Contributions
1,800 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDJimmy LaiMy Lords, British national Jimmy Lai’s case is a priority for this Government. We continue to call on the Hong Kong authorities to end their politically motivated prosecution and…22 May 2025HANSARDJimmy LaiThe noble Lord is absolutely correct. I must correct something I said earlier by mistake. Jimmy Lai is a British citizen; he is not a Chinese citizen, which I alluded to, so I…22 May 2025HANSARDJimmy LaiI am grateful to the right reverend Prelate. We are, as he has pointed out, absolutely committed to strengthening support for British nationals abroad, including by introducing a…22 May 2025HANSARDJimmy LaiDo not underestimate the fact of raising these issues. The noble and learned Lord knows full well that the Chinese Communist Party does not like being criticised for these…22 May 2025HANSARDIsrael and the Occupied Palestinian TerritoriesI am grateful to the noble Lord. He and I have worked very closely over the years on precisely the issues he refers to, and I totally agree with him on the diplomatic effort.…22 May 2025HANSARDJimmy LaiI said in my opening comments that this Government are absolutely committed to pursuing this case and we will do so at all levels. Certainly, the Foreign Secretary has done so,…22 May 2025HANSARDIsrael and the Occupied Palestinian TerritoriesWe have covered the urgent humanitarian situation, but as the noble Baroness and the House know, this Government—and the previous Government—are committed to a two-state solution,…22 May 2025HANSARDJimmy LaiThe noble Lord raises a very important subject. We will not tolerate any attempts by foreign Governments, whoever they are, to coerce, intimidate, harass or harm their critics…22 May 2025HANSARDIsrael and the Occupied Palestinian TerritoriesWe have been absolutely clear that the proposals by the Israeli Government will not meet the humanitarian aid situation, which is so desperate. It is really important to…22 May 2025HANSARDJimmy LaiI repeat: do not underestimate the value of words, and I think the noble and right reverend Lord understands that. They do have an impact, particularly in the current geopolitical…22 May 2025HANSARDIsrael and the Occupied Palestinian TerritoriesI will not tolerate any demonisation of Israel or its people. It is people who I am most concerned about. I have very good friends in Israel and have been a supporter of Israel’s…22 May 2025HANSARDIsrael and the Occupied Palestinian TerritoriesI understand my noble friend’s frustrations, but our efforts have been absolutely focused on building a strong international alliance and working with allies within the region to…22 May 2025HANSARDSudan: Ceasefire TalksI can confirm that. The noble and gallant Lord knows better than most that Russia’s actions, particularly in Sudan, have been to ensure the war continues. It has been actively…20 May 2025HANSARDSudan: Ceasefire TalksThe Foreign Secretary convened the conference on 15 April precisely to do that: to bring all regional parties together to focus on ways for peace. The fact that we had…20 May 2025HANSARDSudan: Ceasefire TalksMy Lords, the Foreign Secretary hosted the London Sudan Conference on 15 April to galvanise international efforts towards ending this conflict and improving vital humanitarian…20 May 2025HANSARDSudan: Ceasefire TalksThe noble Lord knows that has been my clear ambition from the contributions I have made in this House, and certainly from the contact we have made with all civilian groups in…20 May 2025HANSARDSudan: Ceasefire TalksWe should not underestimate the importance of the Sudan conference, which was to raise the profile. One really important thing was that the African Union co-chaired it and was…20 May 2025HANSARDSudan: Ceasefire TalksThe noble Baroness is absolutely right. As she knows, in March I co-chaired with Denmark a UN Security Council meeting particularly on conflict-related sexual violence. This was…20 May 2025HANSARDSudan: Ceasefire TalksI do not want simply to repeat myself, but it is really important to understand that we were absolutely trying to convey those messages at the conference on 15 April, which we…20 May 2025HANSARDSudan: Ceasefire TalksOur engagement with international partners continues to emphasise the importance of refraining from actions that prolong the conflict. We seek to do that in terms of the influence…20 May 2025