We are losing faith in the various institutions at central or local government level that rule our lives. This is a very worrying development. What it means is that politicians can emerge who seek and even win power by saying the system is corrupt and cannot be trusted, writes Mihir Bose
The night after the fire at Grenfell Tower I was doing the Paper Review on BBC News, a program that no longer exists. The papers we were reviewing reported the fire extensively with all of them reporting how the fire had started, how many may have died, at that time there was no definite number of the people killed, and praise for how the fire brigade had responded. There was nothing about cladding or the real causes of the fire. The papers had complete confidence that the authorities bore no responsibility for this disaster and that they would handle the aftermath with great care giving attention to those who had survived. Sir Martin Moore-Bick’s enquiry shows how wrong the papers were although it has taken us seven years to learn the truth.
The 1,700-page final report makes it very clear the fire “was the culmination of decades of failure by central government and other bodies in positions of responsibility in the construction industry to look carefully into the danger of incorporating combustible materials into the external walls of high rise residential building and to act on the information available to them”.
In the days after the fire much was made that there was cladding at Grenfell to improve energy efficiency leading to criticism about those who campaign about energy. That says the report was not the case. The “initial motive for cladding Grenfell Tower was to improve its physical appearance and to prevent it looking like a poor relation” to a building next door. The argument to improve energy efficiency came later. The report makes it clear there was always a relentless focus on cost.
In the days after the fire much was made about how well the survivors were being looked after. But the report says survivors were “comprehensively failed” and “left to fend for themselves”. They were “abandoned” without information after the fire had taken place, killing 72 people, and this was a fire scene that was described as a “horror film” and “war zone”. The survivors were not sure who had escaped and as they looked for loved ones they experienced feelings of “utter helplessness and despair”. For the survivors there is “long-lasting trauma” and their “lives have been changed forever”.
As for the emergency accommodation provided by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which was extensively reported in the weeks after the fire and praised, this was not adequate and arrangements for obtaining food at some hotels made some people “feel like refugees”. “Survivors described it as living in a limbo, with no space to heal.”
The papers on the day I did the Paper Review and immediately afterwards praised the London Fire Brigade. The report says, “One significant shortcoming was a failure to recognise the possibility that in the event of a fire in a high-rise residential building a large number of calls seeking help, both from within and outside the building, might be generated. The LFB failed to take any steps to enable it to respond effectively to that kind of demand. As a result, when faced with a large number of calls about people needing to be rescued from Grenfell Tower, both those in the control room and those responsible for handling that information at the fireground were forced to resort to various improvised methods of varying reliability to handle the large amount of information they received.”
An apartment building is engulfed by a massive fire in western London, Britain, June 14, 2017. (Xinhua/Han Yan/IANS)
All this means there is a gap growing between those who rule us and the reality we experience. Grenfell is not the only example and comes after the shocking Post Office and contaminated blood scandals. In all of these cases people relied on government to help them only to find that they not only did not but often did not want to. Their attitude was the one the great dramatist Bertolt Brecht mocked when living in communist East Germany. “Some party hacks decreed that the people had lost the government’s confidence and could only regain it with redoubled effort. If that is the case, would it not be simpler, If the government simply dissolved the people and elected another?”
Looking at the government’s response to these scandals you do get the impression our government, despite being democratic, would like to elect another people.
Now in many developing countries this is common. I remember when I was living in India there was a coal mine disaster. Immediately a figure was given out by the authorities about how many had died. I was told that figure was obviously wrong. It had been understated. It was much higher.
In these former colonial countries suppressing the truth is not uncommon and they are, you could say, carrying on in the way the colonial authorities behaved. So, there is still discrepancy about how many were killed by the British at Jallianwala Bagh when General Dyer ordered his troops to shoot innocent people gathered in an Amritsar park. Read any history book on the subject and you will find two figures. One given in the Hunter inquiry appointed by the British Raj is 379 and the other figure, given by a rival inquiry held by the Congress party, is well over a 1,000. There is similar disagreement about how many people died in the Bengal famine, the worst famine in south Asian history, during the war with the difference running into millions, the British Raj figure being the smaller one. But then it suited a conqueror to conceal the truth. That in free India people do not believe what the government says after a disaster shows how in that respect society has not changed.
But however Britain behaved in its colonies, something many people in this country do not know and even now cannot come to terms with, we in Britain are supposed to be different. Here a disaster is followed by a report of inquiry which makes recommendations. Grenfell is part of that tradition. It is very likely that as a result of this report there will be changes in building regulations, the defects of which the report highlights. It recommends a single regulator, answerable to a government minister, so that officials and industry can be held to account. The government may well accept that recommendation to show it is responding. The police are also conducting a major inquiry with potential crimes under investigation including corporate manslaughter, fraud and misconduct in public office.
One problem is the time it has taken. The inquiry took seven years to finish its work, interrupted by Covid. Any trial as a result of the police investigation may not take place until 2027, ten years after the fire.
But more that, like former colonial countries, what the Grenfell fire shows is that we as a country now face a huge problem. We are losing faith in the various institutions at central or local government level that rule our lives. This is a very worrying development. What it means is that politicians can emerge who seek and even win power by saying the system is corrupt and cannot be trusted. In America this has happened and may happen again this November.
Donald Trump is the classic example of that. His whole strategy is to call his opponents liars and say he is the only man telling the truth. So much so that he has refused to accept his defeat in the last Presidential election and still insists he was cheated by the rigging of the vote. That is the sort of thing that we hear after elections in developing countries. That it is now coming from the country proud to have been the first to democratically elect its head of state shows how things have changed. It is because of such distrust that Trump’s followers do not find it outrageous that in the Presidential debate with Kamala Harris he claimed that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Illinois were eating cats despite the city authorities saying there was no evidence of it. When you have lost faith in institutions you will believe anything, and Trump thrives on it. He knows his followers will believe whatever he says and that is the path to power.
Our politicians in Britan do not go that far but there is growing sense in this country that when they, or an institution they run, says something they may be hiding the truth.
Sir Keir Starmer has promised to restore our trust in government. This may explain why he has become the merchant of gloom. But if this turns out to be just a political weapon to paint the Conservatives as unable to govern and not quite the whole truth then it will do nothing to restore trust. The distrust between the governors and the governed will in fact grow and we will be faced with politicians emerging in this country who are in the mould of Trump profiting from such alienation. A lot is riding on Starmer to fulfil his promise to make us believe that we can trust those we elect to rule us to tell it like it is.
(Mihir Bose is the author of Thank You Mr Crombie Lessons in Guilt and Gratitude from the British.)
PM Sir Keir Starmer said the new plan, expected to be published in the spring, would be “the biggest reimagining of the NHS” since it was formed, reports Asian Lite News
There will be no extra NHS funding without reform, Sir Keir Starmer says, as he promised to draw up a new 10-year plan for the health service. The pledge came after a damning report warned the NHS in England was in a “critical condition”.
