One of the key aspects of Keir Starmer’s leadership of the Labour Party, as it moved away from the Corbyn era, has been a shift back to the political centre. Starmer realised that to regain power, Labour needed to discard the image it had under Corbyn, which had alienated various groups, including Hindus, Jews, Whites and the working class.
Despite the Conservative Party’s nine years of crises, Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour suffered a massive defeat in the 2019 general election. Among the groups most upset were traditional Labour voters: Hindus of the United Kingdom.
Under Corbyn, Labour had an ill-repute of being “anti-Hindu”. This sentiment was similar to the anti-Hindu bias seen in liberal publications like The Guardian, which once depicted Priti Patel as a cow with a ring on her nose.
A major misstep was the Kashmir Declaration when Corbyn’s Labour declared a “humanitarian crisis in the region” and supported the “right to self-determination” for the people of Kashmir. This motion, calling for international monitors, caused significant backlash and required clarification from Corbyn, but it was too late to mend relations with New Delhi and the Indian community.
In 2019, Rajesh Agrawal, co-chair of the Labour Friends of India, stated, “As the co-chair of the Labour Friends of India, I am clear that abrogation of article 370 of the Indian constitution is a matter for Indian parliament. It is not for Britain or the Labour Party to intervene. As a party of government, the Labour Party must work to build on the decade-old friendship with India and the Indian community in the UK. Glad to see that the Labour Party recognises that the language in the recent motion on Kashmir was unhelpful.”
Experts believe this was a turning point when the Indian diaspora began shifting support to the Conservative Party. According to the 2021 census, there are 1.8 million British Indians, with nearly a million identifying as Hindus. This shift led to the formation of British Hindu Indian Votes Matter, which campaigned against Labour’s “anti-India” and “anti-Hindu” stance.
Since becoming leader, Keir Starmer has actively worked on repairing relations with India and British Hindus. He stated during a meeting with Labour Friends of India: “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.”
The 2024 Labour election manifesto pledged to seek a “new strategic partnership with India, including a free trade agreement, as well as deepening cooperation in areas like security, education, technology and climate change.” At the India Global Forum, Starmer emphasised:
I have a clear message for you all today: this is a changed Labour Party. 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.
Starmer has been very vocal in his Hindu outreach in Great Britain. Ahead of the election, during a visit to the Shree Swaminarayan Mandir in Kingsbury, he said, “There is absolutely no place for Hinduphobia in Britain” and that Labour would “build a new strategic partnership with India”. His speech began with “Jai Swaminarayan” and he praised British Hindus for “their rich Hindu heritage and deep commitment to Britain’s future”.
He promised, “If we’re elected next week, we will strive to govern in the spirit of seva to serve you and a world in need. Strengthened by Hindu values, you’re not only contributing massively to our economy, you’re bringing innovation and expertise that keeps us competitive on the global market.” He also highlighted Labour’s “record number of Hindu candidates” and pledged that the party would stand “firmly behind the Hindu community, representing your concerns, listening to your voice, working with you, on issues at home as well as on the global stage”.
