How Modi won in Batley
NARENDRA MODI won the recent Batley and Spen byelection, even though the Indian prime minister wasn’t technically a candidate.
Labour’s Kim Leadbeater scraped home by 323 votes, probably by attracting at least 323 Pakistaniorigin voters with her antiModi leaflet.
The Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, resisted calls from some of his own MPs to withdraw the leaflet and not engage in “dog-whistle racism”.
Leadbeater also defended the leaflet: “I don’t think it is a mistake. I think that leaflet is about human rights and it’s about having an MP who is going to speak out on the human rights issues in Kashmir.
“And, sadly, we’ve got a prime minister who isn’t doing that, he isn’t challenging the Indian government around these issues. So you need someone who can, and that’s exactly what I would do.”
The real winner is Modi, because the leaflet has ensured even more Indians will vote next time for Boris Johnson, who steers clear of importing India-Pakistan differences over Kashmir into British domestic politics.
Reflecting the common sense view, Tory peer Dr Rami Ranger told me: “I was appalled by the way Labour used Narendra Modi’s picture in their election campaign in in Batley & Spen. I fail to understand what connection the Indian prime minister has with British politics. It was politics designed to divide British citizens of Indian and Pakistani origin.
“But dividing voters on a racial and religious basis is very dangerous for race relations and social cohesion in Britain – a short-term gain for a political party but a longterm loss for the nation.
“I would like the Election Commissioner to look into the conduct of the Labour party.”
Leadbeater is playing to her Pakistani constituents, who should not be gullible enough to believe that Labour will make the slightest difference in India-Pakistani relations.
My own view is a very simple one – Indians and Pakistanis in Britain should be very good friends, agree to disagree on Kashmir in a cordial spirit and work together in order to improve the lives of British Asians in this country.