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Spectator
6 days ago
- Business
- Spectator
The UK and India sign their trade deal
The UK has finally signed a free-trade deal with India after three-and-a-half years of negotiation. The agreement will open up trade for cars, whisky, clothing and food products, with ministers claiming it will boost the British economy by £4.8 billion. For Keir Starmer, it offers much-needed economic and political good news. For Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, it shows that the £3 trillion Indian economy is willing to shake off its protectionist tradition and open up to international investors. The trade deal is an all-too-rare example of Labour getting things right in opposition. Jonathan Reynolds, the Trade Secretary, met with his Indian counterpart, Piyush Goyal, in February last year. He made it clear that Labour would support the Conservative government if it finalised a trade deal with India – and would pick up the negotiations after the election if it didn't. Despite much ground being covered, Rishi Sunak could not succeed where Boris Johnson and Liz Truss failed and get the talks over the line by July 2024. At that point, Reynolds took over, wrapping up the deal in just 12 months. Talks have been protracted for multiple reasons. India's average tariff rate is 13 per cent, compared with the UK's 1.5 per cent. Immigration has previously been a major sticking point, according to Kemi Badenoch, with today's deal facilitating some 1,800 annual extra visas for Indian yogis, chefs and musicians. Then there was the exemption on national insurance contributions: a subject of some controversy back in May. Today's agreement means staff from Indian companies who are temporarily transferred to the UK, and staff from British firms who are temporarily working in India, will only pay social security contributions in their home country, rather than in both places. The UK already has similar reciprocal 'double contribution convention' agreements with 17 other countries including the EU and the US. But that reaction was one reason why few in London and New Delhi expected this deal to be done so soon. The best testament to Labour's success is evidenced in the reaction of the opposition. In his reaction, Andrew Griffith, the shadow business secretary, admitted today's agreement is 'a step in the right direction' – before claiming that Labour's Employment Rights' Bill will outweigh any potential wins. For the government, securing this deal offers a winning narrative. Starmer will cite it as proof that hard work and careful planning can produce results in office. It also can help build relations between his party and British Indians, following the 2019 outcry over Jeremy Corbyn's perceived support for Pakistan over Kashmir.
Spectator
6 days ago
- Business
- Spectator
Why the India trade deal is good for Labour
A nice fillip for the government today as it settles into the summer recess. After three and a half years of negotiation, the UK has signed a free trade deal with India. It will open up trade for cars, whisky, clothing and food products, with ministers claiming it will boost the British economy by £4.8 billion. For Keir Starmer, it offers a much-needed economic and political boost. For Narendra Modi, it shows that the £3 trillion Indian economy is willing to shake off its protectionist tradition and open up to international investors. The trade deal is an all-too-rare example of Labour getting things right in opposition. Jonathan Reynolds, the Trade Secretary, met with his Indian counterpart, Piyush Goyal, in February last year. He made it clear that Labour would support the Conservative government if it finalised a trade deal with India – and would pick up the negotiations after the election if it didn't. Despite much ground being covered, Rishi Sunak could not succeed where Boris Johnson and Liz Truss failed and get the talks over the line by July 2024. At that point, Reynolds took over, wrapping up the deal in just 12 months. Talks have been protracted for multiple reasons. India's average tariff rate is 13 per cent, compared with the UK's 1.5 per cent. Immigration has previously been a major sticking point, according to Kemi Badenoch, with today's deal facilitating some 1,800 annual extra visas for Indian yogis, chefs and musicians. Then there was the exemption on national insurance contributions: a subject of some controversy back in May. Today's agreement means staff from Indian companies who are temporarily transferred to the UK, and staff from British firms who are temporarily working in India, will only pay social security contributions in their home country, rather than in both places. The UK already has similar reciprocal 'double contribution convention' agreements with 17 other countries including the EU and the US. But that reaction was one reason why few in London and New Delhi expected this deal to be done so soon. The best testament to Labour's success is evidenced in the reaction of the opposition. In his reaction, Andrew Griffith, the shadow business secretary, admitted today's agreement is 'a step in the right direction' – before claiming that Labour's Employment Rights' Bill will outweigh any potential wins. For the government, securing this deal offers a winning narrative. Starmer will cite it as proof that hard work and careful planning can produce results in office. It also can help build relations between his party and British Indians, following the 2019 outcry over Jeremy Corbyn's perceived support for Pakistan over Kashmir.
