinventing this partnership for our era."

Digital ID Initiative Examined

The Prime Minister has spent time in India studying the national digital identification program, including meeting key figures who developed the comprehensive platform used by over a billion individuals for benefits, payments, and verification.

He hinted 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 voluntary basis – as well as for administrative tasks such as home loan and educational enrollments.

"It's been taken up on a voluntary basis [in India] in massive scale, partly 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 speed with which it allows citizens here to utilize facilities, particularly banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our discussions yesterday, and in fact a Fintech discussion that we had today. So we're examining those examples of how digital identification assists individuals with procedures that often take excessive time and are too cumbersome and simplifies them for them."

Public Support for Reforms

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

"I think now we need to go out and make that case the significant advantages ... And I think that the more people see the positive outcomes that come with this ... as has happened in other countries, citizens say: 'That will make my life easier,' and consequently I want to get on with it," he affirmed.

Rights Issues and Global Affairs Discussed

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

"For prime minister Modi and myself the focus on ending this situation and the multiple measures will be taken to that end," he commented. "And that was a broad spectrum of dialogue, but we outlined the actions that we are undertaking in relation to energy."

Starmer also mentioned he had brought up the case of the British Sikh activist the individual, from Dumbarton, who has been held in an Indian prison for almost a decade without undergoing a full trial. It is often cited as one of the worst examples of unfair treatment among UK nationals still held abroad.

However, Starmer did not indicate much advancement had been achieved. "Yes, we brought up the diplomatic matters," he stated. "We always raise 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 today."

Future Plans

Starmer is largely anticipated to take a similar business-oriented visit to the People's Republic of China in the coming year as part of a mission to improve diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and the Asian nation.

This bilateral connection is under the spotlight because of the collapse of a Chinese spying case, said to have happened because the British authorities has been reluctant to provide fresh evidence that the country is considered a security risk.

Starmer said the UK was keen to explore other trading relationships but stated that a commercial agreement with the nation was not currently planned. "That's not on our list, for a trade deal as such, but our stance is to cooperate where we are able, confront where we need to, and this has been the ongoing approach of the government in relation to China."