Sharma, who was the Member of Parliament for Ealing Southall five consecutive times since 2007 and did not seek re-election this time, told IANS in an exclusive interview that Starmer and the Labor Party are returning to power after 14 years. the change that the United Kingdom so badly needed.
Excerpts:
IANS: It's a great day for you and the Labor Party. Even as you head into another victory celebration, how would you describe the mood in Britain right now? Virendra Sharma: Thank you very much. Yes, of course, it is one of the happiest days for those who believe in equality, diversity, internationalism and democracy. Today democracy has worked and the British people have voted in favor of our party, which is the Labor Party.
I was one of Westminster's longest-serving MPs before I recently decided to resign as a Member of Parliament and retire from public life. That does not mean that I will not publicly fulfill my duties of supporting the new government. We have the largest majority and with our commitment, dedication and visionary approach under the leadership of Keir Starmer, we will rebuild the economy and certainly stabilize the world order, including peace in countries outside Britain.
IANS: Indians across the world were very happy when Rishi Sunak came to power two years ago. How are British Indians reacting now to their loss? Virendra Sharma: The British, including Indians living in Britain, saw the work of the Conservative government, whether it was the previous regimes or under the leadership of Rishi Sunak. And the results showed that the majority of Britons felt strongly that Rishi Sunak's Conservative government was not the government they wanted to see.
Of course, one feels happy and proud (seeing a leader of Indian origin), but one also analyzes whether this person will be able to give us what we want, including stabilizing the economy, providing better services and ensuring that the The future of the young generation is safe.
The Sunak government did not provide that. That's why we got this change. The people of Britain have shown confidence in the new government and I am pretty sure the people of India feel the same.IANS: Rishi Sunak and Prime Minister Narendra Modi enjoyed an excellent chemistry that worked quite well for both countries. Will this continue under the new Labor government or do you expect any changes?
Virendra Sharma: The British government has generally developed a good relationship with India, regardless of political changes. British diplomacy is also quite famous in the world and I believe that under the new leadership we will continue to use those skills.
The union of India and Britain will certainly influence the international framework. I have every confidence that Keir Starmer will continue to carry the work forward. This relationship between Britain and India - the world's largest and oldest democracies - will only get stronger. We hold regular exchanges and also regular elections to ensure that the verdict of the people is adopted. That is why I feel that under the new leadership and the new government, the ties between India and the United Kingdom will develop further in the interest of humanity and the people of the world.
IANS: In your opinion, what went wrong for Rishi Sunak in this election?
Virendra Sharma: I campaigned all my life for better representation of black and Asian communities in the British political system, and Rishi Sunak overcame that system and led the country. While I have full respect for him, I believe that his policies, and those of the Conservative leaders who preceded him, failed. People have issued a verdict against the political ideology and approach that Rishi Sunak followed. Whether he called early or late elections is a political trial. You have to take some kind of stance. In this case, his judgment was wrong as far as conservatives were concerned.
But we felt this was the right time because he had no more vision for the country. And it was the right time to call an election so that the people of Britain could decide whether they wanted the country to govern under Conservative leadership or whether they wanted change, which they got today.
IANS: Things won't be so easy for the Labor government... What are the immediate challenges before Keir Starmer? There is also a big debate about immigrants...Virendra Sharma: Keir Starmer wants to move the country forward. Previous governments have damaged the entire British system, including the economy, police, NHS, education, roads and transport. Everything is broken.
Starmer first has to stop further deterioration and then turn things around. We need to have a skilled workforce to do that. So to create that, the government will seek support from other friendly countries and get those immigrants to come and help us. Just as I came here 55 years ago to support the country and rebuild it after the war.
There are many other areas that I am sure the government will be looking at. Plus, they don't know how much money they have today. The government will not know until later if it has the necessary funds in the Treasury to make the recovery.
Excerpts:
IANS: It's a great day for you and the Labor Party. Even as you head into another victory celebration, how would you describe the mood in Britain right now? Virendra Sharma: Thank you very much. Yes, of course, it is one of the happiest days for those who believe in equality, diversity, internationalism and democracy. Today democracy has worked and the British people have voted in favor of our party, which is the Labor Party.
I was one of Westminster's longest-serving MPs before I recently decided to resign as a Member of Parliament and retire from public life. That does not mean that I will not publicly fulfill my duties of supporting the new government. We have the largest majority and with our commitment, dedication and visionary approach under the leadership of Keir Starmer, we will rebuild the economy and certainly stabilize the world order, including peace in countries outside Britain.
IANS: Indians across the world were very happy when Rishi Sunak came to power two years ago. How are British Indians reacting now to their loss? Virendra Sharma: The British, including Indians living in Britain, saw the work of the Conservative government, whether it was the previous regimes or under the leadership of Rishi Sunak. And the results showed that the majority of Britons felt strongly that Rishi Sunak's Conservative government was not the government they wanted to see.
Of course, one feels happy and proud (seeing a leader of Indian origin), but one also analyzes whether this person will be able to give us what we want, including stabilizing the economy, providing better services and ensuring that the The future of the young generation is safe.
The Sunak government did not provide that. That's why we got this change. The people of Britain have shown confidence in the new government and I am pretty sure the people of India feel the same.IANS: Rishi Sunak and Prime Minister Narendra Modi enjoyed an excellent chemistry that worked quite well for both countries. Will this continue under the new Labor government or do you expect any changes?
Virendra Sharma: The British government has generally developed a good relationship with India, regardless of political changes. British diplomacy is also quite famous in the world and I believe that under the new leadership we will continue to use those skills.
The union of India and Britain will certainly influence the international framework. I have every confidence that Keir Starmer will continue to carry the work forward. This relationship between Britain and India - the world's largest and oldest democracies - will only get stronger. We hold regular exchanges and also regular elections to ensure that the verdict of the people is adopted. That is why I feel that under the new leadership and the new government, the ties between India and the United Kingdom will develop further in the interest of humanity and the people of the world.
IANS: In your opinion, what went wrong for Rishi Sunak in this election?
Virendra Sharma: I campaigned all my life for better representation of black and Asian communities in the British political system, and Rishi Sunak overcame that system and led the country. While I have full respect for him, I believe that his policies, and those of the Conservative leaders who preceded him, failed. People have issued a verdict against the political ideology and approach that Rishi Sunak followed. Whether he called early or late elections is a political trial. You have to take some kind of stance. In this case, his judgment was wrong as far as conservatives were concerned.
But we felt this was the right time because he had no more vision for the country. And it was the right time to call an election so that the people of Britain could decide whether they wanted the country to govern under Conservative leadership or whether they wanted change, which they got today.
IANS: Things won't be so easy for the Labor government... What are the immediate challenges before Keir Starmer? There is also a big debate about immigrants...Virendra Sharma: Keir Starmer wants to move the country forward. Previous governments have damaged the entire British system, including the economy, police, NHS, education, roads and transport. Everything is broken.
Starmer first has to stop further deterioration and then turn things around. We need to have a skilled workforce to do that. So to create that, the government will seek support from other friendly countries and get those immigrants to come and help us. Just as I came here 55 years ago to support the country and rebuild it after the war.
There are many other areas that I am sure the government will be looking at. Plus, they don't know how much money they have today. The government will not know until later if it has the necessary funds in the Treasury to make the recovery.
