Exclusive: “Delighted to visit India", says Ashton MP Angela Rayner

The Shadow Deputy Prime Minister recently visited India along with Tameside Cllr Vimal Choksi and Stockport MP Navendu Mishra to strengthen community and business ties.

The Labour delegation’s visit to India was organised by the Labour Convention of Indian Organisations and focused on bolstering India-UK ties and the Labour Party’s relationship with the British Indian diaspora.

Angela Rayner, MP for Ashton-under-Lyne, told Tameside Reporter she was “delighted to visit India".

“India is going through a significant period of economic success, climate change initiatives and infrastructure projects. I met the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel, and discussed the strong links between the British Indian community and Gujarat.

“Britain has a 1.8 million strong Indian diaspora, and they make an enormous contribution to our nation. I will continue to work with Indian organisations in Ashton-under-Lyne and across Britain,” she said.

During the trip, the team visited New Delhi, Ahmedabad in Gujarat, and Agra in Uttar Pradesh, and met political leaders at a provincial and national level.

Ms Rayner and Mr Mishra visited Upa-Rashtrapati Niwas, where they met the Vice-President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar.

They discussed the importance of meaningful engagement with India and the broader Indo-Pacific region at the multilateral Raisina Dialogue Conference in New Delhi with India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, and other regional partners such as Matt Keogh, the Australian Labor MP and Minister for Veterans’ Affairs.

In her speech at the Raisina Dialogue conference, Ms Rayner called for future economic collaboration between Britain and India to follow the lead of recent Indian policies and prioritise women’s economic empowerment in the future.

At a roundtable with business leaders, the Labour delegation engaged with business leaders from across India and strengthened economic ties, which will be crucial in delivering secure, well-paying jobs in both nations. The delegation was hosted by the UK-India Business Council and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry to discuss the UK-India economic partnership in greater detail.

During the trip, they visited a large renewable energy initiative, the Dholera Solar Park, a five-gigawatt solar power project being developed in two phases in Gujarat. This is one part of a more extensive expansion in the output of green energy throughout India, boosting both sustainability and economic output. This visit was insightful for the Labour leaders, whose Green Prosperity Plan will achieve a similar transformation back home. 

The team also visited the Akshardham Temple in New Delhi. A major place of worship, the Temple is dedicated to devotion, learning, and harmony. A similar visit took them to the iconic Mughal-era Mausoleum in Agra, the Taj Mahal, which houses a significant Mosque. The delegation also visited the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, one of the most prominent Sikh temples of worship in New Delhi. The Labour MPs met with the Bohra community in Ahmedabad as part of engagement with faith communities.

These meetings might prove vital as Labour seeks to better represent the UK’s diverse communities. This is especially true given Ms Rayner's responsibility for faith and community, an essential part of her policy brief on levelling up housing and communities.

Cllr Vimal Choksi said: "I was pleased to join the Labour Party delegation led by the Rt. Hon. Angela Rayner MP to take part in Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi. We also visited Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. 

"I am a founding member of the Labour Convention of Indian Organisations (LCIO), which works with the Labour Party on issues affecting the British Indian diaspora and plays a key role in connecting Labour with Indian communities across Britain. This was an important opportunity to visit Gujarat and have meaningful engagement with the Gujarati community through a number of business, political, and faith groups.

"Although this visit was important from the national context, it was also important locally in Tameside as we have a significant Indian community, many of whom have origins in Gujarat. This visit also signifies Labour's commitment to engage with diverse communities to increase cooperation and achieve inclusive and mutual prosperity. 

"Angela has an excellent relationship with the Gujarati community in Ashton-under-Lyne, and I am certain that numerous members of the community will welcome her to Gujarat for her landmark visit. Angela is the first deputy leader of the Labour Party to visit Gujarat in modern times and build important relationships, including with the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel."