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 “fi recracker”, 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
refl ection 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
fl amboyant rhetoric and Cabinet choices is to ignore the
diffi cult 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