"Prime ministers often experience absurdly parallel lives on the world stage and at home feted among fellow leaders and pilloried domestically. Never was that more obvious than during the prime minister's trip to India this week, after a torrid month in the UK, where he arrived to find the motorways and backstreets of Mumbai papered with pictures of his face."
"The motorcade that whisked Starmer from the airport to India's business capital passed a total of 5,700 posters welcoming Starmer to Mumbai. Streets were closed and platforms were built for dancers and musicians to play for that fleeting second that the cars went past. Modi had visited the UK for an overnight stay at Chequers this summer."
"Starmer flew into India to mark one of the standout successes of his first year in government, the clinching of the trade deal with India that had eluded his Tory predecessors. He met Modi at the G20 this time last year in Rio de Janeiro where he told the Indian prime minister that the talks should either be stepped up or the two sides should conclude it was never going to happen."
Keir Starmer arrived in Mumbai to widespread, highly visible public welcome, with motorways and backstreets papered with pictures of his face and thousands of posters lining routes. A motorcade passed 5,700 posters, streets were closed, and platforms hosted dancers and musicians for fleeting pass-bys. Narendra Modi's short UK visit earlier received a more modest reception. Starmer traveled to India to celebrate a clinched free-trade agreement, a major achievement of his first year in government that had eluded previous Conservative leaders. Prior meetings, including at the G20 in Rio, had accelerated talks that culminated in the signed deal during Diwali festivities.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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