Labour Friends of India and Indian High Commission held the reception at the Labour Party Conference in 2018

At this year’s Labour Party Conference, the Indian High Commission and the Labour Friends of India hosted a reception on September 26^th 2018.

The reception featured an illustrious array of guests, including shadow cabinet ministers, MPs and councillors. Senior parliamentarian figures such as Ms. Emily Thornberry, the Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Mr. Barry Gardiner, the Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade, Mr. Jon Ashworth Shadow, the Secretary of State for Health and Public Care, Baroness Shami Chakrabarti, the Shadow Attorney General for England and Wales, Ms. Sharon Hodgson, the Shadow Minister for Public Health, Mr. Paul Sweeney, the Shadow Minister for Scotland and several other senior parliamentarian figures attended from the UK Labour party.

During the reception Mr. Barry Gardiner made a special announcement, introducing the new co-chairs of the Labour Friends of India, Mr Rajesh Agrawal, Deputy Mayor of London for Business and MP Mr. Darren Jones. Mr. Barry Gardiner, the former chair of the Labour Friends of India, commended the recent efforts to fortify ties with India by the Labour party and highlighted the significance of bolstering bonds with the Indian diaspora in the UK.

Shadow Foreign Secretary, Ms. Emily Thornberry commended the Indian High Commissioner for his endeavours to strengthen UK-India ties. She also stressed that the UK and India share many values and both countries need to work hand in hand to meet global challenges that arise. 

Indian High Commissioner Mr. Y.K. Sinha spoke of the profound historic partnership that India has enjoyed with Labour Party since its independence and expressed his confidence that India will continue to play the role of a strategic partner to the U.K. even when it exits the European Union.