Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee urges progress on the UK-India free trade agreement
Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee – (Non-Afl) (Maiden Speech) House of Lords
- the importance of India as a market to do business with and seek investment from
- not just the economic ties but the many cultural and educational ties that exist
- the largest group of overseas students at my alma mater, Queen’s University Belfast, is from south Asia
- great passion for developing stronger ties between his original homeland, India, and Northern Ireland
- Many Indian-based companies have invested in Northern Ireland over the years
- Northern Ireland companies are doing a lot of business in India.
- Baroness Foster looks forward to progress on the UK-India free trade agreement.
My Lords, I am very pleased to be able to make my maiden speech during this timely and important debate. I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Verma, and congratulate her on bringing the debate forward.
Before I make my comments on the substance of the debate, I thank all those who have made my arrival in this place such a pleasant one. I place on record my sincere thanks to Garter, Black Rod and all the staff in the various offices, including the magicians in IT help—please always keep well—the catering and cleaning staff, our police officers and, of course, the wonderful doorkeepers, who have already kept me right on a number of occasions and welcomed me every day with a smile. Thank you to each and every one. I also thank the two noble Lords who were with me when I was introduced. The noble Lords, Lord Dodds and Lord Godson, are both dear friends; I thank them for their continued support.
My congratulations to the noble Earl, Lord Minto, on his contribution today. I thank him for going first; that is always good when you are making a maiden speech as well. The Fosters were also reivers from the borders of Scotland. Like the Elliots, they left behind cattle stealing and moved on to law and politics—well, this one did in any event.
Noble Lords may be wondering why I have chosen a debate about the relationship between India and the UK for my maiden speech; it is quite a distance, in many ways, from Aghadrumsee to Chandigarh. Early on during my time as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment in the Northern Ireland Executive—a post that I was proud to hold for more than seven years—I realised the importance of India as a market to do business with and seek investment from. I visited on a number of occasions and, in doing so, appreciated not just the economic ties but the many cultural and educational ties that exist.
For example, in 2019, the Jaipur Literature Festival set up a partnership with Belfast. I enjoyed a wonderful evening celebrating the cultural exchange that took place in the city. I am pleased to see that the festival that is taking place now in India will again have representatives from across the United Kingdom, with Belfast-born author Elaine Canning showcasing her debut novel, supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the British Council.
Reflecting on the point about the importance of educational exchange made by the noble Baroness, Lady Verma, and the noble Lord, Lord Bilimoria, I am pleased to say that the largest group of overseas students at my alma mater, Queen’s University Belfast, is from south Asia. Seven years ago, Queen’s University attracted fewer than 10 students from there but, today, I can proudly say that it has close to 1,000 such students annually, so the educational exchange and relationship is also strong.
Although I am really pleased to see these developments in culture and education, it is in the field of economic development that I find the most reasons to be cheerful. In particular, I warmly welcome the fact that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Department for International Trade have recognised that representatives from the regions of the UK are much better qualified to promote the strengths, cultures and propositions of their own regional economies. Then, working alongside the British High Commission is a huge enabler for bringing more business to the United Kingdom.
As a former First Minister and Economy Minister for Northern Ireland, I was fortunate to follow in the footsteps of one of our local Peers and his great passion for developing stronger ties between his original homeland, India, and Northern Ireland. I speak of the noble Lord, Lord Rana of Malone, of course. The output of his work was Northern Ireland’s first ever office in Mumbai and Bangalore within the British deputy high commissions. I fondly remember a trip to India that we made together when I was Minister.
Many Indian-based companies have invested in Northern Ireland over the years. HCL, First Source Solutions, Tata Steel and a number of smaller companies have recognised the advantages of investing in Northern Ireland, bringing thousands of jobs for our young, bright population. Likewise, Northern Ireland companies are doing a lot of business in India. Companies such as Randox, CDE Asia and Terex are all companies that I know well and which are continuing to do business globally from their base in Northern Ireland. With an office of the Department for International Trade now in Belfast, and with the Mumbai branch of Invest Northern Ireland again open for business thanks to that department, I think that the future is bright for Northern Ireland as a region of the United Kingdom doing business in India.
It is critical that we have a stable and growing relationship with our friends in India, whether in culture, economic development, trade or defence. There are many strings to that bow; I look forward to hearing from the Minister how we are going to deepen that relationship further. In particular, I look forward to hearing about progress on the UK-India free trade agreement.
Thank God Boris has finally taken on European Court of Justice, says DAME ARLENE FOSTER
IS the Government finally going to deal with the iniquitous NI protocol? It certainly appears so. At long last we have published legislation which reasserts the Acts of Union and by doing so gives primacy to the single market of the United Kingdom.
By DAME ARLENE FOSTER
18:22, Mon, Jun 13, 2022 | UPDATED: 22:09, Mon, Jun 13, 2022
The legislation is important as it is long overdue recognition by the Prime Minister and his Government that the Protocol must be replaced with arrangements that respect Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom.