Arab News
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
Action needed to address blemishes in Test cricket
If I had closed my eyes during play, it would have been easy to imagine that I was at a stadium in India. Chants of 'India-ar' reverberated, phone calls in Hindi all around. As it was, I was in the Grand Stand at Lord's, sitting next to British Indians, who, apart from supporting India, told me that they supported West Ham and Arsenal. We were there to witness the final day's play of this summer's third Test match between England and India, one balanced on a knife edge. It was a Monday. In anticipation of a close and exciting finish, tickets had been purchased at short notice for £25 ($33.50), a sixth of the price for previous days. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport At the start of play, India's score was 58 for four, another 135 runs required to reach a target of 193. Their cause had been damaged late on the fourth day with the loss of three wickets. The two teams had scored the same number of runs – 387 — in their first innings, only the ninth time this has occurred in 2,594 Tests. England had eked out 192 in its second innings, a score which looked below par, until those late wickets on day four. Ninety overs were to be bowled on the fifth day. A draw was a highly unlikely outcome, but what about a tie, with all scores equal, achieved only twice in Test cricket? The Indian supporters were nervous and not optimistic. They clapped every run, every successful defensive shot. Their hopes suffered two massive blows with the loss of two key batters. The flamboyant Rishabh Pant had his stumps splayed by England's fastest bowler, Jofra Archer. Three overs later, KL Rahul, the dependable, solid opener, fell to Ben Stokes on review, the score 81 for six. This became 82 for seven when Archer produced a brilliant catch from his own bowling. India's supporters despaired. Luck was against them. Those next to me alleged that England had cheated on the evening of the third day, when their openers engaged in deliberate time-wasting. Their feelings of injustice increased immediately when India's Ravi Jadeja and England's bowler, Brydon Carse, collided in mid-wicket as the former was executing a run. Jadeja represented India's last hope. He is one of international cricket's finest all-rounders. A left-handed spinner and left-handed batter, in 83 Tests he has taken 326 wickets at an average of 24.93, while scoring 3,697 runs at an average of 36.97. At Lord's, he adeptly marshalled the strike around the lower-end batters for 50 overs in enthralling passages of play. First, Nitesh Kumar Reddy supported him resolutely for 15 overs in a stand of 30 runs, only to be dismissed on the stroke of lunch, much to India's chagrin. The supporters felt that he had been the subject of unwarranted verbal attacks from England's fielders that disturbed his concentration. After lunch, it was Jasprit Bumrah's turn to support Jadeja in a stand of 35 runs, of which Bumrah contributed five in 31 overs. By this time, I had switched my vantage point to the opposite side of the ground in the Tavern Stand, closer to the field of play. Here, more impassioned Indians fell silent when Bumrah attempted a much-too-ambitious shot, leaving India on 147 for nine, still 46 runs away from victory. Enter Mohammed Siraj, whose overzealous celebration after dismissing one of England's batters had brought him a fine. He also displayed determined resistance and, at teatime, India had reached 163 for 9 in 70.0 overs. In normal circumstances, a scoring rate of 2.3 runs per over would be heavily criticized. These were no ordinary circumstances. The Indian supporters had been given renewed hope of a stunning victory. It was the turn of England's supporter to bear a worried frown. In India's first innings, a hand injury to England's spinner, Shoaib Bashir, forced England to rely on an all-seam attack. After four years of recovery from injury, Archer's return to international cricket was being strictly controlled. His captain, Ben Stokes, did not want to run the risk of over-bowling Archer. In this situation, Stokes took it on himself to bowl two Herculean spells of 9.2 overs and ten overs in the afternoon from the Nursery end. At the beginning of each over, Indian supporters marvelled that he was still bowling. This is a player who suffered a groin injury on the first day and seems to be permanently battling injury to a body under strain. There can be no doubting his mental fortitude and sense of place. It was the same date six years ago when he was centerpiece in England's ODI World cup victory at Lord's, as was Archer. After tea, it was Archer who bowled from the Nursery end, striking Siraj a painful bowl on the body. At the Pavilion end it was Bashir, a last throw of the dice, a gamble — why leave it until now? Siraj defended solidly, the ball spun back after hitting the ground, deviated toward the stumps, one of which was hit sufficiently to dislodge a bail. Delirium broke out among the English fielders, Siraj was left motionless and distraught. Jadeja stood looking upwards, his arm over his helmet in disbelief, his heroic efforts doomed by a freak twist. Yet another Test match has proved that the format's ability to produce theater of the highest dramatical content still remains and should not only be cherished but actively supported. On this occasion, the theatrics had been accentuated by the dominant proportion of excited Indians in the crowd, by the tensions between actors in each team and by judgments and decisions made on instinctive feelings by England's captain. Once the dust has settled on this extraordinary Test match, it should not be allowed to gloss over some imperfections with the format. Ninety overs are supposed to be bowled per day but this rarely happens. All manner of factors eat into achieving this. Some are acceptable, such as the Decision Review System, although that could be speeded up. What is galling for spectators is the increase in impromptu drinks breaks and lengthy on-field treatment of injuries, not to mention blatant examples of time-wasting. A particular bugbear is an increasing propensity for players to request a change of ball because they deem it to be out of shape. Cricket's Law 4 states that if 'the umpires agree that it has become unfit for play through normal use, the umpires shall replace it with a ball which has had wear comparable with that which the previous ball had received before the need for its replacement.' The process of identifying a replacement takes too long. Umpires carry a ball gauge to check whether the size of the ball meets the standard measurements. It is time that their responsibility was reinforced. They could check the ball at the end of each over and players should not be allowed to question its condition. The egregious and blatant time-wasting in the Lord's Test risks marring its overall image. The England players have been fined 10 percent of their match fee and penalized two ICC World Test Championship points for maintaining a slow over-rate. Such penalties seem not to deter. It is time for cricket's authorities to empower umpires to clamp down on players and further enhance the quality of cricket's most treasured format.
