Page 17 - Britain

UK PM Starmer assembles Cabinet for 1st meeting, says 'now we get to work'

Prime Minister Keir Starmer held his first Cabinet meeting Saturday as his new government takes on the massive challenge of fixing a heap of domestic woes and winning over a public weary from years of austerity, political chaos and a battered economy. Starmer welcomed the new ministers around the table at 10 Downing St., saying it had been the honour of his life to be asked by King Charles III to form a government in a ceremony that officially elevated him to prime minister. We have a huge amount of work to do, so now we get on with our work, he said. Starmer's Labour Party delivered the biggest blow to the Conservatives in their two-century history Friday in a landslide victory on a platform of change. Among a raft of problems they face are boosting a sluggish economy, fixing a broken health care system, and restoring trust in government. Just because Labour won a big landslide doesn't mean all the problems that the Conservative government has faced has gone away, said Tim Bale,

North Bihar town celebrates Kanishka Narayan's victory in UK elections

The UK parliamentary elections may have disappointed a lot of Indians over Rishi Sunak losing power, but a north Bihar town is celebrating the success of a son of the soil. Kanishka Narayan, an MP of the Labour Party which has returned to power after a decade and a half, has his roots in Muzaffarpur, situated about 70 km from the state capital. "The mood is upbeat in our housing complex, where many distinctly remember having seen Kanishka as a toddler," said Jayant Kumar, Director of the city-based Shri Krishna Law College. Kumar's younger brother Santosh is the father of the 33-year-old MP representing Vale of Glamorgan, who entered politics after giving up a career in the British civil services. "We hail from a village in Goraul block of adjoining Vaishali district. A passion for law runs in our blood. Our late father Krishna Kumar had founded the law college here," said the proud uncle. He recalled Kanishka was born in Muzaffarpur and studied at a local school till standard III

PM Modi speaks to UK counterpart Starmer, both agree to work for early FTA

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday spoke to newly elected British Prime Minister Keir Starmer as the two leaders agreed to work towards an early conclusion of a mutually beneficial India-UK free trade agreement, a statement said. Modi congratulated him on assuming charge and a remarkable victory of his Labour Party in the election. The statement said both the leaders recalled the historic relations between the India and the UK and reaffirmed their commitment to further deepen and advance the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the countries. Appreciating the positive contributions of the Indian community in the social, economic and political development of the UK, they agreed to continue to promote the close people-to-people ties. Modi also extended an invitation to Starmer for an early visit to India as the two leaders agreed to remain in touch, the statement said. In a post on X, Modi said, "Pleased to speak with @Keir_Starmer. Congratulated him on being elected as

David Lammy becomes new UK Foreign Secy; may visit India before end of July

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday named David Lammy as his foreign secretary, as the newly-appointed premier started the process of forming a Labour Party government after winning the general election. The 51-year-old Labour politician and lawyer who is a backer of strong bilateral ties with India, last month said that he would be visiting New Delhi if his party is voted to power on July 4. Many Diwalis have come and gone without a trade deal and too many businesses have been left waiting," said Lammy, referring to the missed Diwali 2022 deadline set by former prime minister Boris Johnson for the Free Trade Agreement (FTA). "My message to [Finance] Minister [Nirmala] Sitharaman and [Trade] Minister [Piyush] Goyal is that Labour is ready to go. Let's finally get our free trade deal done and move on, he said, adding he will be in Delhi before the end of July if elected to government on July 4. Describing India as a priority for the party and an economic, technological and

World leaders congratulate Starmer after Labour's victory in UK election

We will continue the work begun with the UK for our bilateral cooperation, for peace and security in Europe, for the climate and for AI, said French President while congratulating Keir Starmer

