Diplomatist Magazine Diplomatist September 2019

SPOTLIGHT India-UK relations under Boris Johnson’s leadership BY Hasan Suroor* T he change of guard in Downing Street has raised expectations that the stagnant India-UK relations might be in for a much-awaited bounce under the new management. Boris Johnson is seen as a more pragmatic leader than his bullish predecessor Theresa May who presided over arguably the worst phase of our bilateral relations. It has made Johnson’s task rather easy because the threshold for improvement is so low that even a slight bump might seem like a massive leap. So, how realistic are these expectations? Well, the optics couldn’t have been better. Johnson is a self-proclaimed Indophile and never forgets to boast of his “India connection”, calling himself India’s “son-in-law through his estranged wife Marina Wheeler’s Indian ancestry. He’s also perhaps the only one among the current crop of British politicians who is best known in India. None of his contemporaries enjoys the sort of name recognition as he does. He also has close links with the Indian diaspora, particularly the BJP/Narendra Modi leaning sections, developed when he was the Mayor of London and oversaw the London Olympics. He coopted Indian businesses and individual businessmen through sponsorship deals and donations. Many rich British Indians donated to his leadership campaign. UK-based steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal reportedly joined the “last-minute” rush to fund his election giving him an edge over his rivals. He has also praised Modi and spoken of their personal chemistry hailed as the Indian prime minister a “firecracker”, and a “political phenomenon”. His appointment of Priti Patel, a Modi supporter, as Home Secretary, and elevation of Alok Sharma and Rishi Sunak to senior positions have gone down well with the Indian diaspora—again particularly with pro-BJP sections. These appointments have been portrayed by Johnson’s aides as a reflection of his pro-India tilt. So far, so good. As I said the optics couldn’t be better. But trying to look for clues to Johnson’s India policy in his flamboyant rhetoric and Cabinet choices is to ignore the difficult issues that divide the two countries. Indeed, there is a great deal of scepticism whether he has anything like a coherent India policy at all, given his reputation for taking decisions on the hoof whereas rebooting this relationship will need not only a cogent policy but also the political will to implement it. The biggest stumbling block is Britain’s hardline on immigration. India has been pressing for a preferential visa regime for its citizens on the lines of the one-China enjoys. In return, it is willing to facilitate a “grand” post- 32 • Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 7 • Issue 9 • September 2019, Noida

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