In poll mode? UK opposition Labour Party to prioritise India trade links

The UK's Opposition Labour Party is gearing up to an election footing and has committed to prioritising improving trade links with India, especially in the sphere of green technologies.

Labour Leader Keir Starmer met the Indian 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 faith leaders. “The Labour Leader and High Commissioner discussed a variety of topics at the meeting, including Labour's commitment to building on the strong links between India and the UK,” a party spokesperson said.

“A future Labour government will see improving trade links, especially for new and green technologies, as a priority. The Labour Leader re-emphasised how much his Labour party values the Indian community here in the UK, and how pleased he was to be relaying that message at the Diwali dinner,” the spokesperson said.

In a tweet following the meeting, the Indian high commission in London said their productive talk covered all aspects of the India-UK strategic partnership, focusing on the need to sustain people to people ties, including through regular dialogue.

“An excellent meeting with Starmer. Appreciate his interest in sustaining the historic friendship between India and the UK,” said Doraiswami. Starmer's visit to Bhaktivedanta Manor ISKCON temple in Watford, on the outskirts of London, and tour of its George Harrison Memorial Garden on Monday (10) evening 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 absolutely no place in our society anywhere and we must all fight this together,” he said, as he referenced the recent clashes in the wake of an India-Pakistan cricket match.

“I'm saddened by the division we have seen on the streets of Leicester and Birmingham in recent weeks; violence and hatred spread by extremists exploiting social media. We must all together stand firm against all attempts to spread hate,” he said. The outreach towards the Indian diaspora is seen as part of the Opposition's preparation for a general election amid political turmoil and a cost-of-living crisis.

Starmer has reshuffled his top team to move policy and communications under the party's headquarters, in a clear indication that the party was actively preparing to take on the governing Conservative Party in an upcoming general election to capitalise on Labour's recent bounce in approval ratings among the British public.

"The government's collapse has given us a huge chance. The instability means they could fall at any time. Because of that we need to get on an election footing straight away," Labour Party staff are said to have been told by the Labour leader.

Meanwhile, MPs returned to Parliament this week after the annual party conferences, with British prime minister Liz Truss under pressure to keep her team behind her tax-cutting agenda and to improve the party's struggling ratings in the opinion polls.