Vice President Radhakrishnan Holds Key Talks with UK House of Lords Speaker in Delhi

Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan on Friday held a substantive meeting with Lord McFall of Alcluith, the Lord Speaker of the UK House of Lords, at Parliament House. The interaction took place on the sidelines of the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC), hosted by India from January 14 to 16.

Welcoming the Lord Speaker to the Rajya Sabha, Radhakrishnan highlighted the enduring friendship and robust parliamentary ties between India and the UK. He noted India’s parliamentary system drew inspiration from the Westminster model while evolving to suit its own democratic framework, emphasizing shared values such as the rule of law, parliamentary privileges, and executive oversight.

The Vice President underlined the importance of freedom of speech with responsibility, cautioning that parliamentary liberties should not be misused for disruptive activities. He said these principles form a strong foundation for mutual learning, cooperation, and fostering best practices between the two legislatures.

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Radhakrishnan stressed the significance of parliamentary diplomacy in Commonwealth relations and suggested exploring joint workshops, training programs, and knowledge-sharing initiatives. Highlighting India’s adoption of e-Parliament systems, live-streaming, and digitized legislative records, he expressed interest in learning from the House of Lords’ digital initiatives and collaboration in legislative drafting, committee work, and public engagement.

The Vice President observed that the Commonwealth provides a unique platform for exchange of ideas and upholding democratic standards, proposing joint action on global priorities such as women’s political participation, climate resilience through legislation, higher education cooperation, and leveraging technology for citizen-centric governance.

Concluding the meeting, Radhakrishnan reaffirmed India’s commitment to shared democratic values and expressed hope that the visit would further strengthen bilateral parliamentary ties and inspire initiatives of relevance to the wider Commonwealth. Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh was also present during the meeting.

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