The UK Opposition Labor Party is preparing for elections and has pledged to prioritize improving trade links with India, especially in the field of green technologies.
Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer met India’s High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, during a visit to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temple in Hertfordshire, near London, a meeting described as “productive”.
The pre-Diwali visit also involved Starmer interacting with British Indian community and religious leaders.
“The Labor leader and High Commissioner discussed a range of issues at the meeting, including Labour’s commitment to building on the strong ties between India and the UK,” a party spokesman said.
“A future Labor government will see improving trade links as a priority, especially for new and green technologies. The Labor leader re-emphasized how much Labor values him for the Indian community here in the UK and how pleased he was to deliver that message at the Diwali dinner,” the spokesman said.
In a tweet after the meeting, India’s High Commissioner in London said his productive talk covered all aspects of the India-UK strategic partnership, focusing on the need to maintain people-to-people ties, including through a normal dialogue.
“An excellent meeting with Sir Keir Starmer. I appreciate his interest in maintaining the historic friendship between India and the UK,” Doraiswami said.
Starmer’s visit to the Bhaktivedanta Manor ISKCON temple in Watford, outside London, and tour of its George Harrison Memorial Garden on Monday night comes after a visit to one of Europe’s largest Navratri festivities in London. last week, during which he pledged to combat Hinduphobia. .
“Hinduphobia has no place in any part of our society and we should all fight this together,” he said, referring to recent clashes following a cricket match between India and Pakistan.
“I am saddened by the division we have seen on the streets of Leicester and Birmingham in recent weeks; the violence and hatred spread by extremists exploiting social media. All of us together must stand firm against all attempts to spread hate,” he said.
The outreach to the Indian diaspora is seen as part of the Opposition’s preparation for a general election amid political turmoil and cost of living crisis. Starmer has reshuffled his core team to move politics and communications to party headquarters, in a clear indication that the party was actively preparing to take on the ruling Conservative Party in the next general election to capitalize on the Labor Party’s recent rally. in approval ratings among Britons. public.
“The collapse of the government has given us a great opportunity. The instability means that they could fall at any time. Because of that, we must get up for election immediately,” the Labor leader is reported to have told Labor Party staff.
Meanwhile, MPs returned to Parliament this week after the party’s annual conferences, with British Prime Minister Liz Truss under pressure to keep her team behind her tax-cutting agenda and improve the party’s ratings in polls. opinion.
