Contributions
1,897 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDIranMy Lords, I begin by echoing the words of both Front Benches about the bravery and courage of those who are taking to the streets at considerable risk to themselves. They are…15 Jan 2026HANSARDIranI need to repeat what I said: the future should be for the people of Iran to determine, not the UK Government. On the issue of asylum claims and the closure of the embassy, I…15 Jan 2026HANSARDIranObviously, we all have opinions about that, but I think it is probably better that I do not speculate about that kind of intervention at this point.15 Jan 2026HANSARDIranI do not think there is really anything to disagree with there. There needs to be greater co-operation internationally, not least in Europe, around support for refugees, and…15 Jan 2026HANSARDIranI will thank Elon Musk, now that he has made his platform free of the child abuse and some of the demeaning content that he was allowing to flourish on there up until, I believe,…15 Jan 2026HANSARDIranNoble Lords will know that we were not involved in the measures that the United States took a few months ago. There are constant conversations between the United Kingdom and US…15 Jan 2026HANSARDIranIf the noble Lord had been listening to my previous answers, he would understand exactly what the Government’s position is and what we are doing to consider this at the moment.15 Jan 2026HANSARDIranOur position is that regime change relies on the execution of the wishes of the people of Iran. We want to see the people there being able to live, as they are telling us they…15 Jan 2026HANSARDIranThat is a really good point. The danger that those journalists doing that vital work are exposed to is often overlooked. Of course we keep their safety and security under constant…15 Jan 2026HANSARDIranWe do consider their claims. As the noble Lord says, there are several countries in the world where life is incredibly dangerous and people feel the need to seek refuge, sometimes…15 Jan 2026HANSARDIranI have read arguments to that effect. I am not aware that that is the case, but because of the restrictions on communications, let us watch and see. I have heard a very similar…15 Jan 2026HANSARDIranI agree with the noble Lord’s description, of course. The IRGC has been sanctioned, but we are being encouraged to go further with proscription. As I have explained, we asked…15 Jan 2026HANSARDUnited States: Withdrawal from International OrganisationsIt is important that we keep this in a bit of perspective. The amount of money that would come as a consequence of the announcement that the US made is about 3% of the UN’s…13 Jan 2026HANSARDUnited States: Withdrawal from International OrganisationsMy Lords, the decision to withdraw from certain international organisations, conventions and treaties is, of course, for the United States. It is the right of every sovereign…13 Jan 2026HANSARDUnited States: Withdrawal from International OrganisationsWe are completely committed to the framework on climate change and to the Paris Agreement; that is not going to change. The best thing we can do is to be clear about our position…13 Jan 2026HANSARDUnited States: Withdrawal from International OrganisationsAs I have explained, we are not participants in all the organisations concerned, but we are of course strong supporters of the United Nations and of the Secretary-General and we…13 Jan 2026HANSARDOfficial Development AssistanceMy Lords, I am genuinely grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Bates, for providing us with the opportunity to have this discussion. It is probably rather overdue, and there seems to…13 Jan 2026HANSARDUnited States: Withdrawal from International OrganisationsI encourage noble Lords not to overinterpret a decision such as this. I note the announcement last week of $2 billion from the United States to OCHA, which organises humanitarian…13 Jan 2026HANSARDUnited States: Withdrawal from International OrganisationsAs my noble friend said, it is for the Americans to make their own choices about what they decide to fund. The organisations that he referred to—he mentioned Education Cannot Wait…13 Jan 2026HANSARDUnited States: Withdrawal from International OrganisationsI think my relationship with my colleagues on this side of the House is pretty good, actually, so I am not overly worried about that. They will have their own views, too, by the…13 Jan 2026