Rishi Sunak has insisted that a post-Brexit trade deal with India is “not a given”, as he prepares for talks with his Indian counterpart at the G20 summit in Delhi.
The prime minister refused to commit to getting the free trade agreement (FTA) – initially promised before Diwali last October – before the general election, as he downplayed the chances of a breakthrough.
Mr Sunak said a UK-India would be “good to have” but insisted “won’t rush it” as he prepares to discuss remaining barriers with PM Narendra Modi at a bilateral on Saturday.
The PM is refusing to offer more work and student visas in order to hasten the post-Brexit deal – but the issue of corporate visas is on the table, No 10 indicated.
Speaking in New Delhi, Mr Sunak refused to comment on the visa issue, but insisted that he there was no “arbitrary deadline” for a trade pact – pointing to his long-awaited deal with the EU to rejoin its science research programme. “Just like Horizon, I’ve taken the time to get them right.”
Mr Sunak even suggested a trade deal with India may never happen – telling reporters travelling with him on the plane that “it’s not a given”.
He added: “These things are a lot of work and a lot of time. That’s why I’ve never put artificial deadlines on these trade deals, I’ve always said we shouldn’t sacrifice quality for speed.”
Foreign secretary James Cleverly appeared to play down concerns that a possible free trade deal could involve the UK handing out more student visas. “We’ve got to understand that trade deals are trade deals, not travel deals,” he told GB News.
Mr Cleverly also rejected the idea of slow progress towards a trade deal. Pressed on Sky News about whether an agreement could be expected before the next general election, he said the government did not want to “rush it through”.
Sunak meets local schoolchildren at the British Council in Delhi— (Getty Images)
The PM said it was “special” to be visiting India again – a country which he revealed refers to him as its “son-in-law” as he arrived in New Delhi for the weekend’s summit.
Mr Sunak said India was “near and dear” to him because of family ties. He is the first UK PM of Indian descent and was a regular visitor to the country before being promoted to chancellor by Boris Johnson.
The MP for Richmond was born in Hampshire, to Indian migrant parents – a pharmacist mother and a GP father. The 43-year-old is also married to Akshata Murty, the daughter of NR Narayana Murty, the founder of Indian IT giant Infosys and a major figure in the country.
“It is obviously special,” he said. “I saw somewhere that I was referred to as India’s son-in-law, which I hope was meant affectionately … I’m excited to be back. It is nice to have Akshata with me as well.”
Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty (C) are met on the tarmac by dignitaries including the Indian minister of state— (Getty Images)
Mr Sunak was heard asking school children whether they watched India’s successful moon landing during a visit to the British Council. After getting a fulsome reply, he said: “That was really cool, wasn’t it? A special moment.”
While at the Indian summit, Mr Sunak has vowed to “call out” Russia about its invasion of Ukraine – despite India keeping ties open with Moscow since the conflict started in February last year.
Mr Sunak said he will use the G20 summit in India to speak to allies about Ukraine and “put pressure” on Moscow over its blockade of grain out of Ukraine. “I’ll be highlighting that devastating impact so that people are aware of what’s happening and put pressure on Russia to cease attacking civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.”
The PM criticised Russian president Vladimir Putin for refusing to attend the G20. Moscow has sent foreign minister Sergei Lavrov to New Delhi in his absence.
Mr Sunak said the Russian leader was steering clear of confrontation because he “doesn’t want to be held accountable”, adding that his absence “demonstrates his isolation in the global community”.
Chinese president Xi Jinping is another of the 20 leaders who chose not to fly out to India, with premier Li Qiang representing Beijing at the summit. Mr Sunak would not commit to meeting with Mr Li while in New Delhi, saying only that he was “expecting to see a range of people”.
Mr Sunak holds a bilateral meeting Mr Modi on Saturday, where they are expected to discuss a wide range of issues. The PM suggested that he would not raise the case of Jagtar Singh Johal – the British citizen accused of terror offences and facing the death penalty in the country.
Dozens of MPs have urged the PM to ask Mr Modi to release the man from West Dunbartonshire, whom campaigners at Reprieve claimed has been forced to sign false confessions.
Asked if he would raise the case, Mr Sunak said: “This is something that, just so people are reassured, has already been raised on multiple levels on multiple occasions.”
