On Saturday 4th April, Keir Starmer emerged as the unrivalled Labour leader defeating Rebecca Long-Bailey and Lisa Nandy after securing a 56.2% vote share in the leadership contest. Besides reviving Labour following its decimation in the 2019 general election, Jeremy Corbyn’s successor is also tasked with re-building the Party’s relationship with the Indian diaspora. Will Starmer and his “new cabinet” deliver on the Labour’s Indian promise?
Both Starmer’s toughest critics and his admirers believe that the 57-year-old lawyer-turned-politician has the diplomatic ability for neutral policy framework. This can be further attributed to his appointment of a “new cabinet” where most of Jeremy Corbyn’s confidants have been replaced by new names, some Indian-origin, intent on changing the face of Labour.
“Keir has demonstrated in his leadership campaign and by the composition of his Shadow cabinet that he is serious about building bridges and working with all communities, and that includes the Indian diaspora. The depth and breadth of talent of Labour MPs across the country will be focused on reaching out and on showing that we are now in a new era, determined to rebuild trust with the British people,” said Seema Malhotra MP for Feltham and Heston in a statement to Asian Voice.
Seema Malhotra has been appointed shadow employment minister. In 2015, she was appointed shadow secretary to the the Treasure under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership. She however, resigned from the shadow cabinet over his leadership, along with other shadow ministers and supported Owen Smith in a bid to replace Corbyn. Now, she has shown her support to Starmer.
Re-setting relations with an alienated Indian diaspora
Starmer’s determination appears to be reflected in the appointment of Lisa Nandy, the MP for Wigan and his counterpart as Labour’s new shadow Foreign Secretary. Replacing, Emily Thornberry, Nandy’s rise from the backbenchers has raised quite a few eyebrows within the Labour Party especially considering her strong criticism of Jeremy Corbyn previously with regards to his policy on Russia.
Lisa is the daughter of Indian-born Dipak Nandy who was the first director of Runnymede Trust and played an instrumental role in the initial formation of the Labour Party back when Labour was historically considered as “India’s natural ally”. Politically aligned left-off-centre, Lisa has never issued a statement earlier where the Party’s official stance on Kashmir is concerned. Yet, some MPs are optimistic about her appointment considering her connection with the local constituents.
“Lisa has already started to work with MPs on concerns for constituents stuck abroad. She understands what we need to do to build strong relationships with other nations, with allies and to work together to tackle the huge challenges across the globe, keeping our international rules-based institutions strong and keeping our citizens safe at home and abroad,” Seema continued.
Comprising over 1.5 million people, the Indian diaspora in the UK accounts for 2.3 percent of the Union’s total population of which over 50 percent are believed to have voted Labour up until 2017. However, relations between the diaspora and the Party strained in the last few years especially under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn where many Indian-origin MPs felt “isolated” and not considered on issues of foreign policy. And Labour’s resolution on Kashmir at the Brighton Conference last year has been a sticking point.
Following the Indian government’s revocation of Article 370 in Kashmir, Labour called for “international intervention” in Kashmir with Corbyn highlighting the “human rights abuse” in the region. The Party’s stance divided the Asian diaspora residing peacefully in the UK which resulted in widespread protests outside the Indian High Commission in London in September that resulted in the vandalism of the Indian diplomatic property with some reporting of physical abuse from members of other South Asian groups. Congratulating Starmer and being optimistic about the new leader, Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Ruchi Ghanashyam tweeted, “I am confident that under your leadership the Labour Party will further strengthen its historic bonds with India and will build enduring bridges to connect with the Indian diaspora in the UK.”
The Labour Friends of India has also welcomed the recent shift in the Party with co-chair, Rajesh Agrawal, the Deputy Mayor of Business for London, hoping that with “the change in the leadership the party will be able to regain the trust of the British Indian community”. Echoing a similar view, Virendra Sharma, Labour MP for Ealing Southall said, "Keir and Angela have stood on platforms of uniting the party and holding the government to account. The result today will bring unity to the Labour Party, show the country we are a serious party of government in waiting and prepare to win the next General Election.
A diverse South Asian shadow cabinet
The former Brexit shadow secretary, however, has another task cut out for him; winning the trust back of his fellow Asian MPs, some who had previously resigned from the Party owing to poor leadership. In his bid to promote Labour as a diverse party, Starmer has now appointed Preet Kaur Gill, the first British Sikh MP of Indian origin as the Shadow International Development Secretary.
“Keir Starmer has shown his commitment to diversity through the appointments in his Shadow Cabinet, and the number of women of South Asian heritage is great to see,” said Jas Singh, Sikhs for Labour to Asian Voice.
Gill is further joined by Thangam Debbonaire, a part Indian, Sri Lankan Tamil and English Labour MP for Bristol West who is appointed as the shadow housing secretary. Tooting MP Dr Rosena Allin-Khan has been named shadow minister for mental health. She will work with shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth. Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, MP for Slough, is shadow railway minister. While Naz Shah has been named as shadow minister for community cohesion. Tulip Sidiq MP for Hampstead and Kilburn remains the shadow minister for children & early years.
However, a skeptical Manoj Ladwa who resigned from LFIN following the Kashmir debacle believes, “If Starmer is serious about becoming the UK Prime Minister, he has to urgently press the ‘reset’ button with the 1.5 million Indian diaspora which the previous leadership was overtly hostile to.”