As it stands the protocol endangers jobs, drives up costs for customers at a time when we are facing a cost-of-living crisis generally and reduces choice on our shelves.
Those who never accepted the UK’s decision to leave the EU will say that this legislation endangers devolution in NI.
The Remainer alliance in Northern Ireland (Sinn Fein, SDLP and the Alliance party) will tell you that they want to keep the Protocol as is, even though it is damaging cross community relations and costing our economy dearly – the Road Haulage Association for example tell us that haulage costs have risen by 27 percent as a direct result of the protocol.
In Northern Ireland we have a system of government under the Belfast agreement that only works under consensus, that is, that a majority in both communities agree on the way forward.
In January 2020, the Assembly and Executive was reconstituted after a three-year boycott by Sinn Fein under an agreement called ‘New Decade, New Approach’.
The agreement was the basis of starting devolution again and in that agreement, there was a commitment by the Government to restore Northern Ireland’s place in the UK internal market.
It has taken two and half years but at last the Government is taking action to do just that – and remember all the parties in Northern Ireland subscribe to the New Decade, New Approach agreement – something the Remainer alliance conveniently never mention.
Not one unionist representative in the Assembly supports the Protocol, and because we have a system of power sharing not majority rule this needs to be fixed.
Progress is only made in NI with the support of nationalists and unionists and devolution is not sustainable so long as the sea border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland remains.
Shocking: BBC doesn’t even try to hide its bias anymore, says DAME ARLENE FOSTER
FOR readers in Great Britain “the Glorious 12th” does of course refer to 12th August and the start of the shooting season for Grouse.
By DAME ARLENE FOSTER
13:01, Mon, Jun 13, 2022 | UPDATED: 21:52, Mon, Jun 13, 2022
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
For those of us in Northern Ireland however, the glorious 12th is the celebration of the Glorious Revolution through the 12th July demonstrations. As someone from the Orange/British community in this part of the UK, this is always a part of the year I look forward to – family members come home from other parts of the UK and beyond and the cultural expression is loud and proud to celebrate the victory of William at the Battle of the Boyne.
The 12th celebrations are the largest cultural event in Northern Ireland with tens of thousands taking part and hundreds of thousands more watching at the 18 host venues.
Every year the BBC in Northern Ireland produce a live broadcast for an hour on the morning of the 12th, capturing the pageantry and atmosphere.
They then also have a programme usually quite late in the evening depicting events of the day.
This year, having had no 12th due to covid in 2020 and only small local gatherings last year, the BBC have decided not to resume the live broadcast.
This comes on the back of minimal coverage of the Orange centenary parade a few weeks ago with 25,000 on parade and over 100,000 spectators and the disgraceful use of the Irish republic’s flag to represent NI in the BBC coverage of the Jubilee concert in London, for which the BBC had to apologise.
You might ask in such a well-planned production how such a faux-pas could happen? I think those of us in NI have our own views on that.
Many people cannot attend 12th July parades for a range of reasons.
Many are housebound due to illness or old age, while others are in nursing homes – they are the people who will be impacted most by this decision.
My own mother loves watching the live parade every year. She is more or less housebound now, and cannot get out to watch in person. The BBC in Northern Ireland is not however apparently concerned about the likes of her.
The BBC is meant to be a public service broadcaster but they are not providing a public service in NI to those unable to make the parade.
BBC NI has pandered to Irish nationalism for years, barely hiding their distaste for the unionist community and it is little wonder that many in the community are asking why they pay a license fee.
As you can imagine the decision by the BBC has been met with distress and disgust.
The Orange Order in their statement said: “It is hard to accept this as anything other than a further snub to the wider Protestant, Unionist and Loyalist Community and our culture.”
Meanwhile, the historian who fronted the BBC live coverage for 10 years is scathing of the decision. Dr Clifford Smyth said: “Whoever is behind this hasn’t thought the decision through very well. You see the whole history of Ulster in the Twelfth parade — it is depicted on the iconic banners. It’s essential that those of a different political outlook are exposed to that story.”
He concluded by saying: “It seems the BBC has abandoned balance.”
The future of the BBC is something actively being discussed at present nationally and I have no doubt that MPs from Northern Ireland will let the Culture Secretary know what they think of this particular decision, but it greatly saddens me that the BBC has become so out of touch with the wider population of the UK, – this decision is just the latest indicator of that.
Oh yes, the good old metropolitan elite are catered for in spades but when it comes to public service for the rest of us, well we just have to suck up the wokery that has now invaded this national institution.
The only part of the BBC which is now a “national treasure” is the World service and the role it provides.
The coverage of international events is also worth investing in, such as the coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Government should explore how these parts of the BBC can be preserved and enhanced whilst getting rid of the regressive license fee, as many of us do not go to the BBC for news anymore.