Contributions
2,121 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD VenezuelaI want to begin by expressing my condolences to all those affected by the terrible tragedy in Crans-Montana, and my support for the Swiss authorities. The British embassy has been…05 Jan 2026HANSARD VenezuelaI must just say to the Leader of the Opposition that, while I obviously welcome her support on Switzerland, Greenland and Denmark and so on, it felt like the tone of her response…05 Jan 2026HANSARD VenezuelaThe Prime Minister’s response has been very much in line with the leaders of countries across not just Europe but the world. We continue to stand up for and highlight the…05 Jan 2026HANSARD VenezuelaMy hon. Friend is exactly right. There is a real risk of instability in Venezuela now, and it will be crucial to build civil society and give people in Venezuela hope, rather than…05 Jan 2026HANSARD VenezuelaI completely agree. The people of Venezuela have been denied that democratic right for far too long. Election results have not been respected, and Venezuelans have faced some of…05 Jan 2026HANSARD VenezuelaAs I said in my statement, and as the Prime Minister said on Saturday, there can be no tears shed for the Maduro regime, given the damage that it has done over many years. It is…05 Jan 2026HANSARD VenezuelaI point out to my hon. Friend that Maduro was not recognised as a Head of State by the UK Government and by many Governments, not least because of the deep corruption, the refusal…05 Jan 2026HANSARD VenezuelaVenezuela is in a stronger position without Maduro leading it, especially given the horrendous human rights abuses and the huge damage to its economy, but as the right hon. Member…05 Jan 2026HANSARD VenezuelaAgain, to draw equivalence between different countries is the wrong approach. It does not recognise the scale of damage done by the Maduro regime or the fact that, in order to…05 Jan 2026HANSARD VenezuelaAs I have said, we will not shed a tear for Maduro and his deeply damaging regime. It is for the US to set out the legal basis of its actions, which we were not involved in. We…05 Jan 2026HANSARD VenezuelaI guess I would just have to ask who it was who did not significantly invest in defence over the past 14 years. This Government are substantially increasing investment in defence,…05 Jan 2026HANSARD VenezuelaWe continue to have a very strong engagement with the Commonwealth and are continuing to do so in the light of the weekend’s events. There are Commonwealth countries and overseas…05 Jan 2026HANSARD VenezuelaAgain, I would say to the hon. Member that there is a continual searching for equivalence when it is really inappropriate to do so. I have made very clear our position on…05 Jan 2026HANSARD VenezuelaLet me reiterate our strong support for the Greenlanders and for Denmark. Greenland is part of the kingdom of Denmark, and its future is for them to decide, not anybody else,…05 Jan 2026HANSARD VenezuelaOur country has particularly strong relationships with the Venezuelan Opposition as a result of the work of our chargé d’affaires and our embassy in Venezuela, which we have…05 Jan 2026HANSARD VenezuelaI have responded to questions on the other countries. The critical issue now is to ensure that Venezuela can be on a track towards a democracy that respects the will of the…05 Jan 2026HANSARD VenezuelaThe most important issue now is to ensure that Venezuela is on that track to democracy, and that means there has to be stability. Right now we need to prevent further instability…05 Jan 2026HANSARD VenezuelaLet me be clear: the UK, Denmark and the US are all members of NATO. That is why it is so important that we continue to ensure the sovereignty of Greenland and of Denmark, and why…05 Jan 2026HANSARD VenezuelaThe instability in the region has been heavily exacerbated and driven by the Maduro regime, given the scale of migration and trafficking, the operations of criminal gangs and the…05 Jan 2026HANSARD VenezuelaLet me say to the right hon. Gentleman that we do, I hope, agree on the brutality of the Maduro dictatorship and that it is better for Venezuela not to be led by somebody like…05 Jan 2026