Better Indo-UK ties seen after Labour victory
A FRESH chapter in enhanced bilateral relations between India and the UK is seen following the Labour Party’s historic victory in the UK general elections.
Congratulating the next PM Keir Starmer, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was eager to collaborate with the new government to further bolster bilateral and strategic ties between the two nations.
Modi on Saturday spoke to Starmer and the two leaders agreed to work towards an early conclusion of a mutually beneficial India-UK free trade agreement.
Both the leaders recalled the historic relations between India and the UK and reaffirmed their commitment to further deepen and advance the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the countries.
Appreciating the positive contributions of the Indian community in the social, economic and political development of the UK, they agreed to continue to promote close people-to-people ties.
Modi also extended an invitation to Starmer for an early visit to India as the two leaders agreed to remain in touch.
International students from India also are cheerful as the former UK government that launched a spate of anti-immigrant policies bid adieu to Downing Street after a 14-year reign.
The Tory Party headed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had rolled out a range of policies to clamp down on immigrants.
These include the phasing out of dependents’ visas for students, sending illegal immigrants on a flight to Rwanda, and discontinuation of visas for dependents of care workers.
These policies were launched in the Conservative party’s attempt to ‘stop the boats’, a clear reference to curb the practice of migrants entering the UK in small boats without visa after crossing the English Channel.
Also, from October 2023 onwards, the UK government raised the visa fees by up to £127 for international students.
There is also reason for Kerala to rejoice.
The UK is exploring avenues for joint ventures in technological innovation in the Kerala IT ecosystem and thereby strengthening partnership with India in the tech sector, said Joshua Bamford, Head of Tech and Innovation, British High Commission in India, on Monday.
Leading a UK delegation to Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram, Bamford said the visit to India’s first IT Park had been “incredibly insightful”.
The delegation interacted with Col Sanjeev Nair (Retd), CEO, Technopark, and discussed potential collaboration opportunities at the Park.
Bamford said the discussions they had with the CEO of Technopark and CEO of Toonz Animation underscored the vast potential for collaboration between the UK and Kerala in the technology and innovation sectors.
Let’s hope that both countries will forge a new strategic partnership with enhanced bilateral cooperation in technology, security, education and climate change elevating bilateral relations to new heights.
