The High Commissioner Mr. Ranjan Mathai, in collaboration with the Labour Friends of India, chaired by Barry Gardiner MP, hosted a reception on the side lines of the Labour Party Conference on September 21, 2014 in Manchester. The Leader of the Labour Party Mr. Ed Miliband addressed the gathering which comprised many MPs & Peers, including John Speller, Seema Malhotra, Gareth Thomas, Mike Gapes, Virendra Sharma, Sadiq Khan, Baroness Worthington, Keith Vaz, Valerie Vaz, Chris Ruane, Sir Richard Leese, Leader of the Manchester City Council and others.
In his comments, Labour Leader Ed Miliband stressed the Labour Party’s continued commitment to the strongest possible relations between the United Kingdom and India. He recognized the huge contribution made by British Indians in every conceivable area in the UK and highlighted this as yet another reason for strong links between India and the UK. Mr. Miliband also congratulated PM Narendra Modi on his election and the thrust given by the Government to India’s economic resurgence.
Mr. Barry Gardiner, described the presence of a large number of MPs, Peers and other members of the Labour Party as a testimony to the importance the Party attaches to UK’s relations with India.