The Hindu
17-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
U.K., U.S. to continue working for enduring India, Pakistan ceasefire: Lammy
The U.K. and U.S. have been working together to make permanent the ceasefire between India and Pakistan following the recent round of hostilities, according to U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy. New Delhi and Islamabad engaged in rounds of armed conflict following the April 22 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam , in which 26 civilians were killed. 'We will continue to work with the United States to ensure that we get an enduring ceasefire, to ensure that dialogue is happening and to work through with Pakistan and India how we can get to confidence and confidence-building measures between the two sides,' Mr. Lammy told Reuters in Islamabad at the end of his two-day visit to Pakistan. Mr Lammy's remarks, which imply that the U.K. and U.S. are involved in the Kashmir issue, echo U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated messaging that his administration was instrumental in brokering a May 10 ceasefire between New Delhi and Islamabad. The Labour Party been engaged in a resetting of ties with India and British Indians, walking back previous positions on Kashmir. In 2020, months after the Modi government mooted legal and administrative changes to Article 370 and Jammu and Kashmir, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer (who was then the country's Leader of the Opposition) had said Kashmir was a 'bilateral issue for India and Pakistan to resolve peacefully'. The Hindu reached out to the U.K. Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for confirmation of the U.K. government's position on Kashmir and the nature of U.K.- U.S. coordination on the recent ceasefire. Indian government officials had said that Mr Lammy would not visit New Delhi immediately after visiting Islamabad, given India's strong emphasis of de-hyphenation from Pakistan. Mr Lammy had spoken with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on May 15 and he is expected to visit New Delhi 'soon' according to a statement from the FCDO published on Friday.
Express Tribune
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
UK foreign secretary welcomes Pakistan-India ceasefire, says conflict serves no one
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy calls on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on Friday, May 16, 2025. Photo: PID Listen to article British Foreign Secretary David Lammy hailed Pakistan and India for defusing tensions and agreeing to a ceasefire during meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on his official visit to Islamabad while stating that 'the conflict serves no one's interest'. Premier Sharif met Lammy on Friday at the Prime Minister's House, expressing satisfaction with the positive momentum in Pakistan–UK relations and reaffirming his commitment to further enhancing bilateral cooperation across all sectors. Reiterating Pakistan's strong commitment to the ceasefire agreement, the PM noted that Pakistan had demonstrated immense patience and restraint in response to India's baseless accusations and unprovoked aggression. He stressed that Pakistan's actions in exercising its right to self-defence were both proportionate and targeted. Highlighting Pakistan's unwavering resolve to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity at all costs, PM Sharif underscored the country's enduring desire for peace in South Asia. He also extended his best wishes to His Majesty King Charles III and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Read more: Greatest honour is forcing enemy to ceasefire: PM marks Youm-e-Tashakur This marks the first visit by a British foreign secretary to Pakistan since 2021. A statement from the British High Commission in Islamabad noted that Lammy welcomed the ceasefire, underscoring that peace and security form the foundation of the UK's relationship with Pakistan. Highlighting the importance of regional stability, Lammy praised efforts to end the long-standing hostility between Pakistan and India, calling the past few weeks 'distressing.' 'The past few weeks have been difficult for British Pakistanis and British Indians alike. We particularly welcome the ceasefire between British Pakistanis and British Indians,' he added. Referring to the heightened tensions after Pahalgam incident, he said the UK had made every effort to de-escalate the situation. 'Both India and Pakistan have agreed to stop hostilities, and the ceasefire remains in place.' Reaffirming the UK's commitment to counter-terrorism efforts and ensuring the continuation of the ceasefire, Lammy highlighted the long-standing cooperation between the UK and Pakistan in promoting regional peace and stability. Earlier, DPM Dar met with Lammy in Islamabad, warmly welcoming the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan, according to a statement from the Foreign Office. Read more: Pakistan reaffirms support for China's territorial integrity in Zangnan Dar extended a cordial welcome to Lammy on his first official visit to Pakistan. The two leaders held detailed discussions on recent developments in South Asia, with a particular focus on the Pakistan–India ceasefire. The DPM informed the British foreign secretary of India's unprovoked and aggressive actions, condemning them as violations of Pakistan's sovereignty, international law, the United Nations Charter, and the principles of interstate relations. He maintained that Pakistan had exercised its right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter. According to the Foreign Office spokesperson, Dar appreciated the UK's constructive and positive role in reducing tensions. Both sides stressed the importance of restraint and sustained dialogue to ensure long-term peace and stability in the region. The meeting also addressed bilateral relations, with both parties expressing satisfaction over progress in trade, economic cooperation, and development partnerships. Dar lauded the UK's valuable support in the fields of education, healthcare, and climate resilience. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including climate change and sustainable development. They reiterated their resolve to strengthen the historic and long-standing ties between Pakistan and the UK, built on mutual respect, shared values, and strong people-to-people connections.
