Keir Starme with a guest at the event..
He recalled the role of Sikh soldiers in the world wars, drawing particular attention to the Battle of the Somme in 1916, when troops from the subcontinent made the ultimate sacrifice as they fought the Germans, alongside Allied forces from France and Britain.
Starmer said, “Let’s remember what that meant, for some of them, those that gave their lives in the Battle of the Somme 100 years ago, an incredibly, ultimate contribution to freedom, to the values that we hold dear and to our country.”
British Sikhs have changed the country for the better, the prime minister said and added, “Sikh history is British history. It doesn’t sit somehow outside, as a luxurious addition. It is our British history. It is who we are as a country.”
The prime minister noted how the festival was “a time of deep spiritual significance” as he praised the remarkable contribution of Sikh communities to the UK.
He also spoke of his pride in having 11 Sikh Labour MPs.
However, the prime minister also noted that “when people try to tear us apart, we need to reassert that over and over again. This is what it is to be British, this inclusive way that we operate, exactly the values that we espouse.
“It’s not a collection where we add together different communities, actually. This is it. This is being British, and we’re proud of it, but we do it pretty well, when we allow ourselves the space to do it and when we fight those that try to divide it.”
Among those in the audience were MPs Seema Malhotra, Tan Dhesi, Satvir Kaur, Preet Kaur Gill, Jas Athwal, Valerie Vaz, Sonia Kumar and Baggy Shanker.
Downing Street was decorated with flowers and lamps in yellow and peach tones that symbolise the onset of spring, and guests enjoyed finger food such as chaat and samosa.
Starmer regretted the rise in anti-Sikh hate crime and called for a “concerted attempt to turn the anxiety of an uncertain world into something better”.
There were two racially motivated rapes in Walsall and Oldbury last year, and in the summer, elderly Sikh drivers were targeted in Wolverhampton.
In October 2025, campaigners met MPs in Westminster to discuss an increase in hate crimes targeting Sikhs in the Midlands.
At Downing Street on Monday, Starmer said, “We stand firmly against anti Sikh hatred in all its forms, and we must act on that as well.
“We must fight together and challenge the voices that are peddling this division and toxic separation and hold them accountable. Because the values that we’re here to celebrate, service, sacrifice and respect, they are the values… that will help us emerge from a turbulent time stronger, and actually more united.”
The prime minister noted an exhibition at Kensington Palace on Sophia Duleep Singh, known for her “tireless work” as a suffragette.
“Isn’t that brilliant that that exhibition has now opened and that can be remembered and celebrated for what was a really significant change in a desperately needed change in parliamentary democracy in this country, a huge contribution, again, to the lives of all of us,” Starmer said.
He also paid tribute to communities who worked to help others in need, either by serving meals for the homeless or working in community kitchens.
“I’m incredibly bowled over accompanied by that approach…. your instinct to give, to support communities on a faith, and no faith basis. Because it’s undertaken by selflessness as a genuine sense of service to communities.” The prime minister praised Sikh values as “the best of British values, too.”
He said, “We succumb too often to the argument that we’re a divided country, that we don’t really care about each other.
“I think that’s complete nonsense, that’s completely wrong.
“I genuinely think the Sikh community, the British communities, give them half a chance, and they will try to look after each other. And, so, it’s not a coincidence, but a reflection of our shared history, and this is such an important one.”
He concluded with a request for the gathering to spread his message among their local communities.
“Thank you for everything that you have contributed. Please take these messages back, share them with others in your community, so that the sense in which this government is recognising and thanking you and them for the contribution goes as far as it possibly can tonight, not just in this room.”
Labour MP Satvir Kaur, who introduced the prime minister, said, “Sikh values are intrinsically linked to Labour, of family and community, choosing love over hate, unity over division, protecting the most vulnerable and the most prominent of all is the Sikh principle of seva to serve.”
Kaur, who represents Southampton Test and works in the Cabinet Office, recalled how she was motivated to join politics as a young person. “This belief in service I got from my faith drives me and my politics.”
“At a time when there is so much conflict around the world and people are determined to show the vision within our community, it’s Sikhs who are practising love over hate and unity over division, being there for others in times of need, doing their part to make our communities and the world a better place, driven by a belief that a better future is possible for ourselves, our families, our communities, and playing our part to make that a reality, because our faith teaches us that being in the service of others.
“Seva is the most rewarding thing we can do. It is also an anchor in this government, and particularly for the prime minister.”
