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Keir Starmer has declared that the truce deal in Gaza "could not have happened without President Trump's leadership," yet stopped short of endorsing the US president for a Nobel peace prize.

Truce Agreement Hailed as a "Relief to the World"

Starmer remarked that the first phase of the agreement would be a "relief to the world" and noted that the UK had played its own role in private discussions with the United States and negotiators.

Addressing the media on the final day of his business trip to India, Starmer stressed that the agreement "needs to be put into action in full, without postponement, and accompanied by the prompt removal of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Peace Prize Question Addressed

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

"What matters now is to press on and implement 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 above all," he told reporters at a media briefing in India's financial capital.

Business Deals Revealed During India Visit

The Prime Minister has celebrated a number of deals sealed during his visit to the country – his maiden visit there – accompanied by 126 business leaders and arts figures. The trip marks the passing of the two nations' free trade agreement.

• The UK government has announced a slew of investments, from financial technology to university campuses, as well as the making of three Bollywood films in the United Kingdom.
• On Thursday, Starmer signed a defence deal worth £350m for UK missiles, manufactured in Northern Ireland, to be deployed by the Indian military.

"The shared history is profound, the human connections between our people are exceptionally strong," he said as he departed the city. "Building on our landmark agreement, we are reinventing this partnership for our era."

Digital ID Initiative Studied

The Prime Minister has spent time in India analyzing the national digital identification program, including consulting principal architects who developed the widespread system utilized by more than 1 billion people for benefits, transactions, and identification.

He hinted that the UK was interested in expanding the application of digital identification beyond making it compulsory to verify eligibility to work. He indicated that the Britain would in time look at linking it to financial and transaction networks – on a voluntary basis – as well as for administrative tasks 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 funds, make payments so much more conveniently than is available with alternative methods," he explained.

"The efficiency with which it allows citizens here to utilize facilities, particularly banking options, is something that was acknowledged in our talks recently, and actually a financial technology conversation that we had today. So we're looking at those instances of how digital ID helps people with procedures that often take excessive time and are overly complex and makes them easier for them."

Public Support for Reforms

Starmer admitted that the government had to make the case for the initiatives to the UK citizens, which have plummeted in popularity since he announced them.

"In my view now we need to go out and make that case the huge benefits ... And I believe that the greater number of individuals see the benefits that come with this ... as has occurred in different nations, people say: 'That will make my life easier,' and consequently I want to get on with it," he stated.

Human Rights and Global Affairs Discussed

Starmer confirmed he had raised a range of challenging issues with the Indian premier regarding human rights and relations with Russia, though he appeared to have made little headway. He confirmed that he and Modi talked about how the country was persisting to purchase oil from Russia, which is facing widespread western sanctions.

"For both Prime Minister Modi and me the priority on ending this conflict and the various steps will be taken to that end," he said. "And that was a wide range of discussion, but we outlined the actions that we are undertaking in regarding energy."

Starmer also mentioned he had raised the situation of the British Sikh activist Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, who has been detained in an Indian prison for nearly eight years without undergoing a complete legal process. It is frequently mentioned as one of the most egregious cases of unfair treatment among UK nationals still held overseas.

However, Starmer did not indicate much progress had been achieved. "Indeed, we did raise the diplomatic matters," he stated. "We always raise them when we have the opportunity to do so. I should say that the foreign secretary is scheduled to meet the families in the near future, as well as raising it today."

Future Plans

Starmer is largely anticipated to take a similar business-oriented visit to China in the next 12 months as part of a effort to improve relations between the United Kingdom and the Asian nation.

This bilateral connection is receiving attention because of the collapse of a Chinese spying case, said to have happened because the UK has been reluctant to provide fresh evidence that the country is deemed a security risk.

Starmer said the UK was eager to pursue other trading relationships but emphasized that a trade deal with the nation was not on the agenda. "That's not on our list, for a trade deal as such, but our position is to work together where we can, challenge where we need to, and this has been the ongoing approach of the government in regarding China."