In a big statement, the United Kingdom’s main opposition party leader Keir Starmer on Thursday said that Kashmir is a bilateral issue for India and Pakistan to resolve peacefully. The Labour Party leader while trying to reach out to the Indian diaspora in the UK also said that such divisive issues from the subcontinent should not be allowed to divide communities in Britain.

 

 

In a joint statement released by Labour Friends of India and Sir Kier Starmer, the new leader of the Labour Party said that any constitutional issues in India are a matter for the Indian Parliament, and Kashmir is a bilateral issue for India and Pakistan to resolve peacefully.

 

 

In gratitude of British Indians who contribute largely to the UK and to the Labour Party, Keir Starmer pledged to build stronger business links with India and work closely with the group to rebuild trust with the community.

 

He indicated plans to hold discussions with the Indian High Commissioner in the UK, Ruchi Ghanashyam, in due course to open a "renewed dialogue" between the Labour Party and the Indian community.

 

 

During his first dialogue with the Labour Friends of India Group, LFIN in London on Thursday, he said that he will work committedly to encourage more British Indians into elected posts in Westminster as well as at the local government level.

 

 

 

 

 

The statement given by the main opposition party leader of the UK, Keir Starmer marks a strategic step towards drawing a line under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership last year whose some of the controversial actions were widely perceived as anti-India by the diaspora population.

 

The Labour party under Jeremy Corbyn on September 25 last year, in its party conference in Brighton, passed a resolution that supported "International intervention in Kashmir and a call for UN-led referendum.'

 

The resolution was widely upsetting for the Indian diaspora in the UK as was seen as influencing much of the 1.5-million diaspora vote in the December 2019 general election, which resulted in a disastrous defeat for the Labour Party.

 

It had also upset the Government of India which led to Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar expressing regret over the matter, he called it an uninformed and unfounded position.

 

However, Starmer, in the joint statement said that, "A Labour government under my leadership will be determined to build even stronger business links with India and to co-operate on the global stage on issues such as climate change. I look forward to meeting the Indian High Commissioner in due course to open a renewed dialogue between the Labour Party and the people of India."

Welcoming Keir Stramer’s commitment to rebuilding strong links between the Labour Party and the Indian community, the Deputy Mayor of London for Business, Rajesh Agrawal, also the Co-Chairperson of LFIN group praised the leader for achieving so much so early in his political career.