A polling station sign points to where local residents can cast their votes for the general election, in London. (AP Photo)
UK may have a new government: This time Labour could be better for India
As the Tories in Britain head for a historic defeat in the elections, India is well-placed to advance the bilateral relationship under a new Labour government led by Keir Starmer. The Conservative Party may well deserve much of the criticism for its tumultuous 15-year tenure in office. But when it comes to India, there is no doubt that the Tories have presided over a positive reorientation of ties between London and Delhi. Shedding some of Britain’s colonial baggage, the party has unshackled British policy towards India from the Pakistan and Kashmir factors and framed the engagement in the broader Indo-Pacific framework. Read C Raja Mohan’s take on the polls.
Who is Keir Starmer, tipped to win UK elections?
As the United Kingdom heads for national elections on Thursday, July 4, the spotlight is on Keir Starmer, the Labour Party leader, who is projected to secure a landslide victory and assume power as the first Labour Prime Minister since 2010. He is up against Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is trying hard to keep his Conservative Party in power despite the voter fatigue arising from the 14-year Tory rule.
Starmer has been the Leader of Opposition in the UK Parliament for the last four years and mainly led the social democratic party from the left towards the political middle ground. He is credited with reviving the Labour Party after its worst election defeat since the 1930s. Starmer, who entered the Parliament merely a decade ago, not only made the party electable but also pulled it to the centre on key policies by slamming the failings of three Conservative Prime Ministers, a New York Times report said. Read More