Starmer to be UK's new prime minister, Sunak concedes election defeat

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak may be on course for a bruising defeat with his Labour Party rival Keir Starmer set for a landslide win, according to the definitive election night exit poll released on Thursday as polling stations across the country closed in the landmark UK general election. According to the exit poll, which is often quite close to the final tally, Labour could win as many as 410 seats, comfortably crossing the halfway 326 mark and notching up a 170-seat majority with the incumbent Tories down to just 131 seats. Sunak's future as leader of the Conservative Party now hangs in the balance, hours after the British Indian leader and the man who wants his job -- Starmer -- were among the first few voters to cast their votes along with millions in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty walked hand-in-hand to their local polling booth on a sunny day in his constituency of Richmond and Northallerton in Yorkshire, northern England

'Big beasts' slayed as Conservative party suffers UK election bloodbath

Anger at economic stagnation, political scandals and a crisis in public services after years of government spending cuts, saw voters desert the Conservative Party

The UK election winner only becomes PM when King Charles III says so

The Labour Party has won Britain's general election, bringing a new party to power for the first time in 14 years. But Labour leader Keir Starmer won't actually become prime minister until a carefully choreographed ceremony on Friday during which King Charles III will formally ask him to form a new government. It's a moment that embodies the fact that, technically at least, the right to govern in the United Kingdom is still derived from royal authority, centuries after real political power was transferred to elected members of Parliament. The process is swift, if somewhat brutal for departing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Here's how the ceremonial events will unfold. History meets the modern world While Britain is a constitutional monarchy where the king's power is strictly limited by law and tradition, much of what happens here has echoes of the past. In this case, the process harkens back to a time when the king exercised supreme power and chose his preeminent minister the prime .

Challenges ahead for UK's next PM Keir Starmer: All you need to know

Starmer has ruled out rejoining the EU single market or customs union but his party has said it is still possible to remove some trade barriers with bloc

Who is Keir Starmer, the man on course to become new British Prime Minister

The Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, has won 360 seats and crossed the majority mark of 326 seats to form the government in the UK

UK elections: Rishi Sunak concedes defeat as Labour Party crosses majority

Britain's opposition Labour Party has won a 326-seat majority in the parliamentary election, set to put an end to the 14-year-long rule of the Conservative Party

Labour Party leader Starmer thanks voters, says people ready for change

Keir Starmer, the Labour Party leader on track to be the UK's new prime minister, on Friday thanked voters and said the people of the country are "ready for change" and to "end the politics of performance". Starmer, 61, in his victory speech after winning from Holborn and St Pancras, said whether people voted for him or not, "I'll serve every person in this constituency." According to the exit poll, which is often quite close to the final tally, Labour could win as many as 410 seats, comfortably crossing the half way 326 mark and notching up a 170-seat majority with the incumbent Tories led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak down to just 131 seats. "I will speak out for you, have your back, fight your corner every single day," he said, adding people are "ready for change" and to "end the politics of performance". "The change begins right here because this is your democracy, your community, your future," he said. "You have voted. It's now time for us to deliver." Starmer thanked all tho

6th cyber dialogue: India, UK agree to deepen ties, build robust cyberspace

India and the United Kingdom have agreed to deepen cooperation between their cyber agencies in order to build a safe and robust cyberspace, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. The Sixth Cyber Dialogue between the two sides was held here on Wednesday. "Discussions during the dialogue included cyber-threat assessment, internet governance, data protection, protection of critical infrastructure, capacity building and cooperation in multilateral fora, including the latest developments in the cyber realm at the United Nations," according to a statement issued by the MEA. "Both sides agreed to deepen cooperation between their respective cyber agencies in order to build a safe and robust cyberspace," the statement said. The dialogue was co-chaired by Amit A Shukla, Joint Secretary, Cyber Diplomacy Division, MEA, and Kat Jones, Head of Strategy and Engagement, Cyber Policy Department, The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the UK. The Indian delegat

9-yr-old Indian-origin girl chess prodigy to be youngest in England team

Bodhana Sivanandan, a nine-year-old Indian-origin schoolgirl is set to make chess history after she became the youngest person selected to represent England internationally in any sport. Bodhana, from Harrow in north-west London, will join the England Women's Team at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary, in September. The others in her team are all in their 20s, 30s or 40s. "I found out yesterday after I came back from school when my dad told me. I was happy. I hope I'll do well and I'll get another title," she told the BBC on Wednesday. Malcolm Pein, manager of the England chess team, described the schoolgirl as one of the most remarkable British chess prodigies he has ever seen. "It's exciting she's on course to be one of the best British players ever," he said. Her father, Siva Sivanandan, says he remains mystified about where his daughter got her talent. "I'm an engineering graduate, as is my wife, but I'm not good at chess, he said. Bodhana first picked up chess during

