PM Modi congratulates Andy Burnham on becoming UK Prime Minister, vows to deepen India-UK ties
New Delhi, July 21
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday congratulated Andy Burnham on assuming office as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, saying India and the UK would continue to strengthen their partnership across key areas including trade, investment, technology and defence.
In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi said: "Warmest congratulations to Mr. Andy Burnham on assuming office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. India and the UK are bound by shared democratic values and enjoy wide-ranging cooperation across trade, investment, technology, defence and people-to-people relations. With CETA entering into force this month, our bilateral partnership is poised to grow even stronger.
"I look forward to working closely with you to further deepen the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and advance our shared Vision 2035," PM Modi added.
Britain's Labour Party earlier on Friday announced that Andy Burnham has been confirmed as its leader.
Burnham, former Mayor of Greater Manchester, took charge as the Prime Minister after Keir Starmer formally stepped down, in accordance with established procedure.
Speaking at the Trades Union Congress headquarters in central London, British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who also chairs Labour's National Executive Committee, said Burnham had received nominations from 379 Labour lawmakers. As the only candidate to reach the required threshold, he was declared leader without a ballot of party members.
Burnham returned to parliament after winning the Makerfield by-election, whose result was declared on June 19. Starmer announced his resignation as Labour leader on June 22, saying he would remain Prime Minister until his successor was chosen.
In his speech, Burnham recalled working with Keir Starmer about a decade ago to draft the original version of the Hillsborough law following the second Hillsborough inquest, drawing on Starmer's legal expertise.
Burnham said Britain had taken a series of wrong turns since the 1980s, as political power became increasingly centralised while essential services such as housing, water, energy and transport were privatised.
He argued that this had driven up costs, concentrated wealth and power in fewer hands and left many former industrial towns without the authority to rebuild their economies.
"I will be a leader for the north, the south, the east and the west," he said.
After having led the Labour Party to a massive election win in July 2024, the first in 14 years, Starmer faced criticism for the policies adopted by his government.
The number of MPs supporting Andy Burnham for the Labour leadership increased after his victory in the Makerfield by-election.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Interesting that Burnham is talking about decentralisation and reversing privatisation. India has its own challenges with centralisation, so maybe we can learn from each other. But let's see if he actually delivers on these promises.
The Hillsborough law connection is touching. Shows that politics can have a human side when it's about justice. But PM Modi's focus on Vision 2035 and CETA is what we need - concrete milestones, not just handshakes.
As someone who's lived in both India and UK, I hope this partnership leads to better visa mobility for students and professionals. The UK needs Indian talent, and Indians want opportunities abroad. Common sense really.
I'm cautiously optimistic. Burnham seems more grounded than some previous UK leaders, but his critique of privatisation sounds very left-wing. India is also grappling with how much to privatise. Let's hope both countries find a balanced path.
One thing I appreciate about PM Modi is his consistency in reaching out to world leaders immediately. Whether it's UK or any other country, he puts India's interests first. Now we need actual outcomes - more trade, more defence cooperation, and better technology exchange.
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