Trade deal ‘should be sealed by Diwali’
BORIS Johnson has declared he wants a trade deal with India “by Diwali”.
The Prime Minister ordered his team to secure agreement before October’s festival of lights after talks with Indian PM Narendra Modi yesterday.
Officials said progress had been made on four parts of a deal and talks would next week shift to trickier issues.
Speaking alongside Mr Modi, the PM said: “We’re telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali.”
Mr Modi said there had been “good progress” and he hoped to “conclude the [free trade agreement] by the end of this year.”
But Mr Johnson admitted there are “difficult issues” on things like tariffs on whisky. Axing tariffs would boost exports of Scotch and could let the UK lift tariffs on Indian rice and textiles.
The PM also said he was open to welcoming more skilled Indian workers but was asked if that would undermine promises about jobs for British workers.
He said: “What I want to see is a lot of those people who are currently on the unemployment register off benefits and into work,” adding “Indian skills can make a difference” in areas such as IT.
Mr Johnson, who also met Brit High Commissioner Alex Ellis, had wanted a breakthrough after Partygate threatened to derail the entire trip.