Keir Starmer To Be Next UK PM, Promised Reset of India Ties

Keir Starmer will be the next British Prime Minister after his Labour Party secured a landslide victory in the UK general election, ending the 14-year reign of the Conservative Party led by Rishi Sunak. Labour crossed the magic number of 326 in the 650-seat Parliament swimmingly, prompting Sunak to concede.

Addressing a victory rally in London early on Friday (local time), Starmer said, "Change begins now," adding that having "a mandate like this comes with a great responsibility".

Sunak, who retained his parliamentary seat, said the British people had "delivered a sobering verdict" and took responsibility for the Conservatives' record defeat.

With results declared in over half of the constituencies, Labour won 409 seats, while the Tories were a very distant second with 120 seats, a drastic decline from their 365 seats in the 2019 election.

The Liberal Democrats secured 71 seats, while the Scottish National Party bagged nine seats. The right-wing Reform UK, led by Brexit champion Nigel Farage, won in four constituencies.

Ties with India

Of the several global issues on Starmer’s agenda, one of his key responsibilities will be to mend his party’s ties with India, which have been turbulent due to the party’s stand on the Kashmir issue.

It was September 2019 when the Labour Party, under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, passed an emergency motion that sought international observers to “enter” Kashmir, demanding the right of self-determination for its people. This did not sit well with India, which termed it an effort to “pander to vote bank’s interest”.

As the situation came to a head, it was Starmer who stepped in to defuse tensions. Aware of the significance of the UK’s ties with a giant growing economy like India, Starmer emphasised during meetings with the Indian diaspora and public addresses that Kashmir is India’s internal issue and will be resolved by both the neighbours.

In fact, in manifesto, Starmer included a commitment to pursue a “new strategic partnership” with India, emphasising the trade agreement. As part of his poll campaigns, he made several attempts to rebuild trust with the British-Indian community, including participating in Hindu festivals like Diwali and Holi.