The prime minister said the new plan, expected to be published in the spring, would be the “the biggest reimagining of the NHS” since it was formed. However, the Conservatives said the government needed to turn “rhetoric to action” after scrapping its plans to reform social care and build new hospitals.
Starmer set out three key areas for reform – the transition to a digital NHS, moving more care from hospitals to communities, and focusing efforts on prevention over sickness. The report was the result of a nine-week review by the independent peer and NHS surgeon Lord Darzi.
He was asked by Labour, shortly after the election, to identify the failings in the health service, but his remit did not stretch to coming up with solutions. His findings present a stark picture of a service which he says is in “serious trouble” with declining productivity, “ballooning” waits and “awful” emergency services that put patients at risk.
Responding to the report during a speech in London, Starmer said the problems would not be solved by just more money. “We can’t duck long-term change. This isn’t just going to be solved by more money, it’s solved by reform.”
Starmer said it would be “so different” from everything that has gone before as he talked about changing it into a “neighbourhood health service”. This would mean “more tests, scans and healthcare offered on high streets and towns centres” alongside bringing back the family doctor and offering digital consultations to those who want them.
“Hear me when I say this – no more money without reform.”
Speaking in the House of Commons, Health Secretary Wes Streeting pledged to be “tough on ill-health” and its causes as he evoked the spirit of New Labour.
He gave a nod to Tony Blair’s “tough on crime” mantra as he outlined a “national mission” to improve health opportunities across the country. Streeting said he wants to be “honest about the problems” facing the NHS and be “serious about fixing them”, as he updated MPs about the “raw, honest and breath-taking” Darzi report commissioned by the new Government.
The report from Lord Darzi, who served as health minister in the last Labour government, said the NHS was still struggling with the aftershocks of the pandemic and falling well short of its key targets for cancer, Accident & Emergency (A&E) and hospital treatment.
It said this was contributing to poor survival rates in cancer and heart disease, and falling rates of satisfaction with the service.
The report said the NHS had been left chronically weakened by the policy of austerity of the 2010s and, in particular, a lack of investment in buildings and technology.
The NHS has crumbling hospitals, fewer scanners than many other developed nations and is years behind the private sector in terms of digital innovation, it says.
This has contributed to falling levels of productivity in hospitals, with rises in staff outstripped by increasing numbers of patients needing care.
It has meant hospitals have been sucking up an ever-increasing amount of the budget, when more care should be shifted into the community.
Lord Darzi was also critical of the “disastrous” 2012 reforms introduced by the coalition government, which led to a shake-up of management structure in the NHS and acted as a distraction for the rest of the decade.
It said all this contributed to the NHS entering the pandemic in a depleted state, leading to the cancellation of more hospital treatments than any comparable country and the “ballooning” waiting list, which currently stands at 7.6 million.
Meanwhile, a surge in patients suffering several long-term illnesses, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and respiratory illness, is threatening to overwhelm the NHS, alongside soaring levels of mental health problems among young people.
Lord Darzi said: “Although I have worked in the NHS for more than 30 years, I have been shocked by what I have found during this investigation – not just in the health service, but in the state of the nation’s health.”
Shadow health secretary Victoria Atkins said the government had yet to come up with meaningful plans for reform.
“The Labour government will be judged on its actions. It has stopped new hospitals from being built, scrapped our social care reforms and taken money from pensioners to fund unsustainable pay rises with no gains in productivity.”
She also defended the Conservative government’s record, saying the NHS budget had been increased during the last Parliament. But Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said the Tories had driven health services “into the ground”. “Fixing the NHS is this country’s greatest challenge and the new government must make it their top priority.”
Rachel Power, of the Patients Association, said the findings were “deeply concerning” but “sadly not surprising”. “This diagnosis report provides a stark and necessary assessment of the challenges facing our NHS. We now must stop normalising the abnormal.”
Starmer added that the reset was “really important to me and my government,” saying it “can be meaningful, it can be deep.”…reports Asian Lite News
Prime Minister Keir Starmer became the first British leader to visit Ireland in five years on Saturday and promised to “reset” relations between London and Dublin. Downing Street described the visit, during which Starmer held talks with his Irish counterpart Simon Harris, as a “historic moment for UK-Ireland relations.”
After years of increased tensions between the United Kingdom and Ireland — mainly over Brexit— Harris said: “Today we’re in Dublin to flesh out what a reset actually looks like in a practical sense for our citizens on both islands. And I certainly know that it has to be embedded in things like peace, prosperity, mutual respect and friendship.”
After the talks, Starmer’s office issued a statement saying that both leaders agreed “they wanted to go even further, in particular on trade and investment to help boost growth and deliver on behalf of the British and Irish people.”
Starmer added that the reset was “really important to me and my government,” saying it “can be meaningful, it can be deep.”
The pair also agreed to host the first UK-Ireland summit in March next year to “take forward co-operation in key areas of mutual interest such as security, climate, trade and culture.”
The two swapped English and Irish football shirts before attending the Nations League international match between Ireland and England in Dublin together.
The visitors won 2-0 courtesy of goals, ironically, from two Irish-born players, further underlining the familial and historical ties between the two countries.
Ireland’s Simon Harris received an England shirt, while the UK’s Keir Starmer received an Ireland shirt, as the two leaders met in DublinIreland’s Simon Harris received an England shirt, while the UK’s Keir Starmer received an Ireland shirt, as the two leaders met in Dublin
Ireland’s Simon Harris received an England shirt, while the UK’s Keir Starmer received an Ireland shirt, as the two leaders met in DublinImage: Simon Dawson/Avalon/Photoshot/picture alliance
Britain’s withdrawal from the EU in 2020 following a 2016 referendum created a land border between the UK and the EU on the island of Ireland — namely between Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK, and Ireland, which remained in the EU.
The leaders astressed the importance of their joint roles as guardians of the Good Friday Agreement, a peace deal that brought an end to decades of sectarian violence on the island of Ireland known as “the Troubles.”
The relationship between London and Dublin “has never reached its full potential but I want to change that,” said Starmer, who has been seeking closer ties with EU members since taking office.
Just days after Labour Party’s election win, Foreign Minister David Lammy met his counterparts in Germany, Sweden and Poland. Prime Minister Starmer chose Berlin for his first bilateral foreign visit and held talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
The September 13 Oval Office visit will mark the second meeting between the two leaders since Starmer was voted as the British Prime Minister earlier this July.
US President Joe Biden is set to host United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer, next week, and the two leaders are expected to have in-depth discussions on “a range of global issues of mutual interest,” including the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza amid other issues.
