Labour Party leader Keir Starmer is poised to become the next prime minister of the United Kingdom as early trends in the counting of the votes show a clear majority for his party. According to exit polls, Starmer’s party is expected to end the reign of Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party after 14 years.
Starmer, a human rights lawyer-turned-politician, has always expressed his party’s stance on improving relations with India and advancing the free trade agreements if Labour comes into power. During his election campaign, the prime ministerial candidate also talked about eradicating ‘Hinduphobia’ from the United Kingdom.
Last week, Keir Starmer visited the Shree Swaminarayan Temple in Kingsbury, north London, during his campaign trail, expressing his solidarity with British Hindus over the recent acts of vandalism in temples.
In a message that he has been reiterating for years, Starmer said that there is “absolutely no place for Hinduphobia in Britain.” He had echoed the same message when he celebrated Diwali last year at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden.
Last year at the India Global Forum (IGF), Starmer set the tone for Labour’s stance on India-UK relations, saying that under his government, the relationship between the two countries will be built on democracy and aspiration.
“What my Labour government will seek with India is a relationship based on our shared values of democracy and aspiration. That will seek a free trade agreement (FTA), we share that ambition, but also a new strategic partnership for global security, climate security, economic security,” he said.
According to the exit polls, Britain’s Labour Party is predicted to win around 410 seats out of the total 650, while Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party is likely to win 130 seats in the elections.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in the early hours of Friday acknowledged the defeat and said he called centre-left Labour leader Keir Starmer to congratulate him on becoming the country’s next prime minister.
(With inputs from PTI, AP)