Boris Johnson pledges 'new and improved' trade ties with India as UK PM

Boris Johnson, the former foreign secretary seen as the frontrunner in the race to replace Theresa May as British Prime Minister, on Monday pledged a "new and improved" trading relationship with India if he is elected.

Days after his rival Jeremy Hunt reached out to the Indian diaspora membership of the Conservative Party for votes in the ongoing Tory leadership contest, Johnson issued his own letter to highlight his "personal relationship with Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi" and promised to deliver a truly special UK-India relationship.

"When I was with Prime Minister Modi I stressed that the UK and India are two modern democracies who should work closely together to promote trade and prosperity, improve global security and tackle the challenges our countries face, Johnson writes in an open letter addressed to the Indian diaspora Tory membership base.

"If I am elected Conservative Party Leader and Prime Minister, I will work closely with our friends in the Indian Government, business and society to deliver a truly special UK-India relationship," he said.

In keeping with his firm pro-Brexit stance and determination to leave the European Union (EU) by the October 31 deadline, the 55-year-old senior Tory MP branded it a "travesty" that the 28-member economic bloc had failed to treat free trade agreement talks with India as a priority for over a decade.

He notes: "One of the most important reasons why we need to leave the European Union on 31st October 2019 is so that we can take back control over our trade policy. India is an economic powerhouse and set to become the third largest economy by the middle of the century, with annual economic growth far outpacing the EU.

"The sooner we leave the EU and take back control of our trade policy, the sooner we can strike a new trade deal with India that will deliver new jobs, growth and prosperity for both our countries. Securing this new and improved trading relationship with our friends in India will be a priority for me."