UK opposition leader Kemi Badenoch to press for FTA with India

The UK’s newly elected Leader of the Opposition, Kemi Badenoch, has pledged to continue advocating for the conclusion of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with India—a process she championed as the former Secretary of State for Business and Trade.

Speaking at a special festive season gathering of the Indian Diaspora at the High Commission of India in London on Tuesday evening, Badenoch emphasized her commitment to strengthening the "important" bilateral relationship between the UK and India, even from the Opposition benches.

“I want everyone to know just how important the UK-India relationship is, not just to the government, but also to the Conservative Party,” said Badenoch, who succeeded Rishi Sunak as the leader of the Conservative Party earlier this month.

“As Business Secretary, I did everything we could to continue strengthening relations with India. Just because the Conservatives are no longer in government doesn't mean that work will stop. We really value this relationship, and we will continue to press for the conclusion of the UK-India FTA,” she added.

Badenoch noted that the political challenges posed by the recent elections in both countries had delayed progress on the trade agreement, but with those elections now behind them, it was time for both governments to resume their efforts.

“The elections got in the way, but now that they're out of the way, it's time to get back to business and ensure that our two governments are working towards this goal,” Badenoch stated.

Her comments come as the latest statistics from the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) show that annual two-way trade in goods and services between the UK and India has risen by 9.7 percent over the past year, reaching GBP 42 billion.

The UK and India have been negotiating an FTA since January 2022 under the previous Conservative-led government, and the Labour Party, under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has committed to continuing these negotiations.

In her keynote address at the London Global Convention hosted by the Institute of Directors (IoD), UK Treasury Minister Tulip Siddiq highlighted the growing economic ties between the two nations. “We enjoy a thriving trade and investment partnership, which, through a future free trade agreement and Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT), could create one of the strongest and most prosperous relationships in the world,” Siddiq said.

“The UK and India alike have businesses calling out for greater access to export markets. Through our new trade strategy and a free trade agreement, we can provide that access. We are confident that, as a new government, we can fully realize the commercial potential between our two countries,” she added.

Siddiq, the British Bangladeshi Labour MP who oversees financial services policy in her role as Economic Secretary to the Treasury, emphasized the broader economic benefits that a UK-India trade deal could bring. "Imagine the success stories we could create and the growth we could generate through a UK-India trade deal and investment treaty," she said.

She concluded: “We’re following the 2030 India-UK Roadmap, which aims for an even more vibrant and prosperous relationship between our two countries. The possibilities are endless—from entrepreneurs in London and Manchester to those in Delhi, Jaipur, Edinburgh, and Surat.”