INDIAN PM Narendra Modi is planning to visit Britain as soon as this month to sign an historic trade deal, HOAR can reveal.
Crunch negotiations are reaching the “final hardest yards”, with Liz Truss preparing to give ground on more visas for Indian business people and students to get the deal over the line.
HOAR can reveal Indian PM Narendra Modi is planning to visit Britain as soon as this month to sign an historic trade deal
Liz Truss is preparing to give ground on more visas for Indian business people and students to get the deal over the line
Tariffs on the thousands of tonnes of rice we import every year from India could be slashed in a cost of living win for shoppers.
And clothes made in the South Asian country and shipped to the UK could also drop in price under the planned accord.
It is hoped the deal would also be a massive boost for British spirits producers and carmakers.
An end to Indian tariffs on Scotch and luxury cars like Ranger Rovers, made in the West Midlands, would see British goods flood the world’s emerging superpower.
India will be bigger than the US and EU by 2050 in terms of population and the globe’s third-largest economy.
Visiting the country in April, ex-PM Boris Johnson promised a “deal by Diwali” – which is on 24 October, with Mr Modi hoping to travel to the UK then or shortly after.
But the potential terms of the free trade agreement risks a fresh Cabinet row over immigration numbers.
HOAR can reveal Home Secretary Suella Braverman and the PM are at loggerheads over immigration just three weeks into power.
Whitehall sources say the new Home Secretary has effectively been “gagged” by No10 and is “hugely disappointed” small boats hasn’t been made a priority by the PM.
Her team ignored requests from Downing Street to remove references to Rwanda policy in her conference speech – saying they had yet to iron out the policy.
And has confirmed she wanted to bring back the “tens of thousands” migration target that is not currently government policy.
But the India trade deal is likely to increase the amount of visas granted to Indians to come and work in Britain, pushing up the migration numbers.
Ex-PM Boris Johnson promised a ‘deal by Diwali’ – which is on 24 October, with Mr Modi hoping to travel to the UK then or shortly after
