Contributions
1,897 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDGreenlandAny question that starts with “if” is, by definition, a hypothetical—to which I am not in a position to give a concrete response. All I would say is that, clearly, anything that…08 Jan 2026HANSARDVenezuelaNo. In all of this, I think the thing that matters most and that is often lost in these exchanges is that the people of Venezuela have been badly served and abused for many years.…07 Jan 2026HANSARDVenezuelaIt is not for me to say whether it is or not. My point is that it is for the United States to explain its actions and where it feels they sit within the context of international…07 Jan 2026HANSARDMiddle East and North AfricaPaul is a very good friend of mine. I have worked with him for many years and I enjoyed reading his assessment of his time working in Downing Street. I think he was using that…07 Jan 2026HANSARDMiddle East and North AfricaWhat he said was wrong. As to whether different decisions would have been made at an earlier point, I cannot answer. Maybe the point at which to have made a different decision…07 Jan 2026HANSARDMiddle East and North AfricaYes, that needs to happen, and it should happen. The world needs to have proper journalists able to report to a high standard about what is happening now and what has happened…07 Jan 2026HANSARDMiddle East and North AfricaWe consider all eventualities and work these things through carefully, because some things seem imminently likely while others seem less likely but would have wide-ranging…07 Jan 2026HANSARDMiddle East and North AfricaThe noble Lord is absolutely right. One of the reasons that I feel quite so strongly that the UK needs to be outward-facing and strong diplomatically, defensively and in our…07 Jan 2026HANSARDMiddle East and North AfricaIt is right that the people of Iran should be free to live their lives as they wish and to have a Government who reflect their wishes, and that women, in particular, in Iran…07 Jan 2026HANSARDMiddle East and North AfricaWe do not talk about proscription before we do it. As I explained in my response to the Front Benches earlier, we are careful of what we say. That is not because we think that…07 Jan 2026HANSARDMiddle East and North AfricaI am grateful to both noble Lords for their comments. I particularly thank the noble Lord, Lord Purvis, for reminding us of Sudan, which, as he said, was not part of the…07 Jan 2026HANSARDMiddle East and North AfricaThere is going to be a review, and I hope it is very quick. I do not know about anyone else, but I would certainly like to draw a line under this. We need to understand what went…07 Jan 2026HANSARDVenezuelaI completely agree with my noble friend. The premise of the original Question encourages the Government to sanction the United States. Nobody would be more pleased than Vladimir…07 Jan 2026HANSARDVenezuelaNo, clearly not. Our position on Greenland has been expressed very forcefully by the Prime Minister and our allies. It is for the people of Greenland and the kingdom of Denmark to…07 Jan 2026HANSARDVenezuelaOur team in Caracas is now out of crisis mode. They are back working; I have received updates from them today and I will continue to do so. They are safe and well and doing their…07 Jan 2026HANSARDVenezuelaI am not able to comment on the capital of Greenland, but I can confirm that our relationships with relevant parties in Venezuela have been led most impressively by our small team…07 Jan 2026HANSARDVenezuelaThe United Kingdom’s support for international law and for human rights is unwavering and has not changed. The actions of the United States are for the United States to explain,…07 Jan 2026HANSARDVenezuelaOf course, I am aware of the events in the North Atlantic. I understand that the Defence Secretary will shortly be making some remarks about this and I think it is better to allow…07 Jan 2026HANSARDVenezuelaThe United Kingdom Government work for the benefit of the United Kingdom’s people and it would not be in the British interest to impose sanctions on our closest intelligence and…07 Jan 2026HANSARDVenezuelaMy Lords, the US is the UK’s principal defence and security partner. We do not have plans to impose sanctions on the US. We will continue to discuss evolving situations with our…07 Jan 2026