The White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, said in a statement that the September 13 Oval Office visit will mark the second meeting between the two leaders since Starmer was voted as the British Prime Minister earlier this July.
Discussions between the leaders will include continuing robust support to Ukraine in its defence against “Russian aggression” and securing a hostage release and a ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza.
Protecting international shipping in the Red Sea from Iranian-backed Houthi threats, and advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific will also figure in the discussions, according to the White House press secretary.
Biden and Starmer will also discuss opportunities to strengthen US-UK cooperation to secure supply chains and increase climate resilience, the White House said.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets US President Joe Biden for a bilateral meeting in the White House. Picture by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street
Starmer visited the White House in July this year and held one-on-one talks with Biden when he was in Washington for the NATO Summit.
Earlier this week, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stated that the Biden administration believes that the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas is 90 per cent agreed on, adding, “That’s how close we believe we are,” Al Jazeera reported.
“Nothing is negotiated until everything is negotiated,” Kirby said. He noted that several detailed issues remain to be resolved, adding that “that’s when things get difficult.”
Earlier, British PM Keir Starmer was among other global leaders to express condolences on the death of six Israeli hostages, found dead in a tunnel in Gaza.
Starmer said he was “completely shocked” at the “horrific and senseless killing” of the hostages, and said that a ceasefire deal must be agreed by all sides immediately to end the suffering.
“I am completely shocked at the horrific and senseless killing of six hostages in Gaza by Hamas. My thoughts are with their loved ones at this awful time. Hamas must release all the hostages now, and a ceasefire deal must be agreed by all sides immediately to end the suffering,” Starmer posted on X.
US President Joe Biden said that he was devastated and outraged by the killing of Israeli hostages. He also informed that Israeli-US citizen Goldberg-Polin was among the people killed by Hamas. (ANI)
The Prime Minister said he would not “shy away from calling it what it is” and called the violence “far-right thuggery.”…reports Asian Lite News
The United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned “far-right thuggery” in his televised address as riots continue across the country following the deadly knife attack in Southport.
“I guarantee you will regret taking part in this disorder, either directly or those whipping up this disorder online,” Starmer said on Sunday.
Three children died, and multiple others were injured after the attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop in Southport last Monday, reports Xinhua news agency.
A 17-year-old boy named Axel Rudakubana, born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents has been charged with murder.
I utterly condemn the far-right thuggery we have seen this weekend.
Be in no doubt: those who have participated in this violence will face the full force of the law. pic.twitter.com/uNeJtD8pCQ
However, disinformation spreading online about the nationality of the boy and his religious affiliation has fueled hatred towards Muslims and the immigrant population in general, leading to violent clashes between far-right protesters and police officers across the UK. The protests reached a climax during the weekend.
National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for public order, BJ Harrington, said on Sunday that since Saturday night, there have been 147 arrests connected to violence. He said he expected that the number would rise in the coming days.
“Disinformation is a huge driver of this appalling violence, and we know a lot of those attending these so-called protests are doing so in direct response to what they’ve read online,” Harrington said.
Following violent protests in major cities including London, Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, Leeds, Nottingham, Sunderland and Belfast on Saturday, riots were seen in places such as Middlesbrough, where burning wheelie bins were thrown at police, and Rotherham, where at least one police officer was injured as rioters hurled missiles and stormed a Holiday Inn Express thought to have housed migrants. In Bolton, police have been given extra powers to calm violence after bottles and missiles were thrown at them.
Referring to the violent attack on the Rotherham hotel, Starmer said: “There is no justification for taking this action.”
The Prime Minister said he would not “shy away from calling it what it is” and called the violence “far-right thuggery.”
In a press conference on Friday, Starmer urged big social media companies to take responsibility for combatting misinformation and disinformation.
Former UK Prime Minister and leader of the opposition Conservative Party, Rishi Sunak said the unrest across the country is “violent, criminal behaviour that has no place in our society.”
“The shocking scenes we’re seeing on the streets of Britain have nothing to do with the tragedy in Southport,” Sunak said on X, adding that the police have “our full support to deal with these criminals swiftly.”
Humza Yousaf, former first minister of Scotland, said on X that the police “clearly do not have a handle on this situation” and called for military intervention.
Sir Keir has demonstrated his full commitment to South Asian communities across our country. I would like to illustrate this with the appointment of an individual, who I have had the immense pleasure of getting to know over the last year or two and working with. Vidhya Alekson OBE – who was recently appointed Political Director at Number 10 … writes Professor Kishan Devani BEM
Sir Keir Statmer has shown not just in words but in action his undying commitment to the South Asian Diaspora in the UK. Whether it is through his own work in his Camden Constituency or through his own offices while he was Leader of the Opposition and now in Number 10.
Sir Keir has demonstrated his full commitment to South Asian communities across our country. I would like to illustrate this with the appointment of an individual, who I have had the immense pleasure of getting to know over the last year or two and working with. Vidhya Alekson OBE – who was recently appointed Political Director at Number 10.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer with Prof. Kishan Devani BEM
Vidhya is an inspiration to many of us in the diaspora as she was appointed to this role by Sir Keir after the General Election victory, but prior to that Vidhya served as Sir Keir’s Director of External Relations & Stakeholder engagement – while he was Leader of the Opposition. Having worked with Vidhya, myself, I can say to the wider South Asian Community that there is not a better person for the role and that it is a matter of pride that we have a member of the South Asian Diaspora at the heart of Number 10. Her humiliy, passion and dedication to our country through her public service. Vidhya was previously instrumental in starting up Power to Change – an independent trust, established in 2015 to support and grow community-led businesses across England. She led the trust from 2015 to 2022.
Prior to this, Vidhya was the deputy chief executive at the Resolution Foundation, an independent think tank focusing on living standards, and was also the mental health lead for the personal health budgets delivery programme at NHS England. Vidhya worked at the US Department of Health and Human Services in Washington D.C. from 2006-2010 and before that at the UK Treasury and the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit.
Vidhya Alakeson
Vidhya has a modern languages degree from the University of Oxford and an MSc from the London School of Economics. She is a former Trustee of the Young Foundation. This appointment in itself illustrates our Prime Ministers commitment to the South Asian Community, by having individuals such as Vidhya at the heart of Government is a matter of pride for all of us and shows Sir Keir’s commitment to our wider community. We now have a Labour Prime Minister in Number 10 who is committed to Equality, Diversity and inclusion.
With his formidable Cabinet, Parliamentary team and his Number 10 Team – he is a force for good and will bring about the change necessary to give South Asian Communities across our country the ability to thrive and flourish.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer attempted to reach out to the Indian diaspora and distance the party from a perceived hostile stance under the previous leadership, Starmer pledged to build stronger business links with India, writes Dr Sandeep Sharma
The U.K. has its first change in government in 14 years after the Labour Party won a landslide victory in a general election that saw the Conservative Party suffer its biggest defeat ever. The landslide majority of new Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the UK has paved the way for a fresh chapter in the country’s relations with India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Starmer on the “remarkable” victory. “I look forward to our positive and constructive collaboration to further strengthen the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in all areas, fostering mutual growth and prosperity,” Modi said in a post on X.
