Contributions
1,648 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDJimmy LaiThe UK condemns in the strongest terms the politically motivated persecution of British citizen Jimmy Lai. We continue to call for his immediate release, and for giving him full…03 Mar 2026HANSARDForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeThe Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is also in close contact with Mr Lai’s international legal team at Doughty Street Chambers, and with his son and daughter,…10 Feb 2026HANSARDForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeThe Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is also in close contact with Mr Lai’s international legal team at Doughty Street Chambers, and with his son and daughter,…10 Feb 2026HANSARDJimmy Lai: Prison SentenceI thank the hon. Member for his important question. It is essential that any attempt by a foreign state to harass, intimidate or harm individuals in the UK must not be tolerated.…09 Feb 2026HANSARDJimmy Lai: Prison SentenceThe right hon. Member will perhaps disagree, but the key point is that we cannot move forward unless we are in dialogue. That is why what the Prime Minister did in going to China…09 Feb 2026HANSARDJimmy Lai: Prison SentenceI am not sure whether to take not being directly targeted by the right hon. Gentleman as a compliment, but as the Minister for the Indo-Pacific, I take great interest in this…09 Feb 2026HANSARDJimmy Lai: Prison SentenceThe Prime Minister’s recent visit allowed us to open up discussion and dialogue directly with the Chinese Government at the highest level. The Conservatives seem to have forgotten…09 Feb 2026HANSARDJimmy Lai: Prison SentenceI agree with my hon. Friend. We will not tolerate this harassment and intimidation in the UK. The safety of Hongkongers in the UK is of the utmost importance for the Government.…09 Feb 2026HANSARDJimmy Lai: Prison SentenceThe right hon. Member may already be aware that we continue to seek consular access. It is important that we continue to advocate for the release of Jimmy Lai on humanitarian…09 Feb 2026HANSARDJimmy Lai: Prison SentencePerhaps I will just say again what I have shared with the House today. In relation to the announcement, we continue to advocate publicly and privately for Jimmy Lai’s release. We…09 Feb 2026HANSARDJimmy Lai: Prison SentenceWhat I will say, in relation to what we expect to see in Hong Kong, is that it is unacceptable that we have not seen the upholding of the historic commitments made at the time of…09 Feb 2026HANSARDJimmy Lai: Prison SentenceMy hon. Friend will know how important it is that the Sino-British declaration is upheld. We expect the standards established by the declaration to be upheld, and not just in…09 Feb 2026HANSARDJimmy Lai: Prison SentenceThe hon. Gentleman will appreciate the importance of seeing progress in this case. He is right to say that the sentence of 20 years—tantamount to a life sentence or, as has been…09 Feb 2026HANSARDJimmy Lai: Prison SentenceI reiterate that the most important thing is that we focus on doing everything we can to secure the release of Jimmy Lai. That is our priority. We will continue to raise this…09 Feb 2026HANSARDJimmy Lai: Prison SentenceThe hon. and learned Member will know that this case is a priority for the Government and is raised at every opportunity and at every level of government, and that we continue to…09 Feb 2026HANSARDJimmy Lai: Prison SentenceI reiterate that we continue to work with our allies and to speak directly with China, both publicly and privately, as part of the work we continue to do to secure Jimmy Lai’s…09 Feb 2026HANSARDJimmy Lai: Prison SentenceI thank my hon. Friend for her comments and for her work on behalf of her constituent, Jimmy Lai. I can confirm that we are in discussions with our allies, including the United…09 Feb 2026HANSARDJimmy Lai: Prison SentenceI thank the shadow Foreign Secretary for her comments. She will know that this situation has been ongoing since before we were in government, and that we continue to seek the…09 Feb 2026HANSARDJimmy Lai: Prison SentenceWe continue to raise Jimmy Lai’s case with the Chinese Government, publicly and privately. In December, when the verdict of the trial was announced, senior officials in the…09 Feb 2026HANSARDJimmy Lai: Prison SentenceMy right hon. Friend makes a powerful point. She is right to say that the situation Jimmy Lai is in, and the urgent need to release him on humanitarian grounds so that he may be…09 Feb 2026