India's federal structure has been cited as an example in favour of maintaining the UK's membership within the European Union (EU).
At a debate entitled 'Would Brexit Benefit India?' at a House of Commons committee room yesterday, parliamentarians argued over the fallout of a potential vote in favour of Britain's exit from the EU in the June 23 referendum.
"India will carry on doing what it does best (in the event of Brexit). It is this country that we need to focus on. Let's stay trading with Europe and the great federal nation that is India," said Stephen Pound, MP for Ealing North - a heavily Indian-origin constituency of London.
"Don't be terrified of EU's federalism; look at India's successful federalism. Britain's bilateralism with India will suffer if we vote to leave the EU," he added.
He was joined on the side in favour of Britain remaining in the EU by Lord Dolar Popat, who said it was "vital for India that we remain part of the large EU family" and that "leaving will be like a bomb for the UK economy".
The opposing side was represented by Bob Blackman, MP for Harrow East - another heavily Indian-origin area of London - and Lord Hamilton, former UK defence minister.
They both argued that professionals from India would be met with a fairer immigration system once Britain was able to curtail migration from the EU.
"A new points based system that favours key skills can be put in place once we regain control of our borders. It will be a much fairer system," said Blackman.
Lord Hamilton also pointed to the long-pending India-EU free trade agreement to make his anti-EU case: "An EU-India trade deal is out of the question. We have to get out of the EU to have the deal with India. EU does not have a trade deal with the top economies of the world. We have to get control back. Our future lies with the new economies of India, China, Brazil etc.
The debate, organised by Ray Media and chaired by senior
Labour MP Virendra Sharma, reflected the broader divisions on the issue of Britain's continued membership of the EU, with just a week to go before referendum day.
The campaign today took to the Thames with the rival Brexit and Remain camps sailing along on separate flotillas and trading insults.
Police vessels followed as the vessels circled on the river outside the Houses of Parliament and other key London landmarks.
Meanwhile, the UK Chancellor warned of the need for an emergency budget in the event of a Brexit in the vote.
George Osborne said the austerity measures in such a budget could necessitate raising income and inheritance taxes and cutting the NHS budget.
"We know all too well what happens when Britain loses control of its public finances. We're agreed that a vote to leave risks doing the same thing to Britain all over again," he said.
However, as many as 57 of his own Conservative party MPs countered that his own position would be "untenable" if he tried to cut NHS, police and school spending in the wake of Brexit.
British Prime Minister David Cameron also addressed the issue in his final Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons today before the crucial vote.
"Nobody wants to have an emergency Budget, nobody wants to have cuts in public services, nobody wants to have tax increases. We can avoid all of this by voting Remain next week,"he said.