New Prime Minister Keir Starmer is leading an entirely different Labour Party, which has moved far away from Labour party historical anti-India stance. India’s relations with the UK can be expected to develop incrementally with the new Labour government led by Sir Keir Starmer, which won 410 of the 650 seats in the House of Commons.The Labour Party under Starmer has emphasised the importance of close ties with India.
The results of the UK general elections also signify that the attempts by the Labour party to connect with the Indian diaspora electorate have borne fruit. In the past, the Labour party’s resolution during an annual conference under former leader Jeremy Corbyn in favour of international intervention in Kashmir was widely seen as having cost it British Indian votes in the 2019 general election.
But Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been advocating a pro-India stance for some time now. In April 2020 when Keir Starmer was newly elected as Leader of the Opposition Labour Party, he had said that Kashmir is a bilateral issue for India and Pakistan to resolve peacefully and stressed that such divisive issues from the subcontinent should not be allowed to divide communities in Britain. During his first dialogue with the Labour Friends of India (LFIN) group in London Starmer attempted to reach out to the Indian diaspora and distance the party from a perceived hostile stance under the previous leadership, Starmer pledged to build stronger business links with India.
On his campaign trail, Starmer himself tried to woo the British Indian voters and with India. He visited the Swaminarayan Temple in Kingsbury on June 28 to reiterate his commitment to building a “strategic partnership with India”. “If we’re elected next week, we will strive to govern in the spirit of sewa to serve you and a world in need,” said Starmer, reiterating his promise of “absolutely no place for Hinduphobia in Britain”.
Keir Starmer’s manifesto included a commitment to pursue a “new strategic partnership” with India, emphasising the FTA and marking a significant shift from the party’s stance under former leader Jeremy Corbyn, who had a perceived anti-India stance, particularly regarding Jammu & Kashmir.
Since Starmer too over as Labour Party chief the Labour Convention of Indian Organisations (LCIO) has been aiming to boost the Indian diaspora connection, by fostering inclusive sustainable growth for both countries through a trade agreement; deepening cultural and educational ties between Britain and India; and engaging with India as a “partner and critical friend” on issues of concern for British Indians.
In 2022, the LCIO announced its relaunch on Independence Day to celebrate the 75th anniversary of India’s independence and hailed its mission of strengthening India-UK relations. At that time Sir Keir Starmer had said, “I welcome the re-establishment of the Labour Convention of Indian Organisations. The timing is poignant as people worldwide celebrate 75 years of Indian independence.”
With the new government taking charge in Britain, Anneliese Dodds, Labour Party chair and shadow Secretary of State for women and equalities, said, “We would certainly never take any group of voters, wherever they’re from, for granted; we’re working hard for everyone’s votes.” Dodds has also claimed that the party led by Keir Starmer is confident of having cleansed its ranks of any members with anti India extremist views. “Going beyond warm words, we want to build that practical, strong relationship. Labour has talked a lot about a strategic partnership with India that covers trade. But we want to see cooperation in other areas as well, such as new technologies, the environment and security,” she added.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at G7 meet in Italy. Former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is also seen in the picture.
There are challenges too, for the Starmer and Modi governments in addressing issues such as the increased activities of anti-Indian elements in the UK, cooperation on countering terrorism emanating from Pakistan, negotiating the UK’s recourse to protectionist measures such as labour and environmental standards for bilateral trade, and differing perspectives on how fundamental human rights and freedoms are being upheld. For India, issues such as concluding a Free Trade Agreement between the two countries, liberalising UK immigration policies to increase the flow of Indian students and professionals to the UK, and increased cooperation in the application of technologies for development, including in the environmental sector are the priorities.
The Labour Party has maintained its commitment to finalise the FTA, although the specific timelines will remain unclear for the foreseeable future. After taking charge Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said he stood ready to conclude an FTA that worked for both sides. The Labour Party’s election manifesto for the recent polls also committed to clinching the deal.
Lord Karan Bilimoria
Lord Karan Bilimoria, a crossbench peer who has led many trade delegations to India, expressed confidence that Starmer would set the right tone in terms of student visas and end the hostile Conservative rhetoric around immigration. “With Keir Starmer now being in power, this is a great opportunity to turbo-charge the UK-India relationship, which was very strong under (former Tory prime minister) David Cameron but since then has not been anywhere near as effective,” said the founder of Cobra Beer.
The new Starmer-led government’s new Foreign Secretary David Lammy is also on the record saying that he wants to finish the job on the FTA and plans to visit India within the first month of being elected. Referring to the missed Diwali 2022 deadline set by former prime minister Boris Johnson for the India-UK FTA, Lammy pointed out that “many Diwalis have come and gone without a trade deal and too many businesses have been left waiting”.
According to the think tank GTRI (Global Trade Research Initiative), the agreement is nearly finalised and with a few minor adjustments like curtailing the number of visas for Indian professionals, the Labour Party is likely to give its approval.
David Lammy said he wants to finish the job on the FTA and plans to visit India within the first month of being elected.
Biswajit Dhar, distinguished professor at the Council for Social Development, expects the Keir Starmer-led government to foster a stable relationship between India and the UK in the coming years. “Britain needs to engage with India even more now since it has political stability. Britain is really going to push for its economic revival. When a country is so dependent on the global economy, it actually needs large markets like India to facilitate its recovery process.”
The political stability necessary for a trade agreement with India, potentially involving high tariff levels, has been elusive in London since the unexpected Brexit referendum. However, the decisive victory for Labour is likely to provide the needed political flexibility to strike an agreement with India.
Keir Starmer’s new world is a government that values public service and puts country before party as opposed to Conservatives with their partygate scandals … writes Mihir Bose
Keir Starmer’s election victory has echoes of Indian elections and of football. Election victories in India, particularly if they are gigantic, are described as waves. So, in 1971 when Mrs Indira Gandhi won her great election victory, just months before India’s Bangladesh war liberated the country and stopped the dreadful Pakistan army genocide of the Bengalis, it was described as the Indira wave.
But in 1977 when she was removed from power after the Emergency, it was called the Janata wave, the Janata party being an Indian liquorice all sorts political bag which had finally combined in an anti- Indira coalition to get rid of her. The fact that the word Janata also means people in Hindi gave it a certain feel of people coming together to remove this wicked witch. She had imposed the emergency when for the only time India was a dictatorship since it won its freedom from Britain.
