UK PM Starmer backs India’s bid for 'rightful place' on UN Security Council

India’s Rightful Place in UNSC

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer supported India’s bid for a permanent seat on the UNSC. He said India should get its “rightful place” on the UN Security Council, following talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mumbai.

“India is a global player. We sit together in the Commonwealth, the G20. We want to see India taking its rightful place in the UNSC,” Starmer said.

#WATCH | Mumbai: UK PM Keir Starmer says, "I strongly welcome the news that a deal has been reached on the first stage of the Peace Plan in Gaza. This is a moment of profound relief...This Agreement must now be implemented in full without delay and be accompanied by the immediate… pic.twitter.com/xPyLp6D5sD

— ANI (@ANI) October 9, 2025

A permanent seat for India on the UN’s top decision-making body has been a long-standing demand, backed in recent months by the United States under former President Joe Biden, Germany, France, the African Union, Japan, and Brazil.

Starmer’s endorsement mirrors remarks made in September last year, when Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Starmer all expressed support for India, alongside Germany, Japan, and Brazil, to make the UN a “more representative body.”

Russia has also supported India’s bid. Last month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said his country favours greater representation from Asia, Africa, and Latin America in the Security Council.

In October last year, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, speaking at a BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, highlighted the need for reforms in “established institutions and mechanisms,” specifically referring to the UN Security Council, to create “a more equitable global order.”

United Kingdom's Prime Minister Keir Starmer noted that India's "growth story is remarkable" and said that he is convinced to see that India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a "track" to achieve the vision of a Visit Bharat by 2047.

"It is significant that we are meeting in Mumbai as India's economic and financial capital, because India's growth story is remarkable. I want to congratulate the PM on his leadership, aiming to be the world's 3rd largest economy by 2028. Your vision of Viksit Bharat is to make it a completely developed country by 2047. Everything I have seen since I have been here is absolute proof to me that you are on track to succeed in that. We want to be partners on that journey", said Starmer, who is on his first visit to India as UK Prime Minister.

Both leaders also held a bilateral meeting in Mumbai and issued a joint statement.

He also called the UK-India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement a "breakthrough moment."

He said, "...We are building something here, we are creating a new modern partnership focused on the future and availing the opportunities and we are doing it together. That is why we struck the UK-India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) in July, a breakthrough moment - years in the making, slashing tariffs, increasing access to each other's markets to drive growth and create jobs for our people and making life in both our nations. Beyond the words of the page of the Agreement, is the spirit of the confidence that it has given to our two great countries to work even more closely together, something which we have seen during the course of this visit here..."

He also underlined the efforts of India to bring an end to the Ukraine and the Gaza conflicts, and the India-UK relationship is working as a key supporter of global stability.

"In the current era of global uncertainty, the partnership between India and the UK continues to serve as an important pillar of global stability and economic progress."

"We shared views on peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and West Asia, as well as the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. On the Ukraine conflict and the Gaza issue, India supports all efforts to restore peace through dialogue and diplomacy. We are fully committed to enhancing maritime security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region", he said.