Post by nickd on May 8, 2012 0:44:21 GMT 1
Is Ken Clarke & the UK Justice Crew jeopardising our foreign trading links in their search for UK growth?
It looks like they didn't get the warmest
reception back in 2010
“insurmountable pressure” being
exerted by the British lobby
The Society of Indian Law Firms on Saturday slammed the government’s “revival of interest” on the issue of allowing the entry of foreign law firms into the country. In a strongly worded statement, the society president, Lalit Bhasin, said the fresh interest being shown by the government appeared to be a result of the “insurmountable pressure” being exerted by the British lobby. “Every month there are delegations from the United Kingdom visiting India with one point programme of getting legal services in India open up to the foreign law firms,” Bhasin said.
The veteran lawyer said opening up of the legal services sector would be one of the priority topics for discussion during the upcoming visit of the British Prime Minister.
“There have been exchange of visits by top government functionaries of India and the UK very recently,” Bhasin said.
“The government, instead of supporting and protecting India’s legal profession, appears to be supportive of the moves by UK government,” the statement said.
www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Govt-interest-in-foreign-law-firms-upsets-lawyers/Article1-577249.aspx
It's all part of Ken Clarke's agenda to get foreign countries bringing their 'disputes to London'. Here's more about our Prime Minister's trip to India in 2010 when he went out there with leading UK law firms..
barandbench.com/brief/2/859/entry-of-law-firms-recent-tax-judgments-and-reciprocity-high-on-clifford-chance-partner-stuart-pophams-agenda-silf-president-blasts-british-lobby
And here you can see the UK justice crew with Allen & Overy / Eversheds in Russia in September last year. I do really hope they respect how foreign countries may not welcome us with open arms and may see it as an attempt to rob them of work which they may prefer to keep to themselves. Perhaps they may not want to bring all their disputes to the city of London?
www.thelawyer.com/ao-and-eversheds-join-camerons-russia-delegation/1009179.article
Here's Ken giving it the 'big sell' in India
With a sales pitch like that Ken, you must have come back with an order book full of law suits?
It would be good to hear the results....
Perhaps some kind of announcement over how much cash you've raked in?
After blowing our legal aid cash, I do hope we will get to see how it's been worth all your efforts to bring law to London Ken? [/color]
The reason I ask is this: the overall trading figures do not look very promising, they have gone down rather than up..
"However, though India‟s trade with the UK has increased in absolute terms, the share of UK in india‟s global trade has moved from 2.29% to 2.02% in 2010-11. The UK‟s position in India‟s global trade moved from 11 th place in 2009-10 to 15 th place in 2010-11 after UAE, China, USA, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Germany, Singapore, Indonesia, Belgium, South Korea, Japan, Iran and Nigeria. Similarly, the UK has moved from third to fourth place among India‟s trading partners in Europe after Switzerland, Germany and Belgium in 2010-11."
More here...
hcilondon.in/economicreview.pdf
There is also an indication that India may just not warm to us in the light of our UK border agency making it awkward for foreign student to come to this country:
"Universities are wooing Indian students, but the UK Border Agency does not seem to be waiting with open arms to issue visas. The mixed signals are playing havoc with young lives, writes Mala Kumar. Over the years, universities have been making a beeline for India, to woo students to take up studies in the United Kingdom. International students from India and other non-European Union countries contribute nearly £4 billion every year in fees alone to UK universities, according to a report in The Guardian. But recent reports of delays in issuing visas to students have got education providers in the UK greatly worried. Universities are welcoming Indian students, but the UK Border Agency does not seem to be waiting with open arms to issue visas."
More here
www.deccanherald.com/content/32931/indian-students-uk-welcome-not.html
We have to ask if we are being unreasonable in our expectations over foreign countries bringing their legal disputes to the UK if we are not being hospitable to students from the very same countries we hope to trade with. There has never been a more important time to make sure we get our foreign trading links on the right footing, is Ken Clarke really the right man for the job?[/i][/size]