Lammy aims to reset UK-India ties with early trip

In other words, this was a meeting both sides wanted and were prepared to make time for.

For Labour, the primary focus was trade. If it wants the UK’s economy to grow, then it will need British firms to do more business with Indian partners.

India’s economy is on course to become the world’s third largest by the end of the decade. Yet it is only the UK’s 12th largest trading partner.

“There is so much we can do with this global superpower,” Mr Lammy told me.

“We have a long-standing history, a longstanding relationship, and it is a win-win for both of our economies.”

He said Britain would work with India to agree a new free trade deal “in the coming months”, negotiations that have been stalled for much of the year as both countries held elections.

“Being here in India is essential. We have shared interest with India. It is a growing economy. It is going to be the third largest by the end of this decade. It is hugely important that we deepen and grow our ties.”

But this trip was not just about economics. There was broader geopolitics too.

Mr Lammy wants to reset Britain’s relations with the so-called Global South. India sees itself as key player in this loose group of developing nations.

And that, Mr Lammy says, involves less lecturing by Britain and more listening.

He was keen to talk about shared interests on green technology and shared threats in the Indo-Pacific, namely China.

He was less keen to talk about his hosts subsidising Russia’s war machine in Ukraine by buying many tanker loads of cheap Russian oil and gas.

“Across the democratic community, there will always be differences of opinion,” he averred. Which is one way of excusing an ally for aiding an enemy.

The subtext to all this – implicit rather than explicit – was that with so much political instability among Britain’s traditional allies on both sides of the Atlantic, the government was keen to revive and reset – to use Mr Lammy’s favoured phrase – its relations with other allies. And India is the biggest prize.

He said Britain’s relationship with India had been “underperforming” but both countries’ interests were aligned on many issues. He said the UK must cooperate with India “in this tough, geopolitically-challenging time”.

For Indian ministers, Mr Lammy’s trip was seen as good moment to invest in a British government that may be in power for some time.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6p26qjgjjwo