Vice President Of India Meets Lord Speaker Of The U.K. House Of Lords On The Sidelines Of The 28th Conference Of Speakers And Presiding Officers Of The Commonwealth (CSPOC).

Spread the love

New Delhi, Delhi, 16th of January, 2026 : The Hon’ble Vice President of India Shri C.P. Radhakrishnan today held a cordial and substantive meeting with the Lord McFall of Alcluith PC, the Lord Speaker of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom Parliament,at the Parliament House, New Delhi. The interaction took place on the sidelines of the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC), being hosted by India from 14^thto 16^th January, 2026.

Welcoming the Lord Speaker to the Rajya Sabha, the Vice President expressed pleasure at his participation in the conference and noted that his presence underscored the continuing friendship and strong parliamentary ties between the two countries. He highlighted that the visit would be both productive and enjoyable, offering an opportunity to engage closely with India’s parliamentary traditions, culture and democratic ethos.

During the meeting, the Vice President highlighted that India and the United Kingdom share a long and complex history, including parliamentary traditions that have evolved over centuries. The Vice President noted that India’s Parliamentary system has drawn inspiration from the Westminster model while evolving organically to reflect India’s unique democratic framework.

Highlighting common democratic values, the Vice President underlined the shared commitment of both Parliaments to the rule of law, Parliamentary privilege and effective democratic oversight of the executive. In the Indian context, the Vice President further emphasized on the importance of Freedom of Speech with responsibility and cautioned that it cannot be used for disruptive activities. The Vice President also highlighted that these common principles form a solid foundation for mutual learning.

The Vice President emphasized the importance of Parliamentary diplomacy as a cornerstone of Commonwealth relations and also reaffirmed India’s commitment to exchange programs for Parliamentary delegations.

He highlighted that India has hosted and participated in numerous inter-parliamentary delegations and suggested that it would be fruitful to discuss avenues for joint workshops, training programmes, and knowledge-sharing initiatives.

The Vice President mentioned that digital innovation has transformed Parliamentary functioning globally and India has also integrated e-parliament systems, live streaming and digitized records as part of its Parliamentary functioning.

He expressed interest in the House of Lords’ experiences in implementing digital initiatives, particularly in enhancing accessibility, promoting transparency, and fostering public engagement. He highlighted the potential benefits of collaboration in leveraging technology to support legislative drafting, facilitate committee deliberations, and encourage citizen participation, which could yield mutual benefits for both nations.

The Vice President observed that the Commonwealth provides a unique platform for Parliamentarians to share ideas, learn from each other, and uphold democratic standards. He added that presiding officers bear a shared responsibility to ensure that parliamentary democracy continues to deliver effectively for all sections of society.

The Vice President suggested that India and the United Kingdom could work together to champion key global priorities within parliamentary and multilateral forums. These include the promotion of women’s political participation, strengthening climate resilience through legislative action, coordination in the field of education, especially higher education as a tool of soft power and harnessing technology to make governance more inclusive, transparent, and citizen-centric.

Concluding the meeting, the Vice President reaffirmed India’s steadfast and shared commitment to democratic values providing a strong foundation for continued engagement between the two countries. He also expressed hope that this visit will further strengthen the bonds between the two countries and will continue to inspire joint initiatives that can serve as a model for the Commonwealth and the world.

Shri Harivansh, Hon’ble Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha was also present on the occasion.