Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has reflected fondly on his relationship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his soon to be released memoir, describing him as the “change-maker” needed to strengthen ties between India and the UK.
In his memoir “Unleashed”, set to hit UK bookstores soon, Johnson recalled their first meeting, writing about the “curious astral energy” he felt in Modi’s presence.
The book includes a chapter dedicated to India, in which Johnson calls India-UK relations “a relationship as good as it has ever been.”
He praised Modi as “exactly the partner and friend” he needed and credits both himself and Modi for laying the foundation of a free-trade agreement between the two nations, according to media reports.
The significance of the friendship between the two countries, especially in the context of the Indo-Pacific region, is a recurring theme in Johnson’s reflections.
In the chapter titled Britain and India, Johnson wrote about his first meeting with Modi during a visit to City Hall by the Thames when he was the Mayor of London: “For some reason, we went down to stand in the dark in the plaza by Tower Bridge, in front of a crowd of his supporters. He raised my arm and chanted something or other in Hindi, and though I couldn’t follow it I felt his curious astral energy.
“I have enjoyed his company ever since – because I reckon he is the change-maker our relationship needs. With Modi, I felt sure, we could not only do a great free-trade deal but also build a long-term partnership, as friends and equals.”
Johnson also revealed that a “distinctly sniffy” UK Foreign Office had initially dissuaded him from meeting Modi during a trade delegation to India in 2012, a decision that was soon reversed, leading to a relationship that “hit an all-time high.”
He noted his personal connection to India, highlighting that his children with his ex-wife Marina Wheeler, who has Sikh heritage, trace their roots back to India.
Describing himself as a “veteran” of many Indian weddings, Johnson also spoke of an “Anglo-Indian syncretism” in his politics, referencing the diversity in his Cabinet, which included British Indians like Rishi Sunak and Priti Patel.
However, Johnson expressed frustration over the slow pace of bilateral trade growth, blaming “unnecessary trade barriers” that leave UK visitors “clinking in with duty-free booze” while Indians are “starved of Scotch whisky at decent prices.”
Johnson recalled his January 2022 visit to India as Prime Minister, calling it a much-needed “morale boost” amidst mounting domestic political pressures that eventually led to his exit from Downing Street.
He reflected on his efforts to make a “gentle point to Narendra” regarding India’s relationship with Russia amidst the Ukraine conflict: “I knew all the history and the sensitivities, the reasons for India’s post-war non-alignment with the West, the seemingly unbreakable relationship with Moscow.
“I understand the Indian dependence – like China’s – on Russian hydrocarbons. But I wondered if it was not time for a modulation, a rethink… As I was to put it to the Indians, Russian missiles were turning out to be less accurate, statistically, than my first serve at tennis. Did they really want to keep Russia as their main supplier of military hardware?”
Johnson also mentioned Queen Elizabeth II’s insights during his customary weekly meetings with her as Prime Minister.
He recalled how the Queen reflected on India’s historical ties with Russia: “She remembered something the former Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru had told her in the 1950s. ‘He told me that India will always side with Russia and that some things will never change. They just are.’ I cite that as an illustration of her amazing ability to reassure and to contextualise.”
Johnson took pride in broadening the India-UK partnership to include military and technological collaboration.
“Overcoming the qualms of the MoD (Ministry of Defence), who are always worried about India’s closeness to Russia, we agreed to work together on all kinds of military technology, from submarines to helicopters to marine propulsion units,” he wrote.
“Unleashed” also touches on the controversies surrounding Johnson’s tenure, particularly his resignation following the “partygate” scandal.
He pointed to Rishi Sunak’s resignation as Chancellor in June 2022 as the catalyst for his downfall: “It was worse than a crime, I thought, it was a mistake – both for Rishi and for the party, never mind the country. So it proved.”
Johnson asserted that had the party stayed united, they would have won the 2024 general election: “I don’t blame Rishi for prematurely wanting to be PM; in fact I don’t blame any of them, really, for trying to turf me out. It’s just what Tory MPs do… It goes without saying that if we had all stuck together I have no doubt that we would have gone on to win in 2024, and a lot more of my friends would now have their seats.”
