British Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivers a speech after his first cupboard assembly as prime minister, in London, Britain, July 6, 2024. | Picture credit score: Reuters
New British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spent his first hours in workplace holding cellphone conversations with UK allies and companions, together with a name with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday morning. On Friday, Starmer spoke with US President Joe Biden, European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy, the leaders of Japan, Australia and different international locations. The brand new prime minister chaired his first cupboard assembly on Saturday morning, having promised to hit the bottom operating.
“When discussing the Free Commerce Settlement, the Prime Minister mentioned he was keen to conclude a deal that labored for either side,” Downing Road mentioned of the decision between Modi and Starmer on Saturday. A commerce deal was the ground, not the ceiling, of the bilateral relationship, Overseas Secretary David Lammy mentioned throughout a June 25 speech on U.Ok.-India relations. The 2 international locations have concluded 14 rounds of talks since 2022.
The UK assertion on Saturday’s cellphone name described the connection between India and the UK as “sturdy and respectful”. The Labour Social gathering has been making an attempt to “reset” its relationship with Britons of Indian origin and particularly the Modi authorities, retracting a decision, handed throughout the 2019 Labour convention, criticising the federal government’s abrogation of Article 370 (particular standing for Jammu and Kashmir). There’s some information from the latest UK elections (pre-2024) suggesting that Britons of Indian origin have been transferring in the direction of the Conservative Social gathering, a motion led by Hindus and Christians, reasonably than Muslims and Sikhs. Starmer and his colleagues have been making an attempt to win again Britons of Indian origin as a part of broader modifications within the Labour Social gathering and a distancing from the insurance policies of former chief Jeremy Corbyn.
“Appreciating the optimistic contributions of the Indian neighborhood to the social, financial and political growth of the UK, the 2 sides agreed to proceed selling shut people-to-people ties,” the readout of the cellphone name from New Delhi mentioned, including that Modi invited Starmer to go to India quickly.
On Saturday’s name, Modi and Starmer additionally mentioned deepening defence and safety cooperation, important and rising applied sciences and local weather change, in line with Downing Road. Exterior Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Lammy additionally spoke by cellphone on Saturday to reaffirm ties between the 2 international locations.
Talking with the US president, Starmer reaffirmed the “particular relationship” between the 2 international locations and, in line with Downing Road, mentioned “their aligned ambitions for larger financial development”. Starmer reiterated his dedication to working with the US on a variety of points, together with the Australia-UK-US (AUKUS) safety partnership and “guaranteeing a free and open Indo-Pacific”, in line with Downing Road. Rishi Sunak’s Conservative authorities had introduced that the UK’s plane service strike group would go to the Indian Ocean in 2025 and conduct joint coaching workouts with Indian forces. This determination will likely be pushed by means of by the brand new Labour authorities, Lammy indicated throughout her June speech on UK-India relations.
Mr Starmer and Mr Biden additionally reiterated their assist for Ukraine and their dedication to the Good Friday Settlement (the 1998 Northern Eire peace deal). Mr Starmer reaffirmed his assist for this settlement with Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris. The connection between the UK and Eire had been examined below the Conservative governments of Rishi Sunak and his predecessors as a result of Northern Eire’s buying and selling relationship with the UK after Brexit and, extra lately, the motion of undocumented migrants from the UK to Eire.
Chatting with Zelensky, Starmer mentioned that “a change of presidency within the UK would make no distinction to UK assist for Ukraine,” in line with Downing Road.
Mr Starmer and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida “harassed that the safety of the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific area is indivisible” of their name.
The brand new Prime Minister is anticipated to satisfy a number of of those leaders in particular person on the NATO Summit in Washington DC subsequent week. He’ll then meet his European counterparts on the European Political Group Summit, scheduled for July 18 in Blenheim, England. He has promised a better relationship with the European Union (EU), particularly on the commerce and safety entrance, whereas ruling out a return to the EU Single Market or free motion of individuals throughout borders. Starmer will even must work with EU companions if he’s to ship on his plan to scale back unlawful migration to the UK.
At a press convention following his first cupboard assembly, Starmer confirmed that the earlier authorities’s plan to ship asylum seekers to Rwanda had been cancelled and that he was not ready to proceed with “gimmicks”. Relating to the Nationwide Well being Service, Britain’s common healthcare system, Starmer echoed the brand new Well being Secretary’s place that the NHS was “damaged”. Talks with junior medical doctors, who’ve been on strike for increased pay, will start subsequent week, the federal government mentioned.
The UK jail system can also be damaged, Starmer mentioned. Among the many consultants he has appointed to his cupboard is businessman James Timpson, who has expertise in rehabilitating prisoners, as prisons minister. Starmer is because of go to Northern Eire, Wales, Scotland and components of England from Sunday earlier than travelling to Washington DC on Tuesday.
The brand new Prime Minister mentioned there can be additional bulletins within the coming days, suggesting issues may take time.
“This isn’t an in a single day train to vary the nation,” Starmer mentioned.
