UK's Labour Party vows to stamp out anti-India sentiments in bid to woo community
UK's Labour Party vows to stamp out anti-India sentiments in bid to woo community
In a bid to win back the Indian community, the Labour Party, the UK's opposition party, has committed itself to eliminating anti-India sentiments within its ranks and constructing a strong strategic partnership with Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government.
The party made the commitment while it hopes to dislodge the Rishi Sunak-led Conservatives and form the government after the July 4 general election.
Labour's resolution in favour of international intervention into the Kashmir issue during an annual conference under former leader Jeremy Corbyn was widely believed to have led to a loss of British Indian votes for the party in the 2019 polls. There have also been concerns over some Labour councillors espousing pro-Khalistan views.
At a 'Political Hustings' event for the UK's South Asian community in London held on Friday, Labour Party chair and shadow secretary of state for women and equalities, Anneliese Dodds, asserted that the party led by Keir Starmer is confident of having cleansed its ranks of any members with such extremist views.
"We would certainly never take any group of voters, wherever they're from, for granted; we're working hard for everyone's votes," said Dodds, in response to a question posed by news agency PTI on winning back Indian diaspora voters alienated in the last polls.
"If there is any evidence of that (anti-India sentiment), whichever group of people, I will do something about that," she stated.
Dodds appealed to the "incredible diaspora" community to "furnish details" of any Labour members who could jeopardise India-UK ties under a future Labour government.
"Going beyond warm words, we want to build that practical, strong relationship. Labour has talked a lot about a strategic partnership with India that covers trade. But we want to see cooperation in other areas as well, such as new technologies, the environment and security," she said.
From the Conservatives's side, Felicity Buchan, Minister at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, highlighted the party's pro-India track record and having a Prime Minister of Indian heritage in Rishi Sunak.
"I think that the relationship with India is incredibly important. The diaspora that we have in the UK adds so much to our life here in the UK," said Buchan, who is the party candidate for Kensington and Bayswater in London.
"We have very strong historic and cultural ties, but there is so much to be done going forward. We are negotiating a free trade agreement (FTA) at the moment. It's a big priority for both our Prime Ministers, but it's not just the trade deal," she said while highlighting collaborations in fields such as Covid-19 vaccines, defence and security.
All parties and independent candidates are eyeing votes from the UK's 1.8 million strong Indian diaspora who are expected to play a critical role in influencing the results of the July 4 general election.
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