London:

One of the first challenges for Keir Starmer as the UK Prime Minister will be to restore the Labour Party’s ties with India, which has been tumultuous due to their remarks on Kashmir. Starmer led the party to a landslide win in the general elections, a result that spelt doom for Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party.  

In the past, the Labour Party has often come under fire for their stand on the Kashmir issue. Their stance has been in stark contrast with the British government’s view that Kashmir is a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan.

Under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, the party had in September 2019 passed an emergency motion seeking international observers to “enter” Kashmir and demand the right of self-determination for its people. It also called for Mr Corbyn to meet the high commissioners of both India and Pakistan to ensure there is “mediation” and restoration of peace and normality to prevent a potential nuclear conflict.

The resolution was slammed by India which called it an effort to “pander to vote-bank’s interest”.

Starmer, realising how important ties with the world’s fastest-growing economy are, set out on a mission to fix the missteps made by the party in the past. His manifesto included a commitment to pursue a “new strategic partnership” with India, emphasizing the trade agreement.

During meetings with the Indian diaspora and public addresses, Starmer affirmed that Kashmir is an internal issue and will be resolved by India and Pakistan.

“Any constitutional issues in India are a matter for the Indian Parliament, and Kashmir is a bilateral issue for India and Pakistan to resolve peacefully,” he said during a meeting with Labour Friends of India.

During his poll campaign, Starmer embarked on outreach efforts, denouncing Hinduphobia and celebrating cultural festivals like Diwali and Holi.

This policy adjustment aims to rebuild trust with the British-Indian community and foster stronger business ties with India, a critical aspect of Labour’s international agenda.

The Labour Party, out of power for over a decade, has also outlined a foreign policy of “progressive realism,” emphasizing pragmatic approaches to global challenges such as climate change and international security. Starmer’s manifesto includes plans for a new strategic partnership with India, focusing on trade agreements and cooperation in technology, security, education, and environmental issues.

Labour passed the magic number of 326 seats for a House of Commons majority just before 5 am on Friday, confirming a change of government that was predicted for months but is still a remarkable turnaround for Starmer’s party in a single electoral cycle. Starmer will now replace Sunak as prime minister on Friday, ending the Tories’ 14-year grip on power.

London:

Labour Party chief Keir Starmer is on course to replace Rishi Sunak as the Britain Prime Minister, with early election results pointing at a crushing loss for the Conservatives. The first month of a Keir Starmer premiership will be a whirlwind of international diplomacy including meetings with US President Joe Biden and European leaders.

Labour, out of power since 2010, has pledged a foreign policy of “progressive realism”, seeing a more volatile world “as it is not as we would want it to be”, said David Lammy, who is expected to become foreign secretary.

The party has also pledged to “make Brexit work” and seek “an ambitious” security pact with the European Union.

Another key aspect of Starmer’s foreign policy agenda will be strengthening UK-India relations. Acknowledging historical missteps, particularly Labour’s stance on issues like Kashmir, Starmer has pledged to forge a new strategic partnership with India. His commitment to a free trade agreement (FTA) and enhanced bilateral cooperation in technology, security, education, and climate change underscores his ambition to elevate relations with one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

His manifesto included a commitment to pursue a “new strategic partnership” with India, emphasizing the trade agreement.

In a bid to repair strained ties with the Indian diaspora in the UK, Starmer during his campaign embarked on domestic outreach efforts, denouncing Hinduphobia and celebrating cultural festivals like Diwali and Holi. These gestures are aimed at fostering greater trust and inclusion within British-Indian communities, a demographic vital to Labour’s electoral calculus.

However, challenges loom on the path to realising Starmer’s ambitious foreign policy goals, particularly concerning immigration policies and trade agreements. With bipartisan consensus on the need to reduce immigration, negotiations on temporary visas for Indian workers in the UK service industry present a delicate balancing act for Labour.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s last-minute attempt to sway voters appears to have fallen short. The Conservatives warned voters that opting for Labour would lead to higher taxes. Led by Keir Starmer, the Labour Party is currently ahead on 220 seats, while Rishi Sunak’s party has won just 31. To secure victory, a party needs to win 326 seats in the 650-member House of Commons.

New Delhi:

The inaugural India-UK ‘2+2’ foreign and defence dialogue on Monday saw the two sides focusing on ways to boost cooperation in a range of key areas such as trade and investment, defence, critical technologies, civil aviation, health and energy.

At the senior official-level dialogue, the two sides also discussed international developments including in the Indo-Pacific region and considered the possibility of enhancing anti-terror collaboration, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

The 2+2 dialogue at the senior official level is a mechanism to discuss and review all aspects of the India-UK comprehensive strategic partnership.

The dialogue took place as the two sides are exploring the possibility of a visit to India by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak later this month.

The MEA said the two sides discussed “possibilities for further collaboration particularly in areas of trade and investment, defence, critical and emerging technologies, civil aviation, health, energy, culture and strengthening peoples connect.” 

“The officials had an opportunity to exchange assessments about recent international developments including in the Indo-Pacific region, given their shared vision for peace, stability and prosperity and for a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region,” the ministry said in a statement.

 “They also considered the possibility of enhancing collaboration in areas of counterterrorism, HADR (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief) and maritime security,” it added.

The India-UK relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the India-UK virtual summit held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his then-British counterpart Boris Johnson in May 2021.

At the summit, the two sides adopted a 10-year roadmap to expand ties in the key areas of trade and economy, defence and security, climate change and people-to-people connections, among others.

The Indian delegation at the dialogue was co-chaired by Piyush Srivastava, Joint Secretary (Europe West) at the MEA and Vishwesh Negi, Joint Secretary (International Cooperation) at the defence ministry.

The UK delegation was co-chaired by Ben Mellor, India Director at the Indian Ocean Directorate in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Lt General Rob Magowan, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff, Finance and Military Capability at the British Ministry of Defence.

“Both delegations expressed satisfaction at the regular high-level political exchanges and interactions which have provided guidance and momentum to India-UK multifaceted ties,” the MEA said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Glasgow:

The Glasgow Gurdwara, where an Indian envoy was stopped from entering by Khalistani extremists, today issued a statement strongly condemning the incident. Hitting out at the “disorderly behaviour”, the Gurdwara said that it was open to people from all communities and backgrounds.

“An incident occurred on 29 September 2023 at Glasgow Gurdwara where the Indian High Commissioner was on a personal visit, facilitated by a member of Scottish Parliament. Certain unknown individuals from outside the Glasgow area attempted to disrupt this visit, following which the visiting party decided to leave the premises,” the statement by Glasgow Gurdwara Guru Granth Sahib Sikh Sabha stated.

The Gurdwara said that the “unruly individuals” continued to disturb the congregation even after the Indian envoy had left.

“Glasgow Gurdwara strongly condemns such disorderly behaviour to disrupt the peaceful proceedings of a Sikh place of worship,” the statement added.

Indian High Commissioner, Vikram Doraiswami, was stopped from entering the Gurdwara by Khalistani extremists on Saturday.

A purported video going viral on social media shows a man preventing the Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, from entering the gurdwara in Glasgow on Friday. Two men are also seen attempting to open the door of the High Commissioner’s car in the parking area. The car is then seen leaving the premises of Glasgow Gurudwara Saheb.

India has raised the “disgraceful” incident with the UK government. Junior UK foreign minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan acknowledged the video going viral on social media and said she was “concerned”.

“The safety and security of foreign diplomats is of utmost importance and our places of worship in the UK must be open to all,” she said on X, formerly Twitter.

The incident comes amid the snowballing diplomatic row between India and Canada, which was triggered by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accusing “Indian government agents” of involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June.