David Miliband: Uncut
Labour leadership contender David Miliband says he doesn’t want to see the British community of Indian origins in the margins but in the mainstream. In a one-to-one interview with Asian Voice, the former Foreign Secretary of Britain comments on Prime Minister Cameron’s recent visit to India, coalition government’s immigration cap, Osborne’s budget and the contribution of British Indian community to Britain.
SS: What are the infrastructure opportunities that you see in UK and if you had to prioritise the sectors?
DM: We obviously have a blessing of a very old infrastructure and the burden of a very old infrastructure. Our railway infrastructure is 19th century which may ring some bells of its ancient and heritage. But our energy infrastructure, for example, is more of the post war period. So, the priorities for us are, I would say, over the next 20 years are one – energy, which I think is really important, including not just more energy efficient but carbon capturing energy with the upgrading of our electricity infrastructure is very very important.
Second, I think what is pretty important is our soft infrastructure which I think is good but could be better. We have very high digital and high speed penetration into the household market, pretty well into the commercial market. But I think we could do better, especially in the more far flung areas.
And thirdly – transport. Because I think that’s a big thing where the previous government committed to high speed rail which I think is very important.
SS: In the context of UK-India relations, what are your comments on Cameron’s visit to India where he has established an excellent political and business relation, which the Labour government have conspicuously failed to do?
DM: I am surprised they say that because I think David Cameron inherited a very very strong relationship. Prime Minister Singh and Prime Minister Brown were very closely together. We were very close to Foreign Minister Krishna and all the different levels where there was real cooperation but not just government. After all, British investments in India and Indian investments in Britain have both been going the right way. So I think Prime Minister Cameron inherited a very strong relationship and the fact that he wants to nurture it is a very very good thing.
SS: Is it not realistic to have a one to one relation with India rather than a cold war Indo Pak construction which has no relevance today?
DM: Of course, I mean I don’t recognize that India being clubbed with Pakistan at all. India is a success story of South Asia. It’s a bilateral partner but it’s also a multilateral partner. I mean we’ve argued very strongly for a stronger Indian role in wider International political system. That’s true through the G20, process in expansion through what is called the G-8. We are long champions since Tony Blair’s time for the Indian membership to the United Nations Security Council. So, I don’t think that India is seen through an India-Pakistan prism at all. Obviously, instability in Pakistan can be dangerous for all the countries in South Asia but that doesn’t mean that India is bracketed in that way.
SS: Mr Cameron spoke warmly of India’s business relations in the UK. How important is this for the re-generation of the UK economy?
DM: I think it is important. I mean something like Tata; they are big investors and have recently sold the Redcar steel to Sahaviriya Steel Industries (SSI), a Thai company. And the fact that now India has now bigger investments in Britain and Britain has in India is a remarkable testimony to how this is now a partnership of equals. I think we both have very strong shared interests in open global economy. And we have to forge new areas of cooperation, which I think is higher education, technology in respect of Green technology, there are big opportunities in the health sector as well as the more traditional services like insurance and so on.
SS: In the light of the immigration scenario, already the British government, especially Damien Green has agreed to have a special arrangement with the top companies for visas- any comment on that?
DM: Well I think that the new government’s approach to immigration is sending out very confused messages because they have isolated countries like India for a cap on immigration. That is completely the wrong approach in my view. Far from that sending the message that Britain is open for business, it sends the message that we are concerned about skilled, qualified people coming here to work and pay taxes. I think that’s a piece of populism that has gone wrong really. And so, we have taken the government to task about that because there are, I think, about 22,000-23,000 people from outside the EU, who come here every year. But then to pretend that a cap on non-EU skilled migrants is going to tackle that problem is ridiculous. So, I think Mr. Green has lot of answering to do to people who look at Britain as standing out for an open role in the global economy. I would stand up for Britain to have an open role in the global economy. I don’t think a cap on skilled non-EU migrants is a way to build a stronger Britain.
SS: But do you think that will affect India-UK relations in anyway?
DM: Well, I hope not. But I think it sends a very odd message. I don’t want to send an odd message. I want to send a message that we welcome Indians who come here to pay taxes and contribute to our society.
SS: George Osborne’s budget is supposedly going to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. What is your comment on that?
DM: Well, I believe in Robin Hood and not in the Sheriff of Nottingham. The worst thing obviously is that at a time of fiscal retrenchment, the poorest in the society are being asked the bear the greatest burden which is a typical Conservative approach. But equally bad is that he told the House of Commons it’s a budget that will help the poor and not the rich. And then it turns out that it wasn’t true. That’s was a very bad thing to do.
SS: And finally, there is a huge British Indian population in UK. If you have to send out a message to say how do you think their contribution has helped UK?
DM: Well, I think it has been a fantastic success story. I don’t see the British community of Indian origins in the margin; I see them in the mainstream. And we need to make sure that mainstream is strong and vibrant and growing.
The Britons of Indian origin, some of them I am going to meet when I open this new temple in West Bromwich, in the great towns and cities of Britain are doing well in business, education, health in the community. They are value members of the community. And I think it’s one of the great things actually that this is a country that has made itself home to millions of people.
And my message will be to thank them for their citizenship and their contribution in all walks of life. I am the first person from my family to be born in this country so I have some similar reason to recognise how this country has opened its arms from people around the world.
But I think the second message to the Britons of Indian origin is ‘Let’s build up on the progress we have made because we haven’t struggled this hard and worked this hard for a more equal opportunity only to see it thrown away.’ And that’s the central politics in the future.