In recent years Indian elections have seen the Narendra Modi wave. In the election that has just taken place Modi was forecasting not so much a wave as a tsunami but the tectonic plates did not quite move so dramatically and the final election result far from being a tsunami can hardly be called even a Modi wave, certainly not on the scale of the two previous elections.
rime Minister Keir Starmer hosts his first Cabinet at 10 Downing Street. Picture by Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street
I mention all this because looking at the British election results, and given the scale of the Labour Party victory, it would be tempting to call this the Keir Starmer wave. Labour is not used to winning elections. Keir Starmer is only the 7th Labour Prime Minister, and this is only the 6th election where it has won a comfortable majority. Tony Blair was very proud of the fact that he won three successive elections something no Labour Prime Minister had done not even the great Clement Attlee, possibly Labour’s greatest Prime Minister.
Historically, Labour win British elections in very exceptional circumstances. In 1945 its greatest ever victory came after the war. The victory of Atlee, the little man who everybody had dismissed, and who Winston Churchill had mocked, “Mr Attlee is a very modest man. He has much to be modest about”, was totally unexpected. The nation decided that Churchill winning the war did not mean he could run the country after the war was over. The British public wanted a new world and the modest man was best equipped to deliver it. In 1964 Harold Wilson came to power following the scandals of the Harold Macmillan era in particular the Profumo scandal. And in 1997 Tony Blair capitalised on the economic problems of John Major’s government .
In some ways Starmer has borrowed from all these winning Labour leaders. Just as Atlee promised a new world so does Starmer. Attlee promised and delivered on providing a national service health service and bringing in a great many industries into public ownership. Starmer’s new world is a government that values public service and puts country before party as opposed to Conservatives with their partygate scandals. As he put it from the podium of No 10 Downing Street in his first speech as Prime Minister, “public service is a privilege and that your government should treat very single person in this country with respect.” Wilson had made much of thirteen wasted Tory years. Starmer has never stopped reminding people of fourteen years of Conservative chaos. And while Blair spoke of Britain being a new country, Starmer promises to renew this country and make it a shiny new place. What Attlee, Wilson or Blair could not do was make Labour the natural part of government in Britain. Wilson at one stage had said Labour was the natural party of government but he was proved wrong when he unexpectedly lost the 1970 election. Should Starmer rebuild this country and make people believe it can trust politicians he could indeed make Labour the natural party of government. But that will be a big task.
However, Starmer has shown he can defy expectations. He took over a party that seemed destined for permanent opposition. In the 2019 election Labour had its worst ever result since 1935. Boris Johnson, the victor, had also destroyed the red wall seats and annexed electoral land which had historically been Labour. There seemed no way back, at least not for decades. Starmer who was deputy leader in 2019 when Labour was led by Jeremy Corbyn had signed up to all his left-wing agenda.
Then Prime Minister Boris Johnson accompanied by Sir Keir Starmer at Belfairs Methodist Church, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street
Then when he stood to became leader in his own right he promised to safeguard the Corbyn legacy. During this campaign when asked about it he said had not expected to win the 2019 election which revealed that beneath that look of an unfeeling bureaucrat lurks quite a shrewd politician. The real Starmer emerged when after his election as leader he decided that to win Labour had to move to the centre. It was on this change platform that he campaigned and won and kept saying Labour has changed. He also referred to how Labour had changed in that first address to the British public from outside No 10 Downing Street just after he had shaken hands with the King and become Prime Minister.
The fact that Starmer has to say Labour has changed highlights the problem a Labour leader always faces when it is fighting a general election. In 1997 Tony Blair made much of the fact that he was leading New Labour which was not remotely the Labour of Michael Foot or even Neil Kinnock, two of his predecessors who had led the party to defeat. Just to prove this he had also removed Clause Four from the Labour constitution which had enshrined a socialist control of the economy to prove that Labour had moved to the centre. The fact that in order to win Starmer, more than a quarter of century later, also had to say the party has changed shows how to win elections in this country, which is broadly centre right, a left-wing party has to prove it is not too left wing.
However, what is interesting is that Starmer and his team have been very careful to emphasise that this endless repeating of the word change is not remotely like Blair’s talk of New Labour. This was dramatically revealed to me when I asked Rachel Reeves, who has now become the first woman Chancellor of the Exchequer, as to whether Starmer’s party was not really New Labour. She bristled and denied it. This is because despite Blair’s historic three victories, which no Labour leader has ever managed, New Labour is not a slogan Labour activists much cared for. It reflects the fact that the party faithful never really fell in love with Blair’s New Labour label and are often more comfortable being a party that campaigns for change rather than wanting to bring about change. And this is where Starmer is different. He gives every indication he wants to change things not just shout slogans about the changes necessary and not bother about making the changes.
Starmer ability to make changes may be helped by the fact that his arrival at No 10 has been facilitated by the fact that Conservatives far from showing they are a natural governing party have been behaving in the way Labour has often behaved, as a great squabbling party, if anything even worse than Labour has been. Labour in power has always squabbled with the left feeling that the party is too right-wing and a pale shadow of the Conservatives. Labour election victories have been followed by internal party splits driven by ideological differences although with the Blair government it was personal rivalry between Blair and Gordon Brown who grew increasingly angry that Blair would not vacate No 10 and allow Brown to become Prime Minister. However, all this has been dwarfed by the scale of the Conservative infighting that we have seen with five prime ministers since 2010.Conservatives had a reputation for knowing how to win power and maintain power. The last 14 years has completely ruined that reputation.
To make matters worse for the Conservatives they now have to their right the Reform Party which could seriously challenge their position as the historic right-wing party of this country. Watching the results in the early hours of Friday morning what was striking was how, as Labour held seats in the north, seats it would be expected to hold with its own votes going up very slowly if at all, it was the Reform party which got votes from the Conservatives and came second. Reform may have only five MPs but in many seats it has more votes than the Conservatives. The hard right party won 14 % of the vote, more than 4m votes in total, and came second in more than 100 seats. In the next election the main opposition for Labour in many constituencies will be not the Conservative party but the Reform Party.
What is worse for the Conservatives is that is has become like the Labour party. Labour’s left has always claimed that it is not left-wing enough. With Reform threatening from the right many in the Conservative party say the party is not right-wing enough and needs to move more to the right if it is to regain power. That the British public want a genuine right-wing party just as the Labour left has always said the British public want a genuine left-wing party. The Labour party activists are to the left of their MPs. The Conservative party members are to the right of their MPs which means a permanent internal war in both parties.
Starmer during the campaign produced no grand idea. His campaign hardly lit up the country. In fact, at times listening to him one felt you had to prod him to get a word out, certainly to get him to say something different. His campaign had a feel of a recital from a book he had been told to memorise and stick to very carefully. He has won with a lower share of vote than Labour got under Corbyn in 2015 winning 63 % of the seats with 34% of the vote. The reason for this is that the Labour party machine has worked out how to capitalise its vote. There is no point in getting a lot of votes in seats that Labour would win anyway. Much rather target the seats which Labour are not expected to win so that it could win those seats and this it has done very efficiently.
Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria arrive at Number 10 Downing Street upon his appointment. Picture by Rory Arnold/ No 10 Downing Street
He has to use the football term won “ugly.” This is when a football team wins a match but produces no spectacular moment. There is no magical football that can fascinate us, but it scores one decisive goal which is hardly memorable but good enough to win the match. In that sense it is very much how Starmer’s beloved Arsenal used to historically play, dour, unwatchable, making sure the opposition did not score, and then winning with a goal that was very drab which not even the supporters would recall with much pride. That changed when Arsene Wenger took over as manager and Arsenal did play delightful football and won. We shall have to see if Starmer in government does a Wenger.
What matters is to see is how deep Starner’s change of the Labour party has gone. Is it so deep that the party is happy with having power even if it does not make the fundamental changes many in the party have always campaigned for. The Labour victory is shallow in terms of its vote share, only 34%, its governance of the country in terms of the changes it makes could also be very shallow. However, if the change Starmer keeps talking about has also meant a fundamental change in the Labour mind-set, that the party activists accept that being in power does not mean you can bring radical change, then Starmer will have fundamentally changed the Labour party and we could see Labour becoming the natural governing party of this country.
(Mihir Bose is the author of Thank You Mr Crombie, Lessons in Guilt and Gratitude to the British. Published by Hurst.)
Despite nationalist rhetoric, voters chose change. Sunak conceded and congratulated Starmer, who promised national renewal, shifting from Conservative economic stability to Labour’s social justice focus…writes Buddhdev Pandya MBE
Outgoing Prime Minister The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP could not have imagined that his party might lose 240 seats when he called a snap General Election for June 4, 2024. The landslide victory for the Labour Party -Moderate Socialists – has ended an era in Britain marked by its first Prime Minister of Indian heritage.
Perhaps Britain may not see another Prime Minister of Indian heritage for a long time, as Nigel Farage, Party Leader of Reform UK, exposed one of the most sensitive inherited sentiments during the campaign debate, claiming, “The Tory leader, Rishi Sunak, doesn’t really care about our history; he doesn’t really care -frankly- about our culture.” This statement was categorised as a ‘dog whistle’ designed to awaken communal nationalist sentiments.
Sunak conceded defeat earlier in the night and said he had called Starmer to congratulate him on his victory. The country has voted for a significant historical change, as the political ideologies of the Conservative and Labour parties are diametrically opposed in terms of economic and social policies. In a true political sense, the country’s politics have moved beyond the ideals of figures like Nigel Farage, as ‘diversity’ has become a widely accepted norm in public life.
“Change begins now,” Sir Keith Starmer said in his victory speech. “We said we would end the chaos, and we will. We said we would turn the page, and we have. Today, we start the next chapter, begin the work of change, the mission of national renewal, and start to rebuild our country.” “Today power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner, with goodwill on all sides,” Sunak said after losing his seat. “There is much to learn and reflect on, and I take responsibility for the loss to the many good hardworking Conservative candidates… I am sorry.”
Comparative Analysis of Labour’s Keir Starmer vs Conservative’s Rishi Sunak Leadership
Keir Starmer’s Labour Vision may provide a helpful start for the new Labour government. As Chancellor and then Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak focused on economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic while managing inflation and public debt. His leadership reflected a blend of fiscal responsibility and growth-oriented policies, emphasising economic stability through efforts to control inflation and public debt. He also had to address the post-pandemic recovery and the economic impacts of COVID-19 and Brexit.
He implemented key strategic public spending norms, shifting from austerity to increased spending in response to significant challenges. His political fortune depended on fostering economic growth through targeted investments and innovative solutions. Under Sunak, the Conservative economic strategy evolved from initial austerity under David Cameron to a more balanced approach of fiscal responsibility and strategic spending.
In February 2024, Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer unveiled a draft Race Equality Act designed to expand equal pay rights to Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) workers, as well as disabled individuals. The proposed legislation aimed to align protections for ethnicity and disability with those currently available for women, allowing for unified claims against discrimination based on multiple characteristics. Additional elements of the proposal included expanded equal pay rights, single claims for multiple discriminations, mandatory reporting, ethnicity pay gap reporting, and mandating organizations to report pay disparities based on ethnicity. Starmer also intended to introduce training for police and update school curriculums to reflect diversity. Other social support measures included expanding mental health services, addressing maternal health gaps for BAME women, and updating clinical training for diverse populations.
Under Starmer’s leadership, Labour is expected to shift from the Conservative era’s austerity policies towards an agenda focused on social justice, economic equality, and sustainable growth. The Labour government’s priorities include boosting funding for the NHS, education, and infrastructure, reversing austerity measures, introducing tax reforms, strengthening rights for gig economy workers, supporting trade unions, and implementing a Green New Deal for climate action and job creation. Their position on public ownership may involve re-nationalizing industries for improved service quality and public accountability.
Labour’s approach under Starmer aims to foster a fairer and more equitable society through comprehensive social and economic reforms. Key initiatives include addressing systemic inequalities, improving transparency in public services, and expanding support for disadvantaged communities.
The Conservatives, under Sunak, focused on managing economic stability and growth through a pragmatic balance of public spending and fiscal responsibility. Their strategy represented a transition from austerity to a more adaptive economic policy framework.
In summary, while Labour under Starmer seeks to tackle deep-rooted social injustices and promote inclusivity through reforms and expanded public services, the Conservatives under Sunak aimed to ensure economic stability and recovery, reflecting a pragmatic response to contemporary economic challenges.
Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria arrive at Number 10 Downing Street upon his appointment. Picture by Rory Arnold/ No 10 Downing Street
Key Expectations for a Labour Government Under Keir Starmer
Social Justice: Enacting the Race Equality Act and other measures to combat systemic discrimination.
Economic Reform: Increasing investment in public services and exploring new tax policies.
Public Accountability: Enforcing transparency in public services and addressing disparities.
Education and Training: Reforming curriculums and providing anti-racism training.
Health and Support Services: Expanding mental health resources and addressing maternal health disparities.
The Labour Party needs to relocate and reaffirm its ‘political soul’ during its term in office. There are many fundamental policy differences between Keir Starmer’s Labour and Rishi Sunak’s Conservative leadership. However, future expectations for Britain highlight their respective focuses on social justice versus economic stability. Both parties offer distinct visions for Britain’s future, with Labour focusing on social equity while needing to gain a foothold in areas of economic stability and growth traditionally seen as the Conservatives’ forte.
