Keir Starmer had his own Theresa May-style ‘Dancing Queen’ moment last night on a trip to India – but Number 10 conveniently avoided letting cameras in to film it.
Photos show the PM breaking into a brief boogie as music struck up at a Diwali celebration in Mumbai.
Sir Keir can be seen grinning as he holds two arms outstretched in front of a group of traditional dancers.
But with just one British stills photographer allowed in – and no reporters – the moment was tragically never caught on film.
One lucky witness tracked down by the Daily Mail said the PM pulled ‘a few moves for about 30 seconds’.
‘He was a bit reluctant at first,’ they added.
Separate footage seemingly shot just before Sir Keir bust his moves shows the PM lighting a candle before moving to stand in front of the dance troupe.
The moment may remind observers of Mrs May’s awkward dancing during her premiership, a trend that began during a trip to South Africa in 2018.
Her strained moves sparked comparisons with footballer Peter Crouch’s famous ‘robot’, which was promptly rebranded ‘the Maybot’.
A photographer caught the moment Keir Starmer enjoyed a brief boogie as the music piped up at a Diwali ceremony in Mumbai
With only a stills photographer invited to the ceremony, the moment was tragically never caught on film
Sir Keir met Indian PM Narendra Modi today on the second day of a two-day trade visit to Mumbai – the first of his membership.
The Labour used the meeting to urge Mr Modi to discuss the war in Ukraine and urge India to move away from using Russian oil.
Sir Keir also suggested he wanted India to take ‘its rightful place’ on the UN Security Council, a long-held goal of the nation.
The Indian leader, who has described himself as a friend of Russia’s Vladimir Putin, meanwhile suggested he wanted to see the Ukraine war come to an end through ‘dialogue and diplomacy’ as they met at a state government residence in Mumbai.
India continues to buy Russian fossil fuels, which helps to fund Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine, all while western nations ramp up their sanctions programme.
Speaking at the palatial residence Raj Bhavan, Sir Keir said: ‘The Prime Minister and I also discussed the need for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, the need for stability and security in the Indo-Pacific, and the need to co-operate in critical areas like climate and energy, including breaking away from dependence on fossil fuels.’
Sir Keir described India as a ‘global player’, adding: ‘We sit together in the Commonwealth, the G20, and we want to see India taking its rightful place on the UN Security Council too.’
India has long argued it should be a permanent member of the security council and countries including Germany and the US have expressed sympathy for its position in the past.
The UK and India will deepen security co-operation, Sir Keir said in his statement, including by working more closely on AI and weapons technology.
A £350 million newly-agreed deal will result in India being supplied with lightweight multi-role missiles, manufactured by Thales in Belfast.
When previously asked about Mr Modi’s close relationship with the Russian president, Sir Keir instead pivoted to speaking about the UK’s efforts to tighten the screw of sanctions on Russia’s so-called ‘shadow fleet’ of ships, which it uses to illicitly sell oil and gas.
The moment may remind observers of Mrs May’s awkward dancing during her premiership. She later hit back at social media mockery by coming on stage at the 2018 Tory conference to the strains of Abba’s Dancing Queen
The Prime Minister, who has been on a two-day trade mission to Mumbai, also complimented India’s swift economic growth during his statement.
‘It is significant that we’re meeting here in Mumbai, as India’s economic and financial capital, because India’s growth story is remarkable,’ Sir Keir said.
Making a statement via a translator, Mr Modi earlier said he and Sir Keir had discussed the ‘ongoing conflict in Ukraine’ during their face-to-face meeting.
‘In the Middle East and Ukraine, India supports all efforts for restoring peace through dialogue and diplomacy,’ Mr Modi said.
He also praised the Prime Minister for having ‘significantly progressed’ the relationship between India and the UK with the trade deal they had signed together.
