UK Leader describes FTA’s ups and downs

London: The UK’s Opposition Leader Keir Starmer has described the ups and downs of the government’s negotiations towards a free trade agreement (FTA) with India as ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’ and committed the Labour Party to pursuing an ‘always happy’ bilateral relationship.During his speech at a Diwali celebration in the Houses of Parliament complex in London organised by the British Indian think tank 1928 Institute last week, Starmer referenced the Bollywood box-office hit which translates as sometimes happy, sometimes sad. India and the UK are currently in the 14th round of FTA negotiations to enhance the GBP 36-billion bilateral trading partnership, with several expected completion points having passed. “We will be rebuilding Britain’s reputation on the international stage and that means a new strategic partnership with India,” said Starmer. “The Tories are working on a free trade agreement, I think. It’s all a bit stop-and-start. In fact, you could almost call the negotiations ‘Khabi Kushi Khabhie Gham’. But Labour wants more than that – we want a deeper understanding. You can call it an always happy relationship. A relationship based on our shared values of democracy, aspiration and respect,” he said. The FTA talks began in January last year with Diwali 2022 set as the initial deadline by then prime minister Boris Johnson.