The Transfer of Power Moment
During the ensuing ceremony, Rishi Sunak offers his resignation to the King at Buckingham Palace. After he leaves the Palace, Keir Starmer arrives for the ceremony. Starmer participates in the formal “Kissing of Hands” ceremony where he is asked to form a government. After receiving formal approval from the King, Starmer emerges as the new Prime Minister, driven in the official car to 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the Prime Minister. He then makes a public statement and begins his term as Prime Minister.
Dubai, Dec 01 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28), in Dubai on Friday. (ANI Photo)
A New Chapter
India’s Relationship with the UK: Potential for Change with the New Starmer Labour Government
Overview: The Current Landscape
At first glance, one might not anticipate a drastic alteration in trade relations between India and the United Kingdom with the advent of a new government. Under Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party, the UK and India have enjoyed a period of strengthened diplomatic and trade relations. Sunak’s administration and supporters closely aligned with Narendra Modi’s BJP, fostering high-level visits and focusing on economic cooperation, strategic defence partnerships, and managing human rights issues with a delicate balance. This partnership was driven by shared economic interests and a common geopolitical strategy, especially in the context of the Indo-Pacific region.
However, the potential for change is significant with the prospect of a Labour government under Keir Starmer. While immediate and drastic shifts might not be expected, there are several nuanced ways in which the Labour Party could reshape the future of UK-India relations.
Potential Shifts with a Labour Government
Revaluation of Diplomatic Relations
Current State: The Conservative government has been characterised by its strong alignment with Modi’s BJP, driven largely by economic and strategic interests.
Labour’s Likely Stance: A Labour government may reassess the UK’s diplomatic stance towards India, potentially moving away from the close alignment with the BJP. This reassessment could involve a more balanced and nuanced approach to diplomatic relations, with greater emphasis on human rights and democratic values. Labour may seek to establish a more diverse and inclusive dialogue that goes beyond the current strategic and economic considerations.
Shift in Economic Priorities
Current State: Under the Conservatives, there has been a strong focus on expanding trade relations, including efforts towards a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and significant investment in various sectors.
Labour’s Likely Stance: Labour is likely to continue supporting the expansion of trade but with a fresh perspective. While the goal of doubling UK-India trade by 2030 remains a priority, Labour may diversify the economic strategy to foster a broader range of international partnerships. This might include a renewed focus on fair trade practices and addressing global economic challenges through multilateral engagement.
Cultural and Political Dynamics
Current State: The Conservative government has been supported by the Hindu nationalist lobby, which has influenced the cultural and political engagement between the UK and India.
Labour’s Likely Stance: A Labour government might shift away from this influence, aiming to foster a more inclusive
and culturally diverse relationship. This could involve engaging more broadly with India’s diverse communities and supporting cultural exchanges that reflect the pluralistic nature of Indian society.
Human Rights and Values
Current State: Human rights concerns have been managed with a careful balance under the Conservative administration.
Labour’s Likely Stance: Labour is expected to place a stronger emphasis on human rights and democratic values in its diplomatic discussions. This could involve advocating for more robust human rights protections and addressing concerns related to democratic freedoms in India.
Detailed Overview of the ‘2030 Roadmap for India-UK Future Relations’
The ‘2030 Roadmap for India-UK Future Relations’ is a comprehensive framework aimed at deepening the bilateral partnership between the two countries. Launched on May 4, 2021, the roadmap outlines several key areas for future collaboration. If the Labour Party assumes power, there are specific aspects of the roadmap that are likely to be continued and possibly expanded upon:
Enhanced Trade and Investment Relations
Current Focus: The roadmap sets a target to double UK-India trade by 2030 and advance bilateral investments through an Enhanced Trade Partnership and a Free Trade Agreement.
Labour’s Likely Stance: Labour is expected to support the completion of FTA negotiations and advocate for a trade policy that benefits both nations. This includes exploring opportunities in technology, pharmaceuticals, and green industries, as well as promoting fair trade practices and economic collaboration.
Strategic Partnership and Security Cooperation
Current Focus: Strengthening strategic ties through defence cooperation, counter-terrorism, and regional security in the Indo-Pacific.
Labour’s Likely Stance: Labour has historically supported robust international security collaborations. Under Labour, there is likely to be continued or enhanced cooperation in defence and security, including joint military exercises, intelligence sharing, and efforts to ensure regional stability.
Climate Change and Green Energy Initiatives
Current Focus: Committing to climate action and promoting green energy projects, including renewable energy and climate resilience.
Labour’s Likely Stance: With a strong commitment to achieving net-zero emissions, Labour would likely enhance efforts in climate change mitigation, renewable energy collaborations, and sustainable development initiatives aligned with the ‘2030 Roadmap.’
Education and Research Collaboration
Current Focus: Supporting increased academic partnerships, student exchanges, and joint research initiatives.
Labour’s Likely Stance: Labour values educational and research collaborations and would likely continue to support and expand opportunities for academic exchanges and joint research projects between UK and Indian institutions.
Health and Pharmaceutical Cooperation
Current Focus: Strengthening health sector collaboration, including public health initiatives and vaccine development.
Labour’s Likely Stance: Given Labour’s focus on public health, a Labour government would likely maintain or increase efforts in health sector cooperation, focusing on joint research, public health strategies, and addressing global health challenges.
People-to-People Links and Diaspora Engagement
Current Focus: Strengthening cultural exchanges, tourism, and diaspora engagement.
Labour’s Likely Stance: Labour supports cultural diplomacy and would likely continue to promote initiatives that enhance people-to-people connections between the UK and India, including cultural festivals, tourism, and diaspora engagement.
Digital and Technological Collaboration
Current Focus: Advancing digital and technological partnerships, including cybersecurity and innovation.
Labour’s Likely Stance: Labour acknowledges the importance of the digital economy and technological innovation. They are expected to continue supporting tech collaborations, including joint ventures in startups, cybersecurity research, and digital infrastructure development.
Global Governance and Multilateral Cooperation
Current Focus: Collaborating on global governance issues through international forums like the UN and G20.
Labour’s Likely Stance: Committed to multilateralism, Labour would likely continue working with India on global issues, addressing challenges such as climate change, security, and economic development through international institutions. On a much broader economic scale, it is worth noting Britain’s anticipation of significant Indian investment.
In recent years, India’s economic environment has seen a wave of affluent individuals and businesses seeking more economically and politically stable investment destinations. Concerns about the Modi administration’s economic policies, regulatory environment, and political climate have driven many Indian millionaires to explore opportunities abroad. This presents a prime opportunity for Britain to attract significant investment and foster deeper economic ties with India.
As India’s economic landscape undergoes significant changes, Britain is positioning itself to attract a considerable amount of targeted investment from Indian millionaires and businesses. This shift comes at a time when many wealthy individuals are seeking new opportunities outside the Modi administration’s economic policies. The evolving dynamics of the UK-India relationship offer a unique opportunity for a new chapter in bilateral relations, particularly under the potential leadership of a Labour government.
