Keir Starmer, Britain’s Labour Party leader, has taken charge as UK Prime Minister after 14 years following a historic win in Thursday’s general election. The Rishi Sunak-led conservative party suffered a crushing defeat in the recently concluded polls. As Keir Starmer is now in charge of the office, it’s going to be interesting to watch how the new UK leadership will impact India-Britain relations.
The 61-year-old Labour leader arrived at the Palace with his wife Victoria Starmer after leading his party to a landslide victory in a landmark UK general election with a gain of over 200 seats, as outgoing leader Rishi Sunak conceded defeat with his Conservative Party suffering its worst election defeat in history.
What next for India-UK relations under Starmer?
Keeping in mind that the Labour party under the leadership of its former leader Jeremy Corbyn, passed a resolution at its annual meeting in 2019 that a humanitarian crisis had arisen in Kashmir when India scrapped Article 370, the road ahead for relations between both the nations may be a mixed bag of surprises.
In its resolution, the Labour party strongly emphasized that Kashmir should be given the right to self-determination. However, India had opposed this proposal.
The then Labour Party leader Keir Starmer had clarified that Kashmir is an internal matter between India and Pakistan. However, by then things had gone haywire.
Recalling Starmer’s promise on India-UK relations
Post provocative statements by the Labour party, Keir Starmer had then promised that he would improve relations with India. Amid all these speculations, former Labour Party MP Virendra Sharma showed some optimism as she believes that India-Britain relations will flourish under Starmer’s rule.
Boost for Indian-origin MPs strength in House of Commons
In the last UK Parliament, six Labour Party MPs were of Indian origin. This time this number will increase two times. Starmer is a balanced and practical leader. He will ensure that relations between the two countries improve.
However, International Affairs Think Tank’s Kshitij Vajpayee has warned that the journey ahead for relations between India and Britain could be slippery.
Starmer as new UK PM promises national renewal
Assuming office after a landslide victory in general elections, Keir Starmer has promised a phase of “national renewal” under his premiership.
As Labour crossed the halfway mark of 650 constituencies in the early hours of Friday to clinch the minimum 326 required for a majority in Parliament, Starmer stepped up to make his victory speech in London: “Change begins now. And it feels good, I have to be honest.
“A mandate like this comes with a great responsibility. Our task is nothing less than renewing the ideas that hold this country together. National renewal. Whoever you are, wherever you start in life, if you work hard, if you play by the rules, this country should give you a fair chance to get on. It should always respect your contribution and we have to restore that,” he said.
Earlier, Rishi Sunak, 44, resigned as prime minister after meeting the monarch.
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