ALEX ELLIS SAYS RISHI SUNAK IS HINDU BUT HIS HEART AND MIND IS BRITISH

Although Rishi Sunak is of Punjabi origin and a Hindu, Alex Ellis, the British High Commissioner to India, stated that Rishi Sunak's heart and mind are British. He was speaking at the Mumbai 2022 India Today Conclave.

Ellis commented on Rishi's appointment as PM and the changes in racial relations in the UK, saying, "The modern UK is quite a diverse place and PM Sunak got to the top because he is a capable man and it shows how talent can drive."

"We can not see a world in which the UK thrives without India thriving. There is a mutuality of interest that will get tighter in the future," Ellis said.

The ambassador stated when asked about UK-India relations after Brexit that they are one of continuity and change, and the course was determined when we left the European Union. There are opportunities for trade and immigration policy, and there were positive relations between Boris Johnson and PM Narendra Modi, which persisted with Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak. However, the world is now much more geopolitically tense.

Regarding migration policy, he asserted that both nations have them, seek to attract talented people, and ensure that they are balanced by regulations and measures to prevent those who do not respect the law and their legal right to remain. This is true of all nations in the world.

On inquiries regarding the extradition of Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya, he responded, "This is no longer a government matter and the extradition had been signed three years ago. It is a matter of court. We do not want the UK to be a place for fugitives and the wheels of justice turn slowly, but they do turn."

Regarding the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Ellis remarked: Athough we had thought that territorial aggression in Europe had come to an end, it still exists and is a part of the more contensted geopolitical environment in which we now live. He also said, "We can not allow President Putin to thrive by invading his neighbours."

When asked about belligerent nuclear threats from Moscow, Ellis added that the fact we are about is extraordinary. "My great worry is Putin's regime is playing a terrible game. Threatening nuclear war, and blocking grain supplies are deeply serious issues and we can not allow such games to be played. We also see that this affects the world with energy and fertiliser prices soaring across the world. What we are doing is allowing the world to defend itself from unjustified military invasion."