Britain’s Strategic Goals for Indian Investment
Britain aims to become a prime destination for Indian high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) and businesses by offering favourable investment conditions, establishing welcoming policies for foreign investors, and promoting the UK as a hub for business and financial activities.
The focus will be on sectors such as technology, finance, real estate, and green energy, which are attractive to Indian investors. Under a Labour government, there is strong potential for targeted initiatives designed to attract Indian investment.
Labour’s approach may involve introducing or expanding financial incentives for Indian investors, such as tax breaks or favourable regulatory conditions. The Labour Party may also explore ideas for simplifying visa and investment procedures for Indian nationals, making it easier for HNWIs and businesses to invest in the UK.
Promoting Strategic Sectors: Labour could focus on key sectors for investment, including green technologies, digital innovation, and advanced manufacturing. Britain’s approach will likely aim to build on existing economic ties with India through strategic partnerships and trade agreements.
The transition from a Conservative to a Labour government represents a potential shift in the dynamics of UK-India relations. While the foundational elements of the ‘2030 Roadmap for India-UK Future Relations’ are likely to remain, Labour’s approach may introduce new priorities and strategies. This includes a more balanced diplomatic stance, a diversified economic strategy, a focus on human rights, and a commitment to green energy and technological advancement.
By focusing on these areas, a Labour government would aim to strengthen the UK-India relationship, building upon the roadmap’s vision for a deep and mutually beneficial partnership.
BJP Flag.
Challenges Related to the Changing Political-Economic Landscape in India
The relationship between the Modi government’s ideological Hindutva agenda and its economic policies—favouring a few mega-corporates—has complex implications for the ideological commonality with the Labour Party in the UK. In contrast, the Conservative Party has been more closely aligned with Modi’s BJP, engaging significantly with the Hindutva lobby.
To understand this relationship, it is essential to break it down into several components: ideological Hindutva, economic policies favouring monopolies, and Labour movements and their legacy.
Ideological Hindutva and Its Impact
The Hindutva ideological foundation of the Modi government promotes Hindu nationalism, emphasising on subtle the cultural and political dominance of Hindu values and practices in Indian society. Historically, the Labour Party’s ideology has been influenced by socialist principles advocating for workers’ rights, fair wages, and equitable economic policies. Labour has emphasised social justice, economic equality, and the role of the state in protecting workers.
Modi’s policies have shifted focus from worker protections to facilitating large corporate interests, potentially conflicting with Labour’s emphasis on rights and fairness. Additionally, the consolidation of economic power among a few corporations can deepen economic inequality. These issues introduce new dynamics that might overshadow trade interests.
Economic Policy Favouring Monopolies and Labor Movements.
Modi’s economic policies, characterised by a laissez-faire approach that benefits mega-corporates, contrast with Labour’s focus on protecting workers and promoting fair economic practices.
There are serious limitations imposed by the sovereignty protocols and non-interference into domestic politics or policies of other countries. However, understanding these differences is crucial for evaluating future UK-India relations under a Labour government, as it will navigate between trade interests and a commitment to equitable economic policies.
Summary of thoughts
The snap General Election called by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on June 4, 2024, resulted in a dramatic shift in the British political landscape, with the Labour Party securing a landslide victory and taking 240 seats from the Conservatives. This marked the end of Rishi Sunak’s tenure as the first Prime Minister of Indian heritage, a milestone that may not be repeated soon given the significant electoral defeat. It may also leave the Conservative Party into a state of considerable infights for leadership of varying factions and in chaos that may take a long time to recover form.
The campaign was marked by divisive rhetoric, notably from Nigel Farage of Reform UK, who accused Sunak of being indifferent to British history and culture, a statement viewed as a “dog whistle” for nationalist sentiments. Sunak gracefully conceded defeat, congratulated Labour’s leader Keir Starmer, and acknowledged the electorate’s desire for change.
Rishi Sunak’s administration had focused on economic recovery post-COVID-19, balancing fiscal responsibility with strategic public spending. This approach represented a departure from the austerity measures of previous Conservative governments. However, the election outcome indicated a public preference for Labour’s platform of social justice and economic reforms.
Keir Starmer’s Labour government promises significant changes, including enacting a Race Equality Act to ensure equal pay rights for Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) workers and the disabled, introducing measures to combat systemic discrimination, and boosting investment in public services. Labour’s agenda contrasts sharply with the Conservative focus on economic stability, highlighting a shift towards addressing social inequalities and promoting inclusivity.
The transition of power was orderly, with Sunak offering his resignation to the King and Starmer being formally invited to form a new government. Starmer’s vision includes comprehensive reforms in education, healthcare, and climate action, aiming to rebuild and renew the nation.
The Labour government is also expected to reassess UK-India relations. While Sunak’s administration enjoyed a strong partnership with Narendra Modi’s BJP, more aligned to the ideology of exclusivity of Hindutva driving India towards a Hindu Rastra. Modinomics also has more aggressive focus on ‘Laissez-faire model of economy with preference to exclusivity of monopoly for a dew mega-rich corporate family. The new Labour government may need to adopt a more balanced approach, emphasising human rights and democratic values alongside economic cooperation.
The strategic goals for UK-India relations under Labour include continuing efforts to enhance trade and investment, fostering cultural exchanges, and supporting joint initiatives in technology and green energy. The relationship is poised for evolution, reflecting Labour’s commitment to a fairer and more inclusive global engagement.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s cabinet included a record 11 women in the team of 25, reports Asian Lite News
New UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has appointed his cabinet, making Angela Rayner the Deputy Prime Minister and Rachel Reeves the country’s first female Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Starmer’s cabinet included a record 11 women in the team of 25.
Meanwhile, Yvette Cooper was appointed Home Secretary, David Lammy was named Foreign Secretary and John Healey was appointed Defence Secretary.
Other appointments include Shabana Mahmood as Justice Secretary, Wes Streeting as Health Secretary, Bridget Phillipson as Education Secretary, and Ed Miliband as Energy Secretary.
— Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Gov (@mhclg) July 5, 2024
In his first speech as Prime Minister at Downing Street on Friday, Starmer pledged to get the country’s “struggling” healthcare system back on track, secure British borders, and attend to the need for schools and affordable homes.
“Our country has voted decisively for change and a return of politics to public service,” he said.
However, “changing a country is not like flicking a switch”, said Starmer, noting that the world has become “more volatile”.
He said the work for change will begin immediately but will time.
David Lammy was named Foreign Secretary
The new Prime Minister highlighted his focus on things that “working-class families like mine can build their lives around”.
“If I asked you now whether you believed that Britain will be better for your children, I know too many of you will say no — and so my government will fight until you believe again,” he said.
