At a Diwali reception in Downing Street this evening, the
Prime Minister said:
You are so welcome, everybody, tonight.
Namaste, Shubh Diwali, Bandi Chhor Divas, everyone.
It's wonderful to see such a full room. So many of our members of
Parliament, so many people from our Hindu, Sikh, Jain communities
across the country are also welcome to Downing Street.
And I have to give a shout out at the start for our first AI
Minister to attend Cabinet.
He's doing a fantastic job. Honestly, you are. It's great to work
with you.
Thank you everybody. You've given me my outfit for PMQs tomorrow.
I'll lighten up the house if I don't manage anything else.
It's my first Diwali as Prime Minister and it's wonderful to be
sharing it with you here.
I see friends from Greater Manchester in the room this evening
and I remember attending so many Diwali celebrations and learning
all about it.
My good friend Dr Kailash Chand, who I always have to talk about,
who was my mentor as I was coming through politics, taught me
everything I needed to know.
It is the Festival of Light, as Kanishka said, and that's what
we're all trying to do.
And I speak to all of our MPs and ministers who are in the room
tonight. We are trying to bring the light back, and bring the
hope back, and bring the positivity and the unity back.
It's early days, but we've really got to work at it together, and
this Diwali I think is a moment to commit to each other, isn't
it, to say that we all owe it to each other, to do that and to
build from here. This is always a moment in the calendar to
commit to doing that.
You said something wonderful, Kanishka, about the flame of light
burning a little steadier.
Well, I will do everything I can within my power to make that
stronger and stronger, and always in my position, recognise the
huge contribution of all of our communities.
Our Hindu community, I know, did so much to build Greater
Manchester into what it is today. Our Sikh, Jain communities, our
Muslim communities. We are so lucky to live in a country where
faith communities like yours, like ours, step forward to help
each other and to build common good.
That's what makes this country such a wonderful place. And it is
a wonderful place. And we're so lucky to live in it.
And I can assure you that the government will continue to back
you in everything that we do.
I can say that as Prime Minister, I will be building the
strongest possible links with India.
We're just celebrating the return of our mayors. The Great North
went to India recently, our northern mayors, and made a huge
impact with our Business Secretary and other ministers. And
whenever I went on those trips, I always said that the reason we
went was to recognise how we owe so much to the people who came
here to build our country and committed themselves to our
country.
And on this occasion, I think it's always right for me to
recognise that the contribution then and now is huge.
And I look over there and I think the next generation is going to
come through and only increase that contribution going forward.
So, it is a special moment to share with you all.
Can I thank you for coming here tonight, but more importantly,
thank you for everything that you are doing in your communities
to support people, to bring people together, to work in our
health service, in our public services, to build the common good
of this great country.
Shubh Diwali everybody. Have a wonderful evening. I get the sense
that the real party is about to start, so I'm sure you're all
waiting for me to finish. Enjoy everyone's company tonight. Enjoy
the lights.
Enjoy Downing Street - looking at it, I couldn't remember it
looking this amazing at any time. So well done to everybody who's
made it, brought it to life in this way tonight.
Let's commit tonight to keep the lights burning bright, this year
into the next.
Happy Diwali, everybody. It's wonderful to see you.
