UK: Conservative Friends of India holds 'Spectacular Conference Reception' in Manchester

The Conservative Party Conference was held in Manchester on Saturday, October 23 for the Conservative Friends of India, a group associated with the Conservative Party (CP). The conference was attended by the Co-Chairs of CF India, Cllr Reena Ranger OBE, and Cllr Ameet Jogia. As per an official statement released by the Conservative Party, the "Spectacular Conference Reception" was jointly held by the Conservative Friends of India and the Indian High Commission after 2 years. 

Many guests and parliamentarians attended the event, including the guest speaker, Gaitri Issar Kumar, the High Commissioner of India, the Chairman of the Conservative Party, Oliver Dowden MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak MP, International Trade Secretary Anne Marie Trevelyan MP, Health Secretary Sajid Javid MP, Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi MP, and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps MP, among other prominent guests.

While addressing the event, the High Commissioner of India, Gaitri Issar Kumar, paid tribute to the "Living Bridge" that is the British Indian Diaspora. Issar lauded their efforts to strengthen relations between the UK and India. The High Commissioner also extended his gratitude towards the Secretaries of State, Ministers, and Members of Parliament for supporting India and the reception.

The long-standing supporters who spoke at the event included CF India Patron Lord Rami Ranger CBE and Parliamentary Vice Chairs Padma Shri Award winner Bob Blackman MP, Minister for London Paul Scully MP and Theresa Villiers MP, the High Commissioner of Bangladesh, Saida Muna Tasneem, and London's former Mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey, among others. The chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, said, "I love Conservative Friends of India. This is my home and I wouldn't be here without your support". Sunak appreciated the decade-long work of Lord Ranger and paid tribute to the Indian High Commissioner for his decades of work in enriching and making the Conservative Party a diverse political party. At the event, the Chairman of the Conservative Party, Oliver Dowden MP, thanked the Indian community for their support in contributing to the Conservative Party and Britain.

During the event, the guests spoke on multiple issues, including the pandemic, COVID vaccination, India's bilateral relationship with the UK, and welcoming Indian students studying at British universities, as well as developing closer relations between educational institutions. The Conservative Friends of India group also hosted a dinner with Minister for International Trade Ranil Jayawardena MP, who has played a significant role in developing the road map for a free trade agreement between Britain and the UK.

Image: ANI

With Inputs from ANI