Future of Rishi Sunak as PM hangs in balance as voting begins in UK polls

The future of Rishi Sunak as Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party hangs in the balance as polling booths opened across the UK on Thursday, with millions expected to turn out to cast their votes in the general election. Sunak, 44, is up against voter angst towards the incumbent Tories after 14 years in power and has had to contend with trailing far behind 61-year-old Keir Starmer led Labour Party throughout the six-week campaign. Both leaders wrapped up their poll pitches with contrasting messages Sunak urging voters to not hand tax-raising Labour a supermajority and Starmer playing down the prospect of a landslide win for fear of a low turnout impacting the final outcome. Candidates are being fielded for 650 constituencies across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, with 326 required for a majority in the first past the post system. Besides the two main parties, voters will be choosing from a list of candidates representing the Liberal Democrats,

UK to go to polls today; 46.5 mn voters to decide Rishi Sunak's fate

The future of Rishi Sunak as Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party hangs in the balance as the UK goes to the polls on Thursday. Around 46.5 million Britons are eligible to vote in the election. The electorate votes for members of Parliament across 650 constituencies with 326 required for a majority in the first past the post system. Sunak, 44, is up against voter angst against the incumbent Tories after 14 years in power and has had to contend with trailing far behind 61-year-old Keir Starmer-led Labour Party throughout the six-week campaign. Both leaders wrapped up their poll pitches with contrasting messages Sunak urging voters not to hand a "supermajority" to tax-raising Labour and Starmer playing down the prospect of a landslide win for fear of a low turnout impacting the final outcome. On Thursday, around 40,000 polling booths open across the country at 7 am local time as voters turn out to mark a cross next to their chosen candidate on a paper ballot

US ends fight against Titanic expedition, battle over future dives possible

The U.S. government has officially ended its legal fight against an upcoming expedition to the Titanic shipwreck after the company that owns the ship's salvage rights scaled back its dive plans. But the U.S. said in court filings last week that it may wage court battles over future expeditions if they break a federal law and an agreement with Great Britain to treat the wreck as a gravesite. The litigation began last year after RMS Titanic Inc. announced the expedition, which is now scheduled for mid-July. The Georgia-based company originally planned to take images inside the ocean liner's severed hull and to retrieve artifacts from the debris field. RMST also said it would possibly recover free-standing objects inside the Titanic, including from the room where the sinking ship broadcast its distress signals. The U.S. filed its legal challenge in August, arguing that entering the Titanic or physically altering or disturbing the wreck is regulated by the 2017 federal law and pact w

From courtroom to 10 Downing Street: Keir Starmer on cusp of power

The polls that predict his party will win a lopsided majority in Parliament on Thursday also suggest that he is unloved by British voters

British Indian group wants new UK govt to reshape relationship with India

As the UK general election campaign enters its final phase on Tuesday, a British Indian community group has called on the newly elected government to reshape its foreign policy priorities towards India. The Platform for Indian Democracy called on new British members of Parliament to prioritise democracy and human rights in the UK's foreign policy towards India and uphold democratic values in UK-India relations. "The UK government has a unique opportunity to reshape its foreign policy with India, aligning it with the values that British Indians hold dear, said Raul Lai, Coordinator of Platform for Indian Democracy. By advocating for human rights, democratic principles, and ethical diplomacy, the UK can strengthen its relationship with India while upholding the ideals that both nations strive to achieve, he said. As the largest ethnic minority group in the UK, British Indians wield significant influence in constituencies around the country. The Platform for Indian Democracy claims th

JD.com among possible bidders for British parcel company Evri: Report

JD.com is through to the second stage of bidding after submitting a non-binding offer last month, the people said