Keir Starmer to restart UK-India talks after previous negotiations stalled
Keir Starmer is to restart the aborted UK-India trade talks in the new year after an agreement stalled amid disagreements over whisky tariffs and migration.No progress has been made on the deal since early this year after the last round of talks concluded.As prime minister, Boris Johnson promised a swift deal, but Rishi Sunak was said to be deeply uneasy with some of the provisions that had been negotiated by his predecessor.Talks were put on hold in March while both countries prepared for general elections.The deal was originally believed to be based on broad agreement for lower tariffs on whisky and cars from the UK and tariff reductions on Indian textiles, as well as more visas for tech workers and students.
But there were significant concerns about the deal for UK services, which make up 80% of the economy, to give them access to the Indian market.India has a population of 1.4 billion and its economy is predicted to become the world’s third largest by 2050.Starmer met the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, at the G20 summit in Brazil where he spoke of his hopes of finally clinching a trade deal.“Boosting economic growth is key to improving living standards for working people,” he said.
“A new trade deal with India will support jobs and prosperity in the UK – and represent a step forward in our mission to deliver growth and opportunity across our country,”At their bilateral, Starmer said he wanted to take Britain’s relationship with India to “another level” and said he was “very ambitious” in terms of furthering ties “on trade, on energy and on so many issues, including security,”Modi congratulated Starmer on winning “such a large mandate” at the July election,Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, said: “India is the fifth largest economy in the world and a vital trading partner for the UK,We believe there is a good deal to be done here that works for both nations.
“Whether it’s lowering Indian tariffs to help British firms export to this dynamic market or boosting investment which already supports over 600,000 jobs across both countries, striking a deal is important to deliver this government’s core mission of driving economic growth.”In signs that Starmer is looking to reopen some aspects of the deal already negotiated, No 10 said it hoped the talks would be as “ambitious as possible” and that the UK hoped to negotiate a wider strategic partnership, including areas such as security, education, technology and climate breakdown.“It’s well documented that India’s middle class is 60 million and rising and set to reach a quarter of a billion by 2050,” a spokesperson said.“This is a huge market for UK, for UK businesses, and that’s why the PM is so keen following his bilateral with Prime Minister Modi to announce the relaunch of these important trade talks.”
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Gautam Adani, one of the world’s richest men, has been indicted in New York over an alleged multi-billion-dollar scheme to pay $250m in bribes and conceal the scheme from US investors.Prosecutors charged the chair of Indian conglomerate Adani Group and two other executives of a renewable energy company with securities fraud and conspiring to commit securities and wire fraud.The US attorney’s office in Brooklyn accused the executives of agreeing to pay hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of bribes to Indian government officials between 2020 and 2024, in a bid to obtain solar energy supply contracts expected to yield $2bn in profits over 20 years.Separately, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the US’s top markets watchdog, charged Adani, 62, and two other executives over conduct it said had arisen out of a “massive bribery scheme”.Adani Group did not immediately respond to a request for comment
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Opt out: how to stop tech companies spying on your phone as Trump promises mass deportations
There are no federal privacy regulations to protect your information – here’s how you can do it yourselfWelcome to Opt Out, a semi-regular column in which we help you navigate your online privacy and show you how to say no to surveillance. The last column covered how to talk to your family about not posting your baby’s photos on the internet.President-elect Donald Trump has promised to execute the largest mass deportation of undocumented immigrants in American history, and many rights groups are concerned he’ll also introduce or reinstate rules that target broader immigrant communities as well – even if they’ve come through legal pathways or have been naturalized. If his prior administration is any indication, that can include people from certain Muslim-majority countries, asylum seekers and refugees.Civil liberties groups are bracing for what this will mean for the privacy and data security of immigrants around the country
England adjusting Tom Curry’s technique to ensure safety after latest concussion
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Warren Gatland doubles down on Wales job but public support in short supply
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