Extracts from Parliamentary Proceedings - Oct 15
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Extracts from Commons debate on the Queen's Speech (day 2) Liam
Byrne (Birmingham, Hodge Hill) (Lab):...We must hear a plan from
them to stand up for the interests of British citizens. I am not
the only one on the Opposition Benches, or in this House, who is
getting cases from people who have friends and family in the area
and yet have no idea what is going on with them, because there has
been a communications blackout. Crucially, we now need clear and
urgent action from this Government in...Request free trial
Extracts from Commons
debate on the Queen's Speech (day 2)
Liam Byrne (Birmingham, Hodge Hill) (Lab):...We must hear a plan from them to stand up for the interests of British citizens. I am not the only one on the Opposition Benches, or in this House, who is getting cases from people who have friends and family in the area and yet have no idea what is going on with them, because there has been a communications blackout. Crucially, we now need clear and urgent action from this Government in the United Nations to ensure that the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights is given free and unfettered access to the area, on both Pakistan’s side and the Indian side. I want to know from the Minister what he has done to pursue this agenda in the UN... Emily Thornberry (Islington South and Finsbury) (Lab):...My right hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill (Liam Byrne) talked with great force about the crisis between two of our Commonwealth cousins, India and Pakistan, with the constitutional and human rights of the Kashmiri people being trampled in the middle of that... To read the whole debate, CLICK HERE Extracts from Lords debate on the Queen's Speech (day 2) Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD):...The Commonwealth network remains an asset to the UK, but we should not exaggerate how far it enables us to punch above our weight. Yes, many Australians and New Zealanders feel a continuing affinity with Britain but there are limits to how far they will offer us trade or business concessions out of family sentiment. Liam Fox and other Eurosceptics expected India to welcome freer trade with Britain in return for supposed fond memories of the past benefits of British imperial rule, but the Indians’ interpretation of their national history, unsurprisingly, is different from ours. They will have noticed the recent neglect of the Indian role in World War I in how we commemorated the centenary of that conflict. There was not much evidence of British gratitude for the major Indian contribution, so there is little encouragement for Indian gratitude from the descendants of those who fought... Lord Sterling of Plaistow (Con):...I was very curious about who put in the word “re-engage”, because noble Lords might remember that at that time we seemed to be disengaging on many fronts. As a matter of interest, I checked with Buckingham Palace, No. 10 and the Ministry of Defence but was never able to find the answer. I considered it to be a key word in the Speech, and it will undoubtedly be key with regard to the future role and responsibility of this great nation in the years to come. I shall repeat some of what I said in that debate four years ago following Her Majesty’s reference to re-engaging: “We are sadly very diminished in world terms. What is more, for the first time people reckon that we have diminished ourselves ... Wherever I go, whether to the United States, China, India Australia and so on, there is a feeling that somehow or other we are opting out. Frankly, given that my interests over all my working life have been totally international, I find that pretty sad because in practice, wherever I travel, people still look to us as a country for—to use an old-fashioned term—moral leadership, while a huge number of small countries look to us for help and advice”.—[Official Report, 28/5/15; col. 108.] That was then; what about now?
Lord Anderson of Swansea (Lab:...As
for trade, our comparative weight in and out of the EU must be a
major factor. Our market in the UK is 60 million, while the EU is
450 million. Whereas Mr Fox talked about glittering trade deals,
he has achieved none. His policy collided with reality. Of
course, sentiment plays no role in trade deals. India for example, will demand
concessions on visas and, as the excellent former US ambassador,
Ray Seitz, reminded us, the UK is important to the US largely as
a bridge to the European Union. Congress has a key role in
terms of protectionism by America and pork-barrel politics. We
would seek a deal in financial services, but the regulators and
lobbies would stand in our way. That “America first” policy was
shown in the US-Canada-Mexico agreement and, with US regulatory
standards in food, animal welfare and food safety will prove a
major difficulty. Our major market is clearly our neighbours in
the European Union and, as an outsider, our weight there will be
considerably reduced... Baroness Tonge (Non-Afl):...I and many other Members of this House and the other place have relentlessly asked questions over the years about trade with many countries all over the world that, by any standards, do not respect human rights—questions which are brushed aside by Ministers with the usual response that, “It is only by engaging and trading with these countries that we shall change their practices, make them into better countries and get them to respect human rights”. How often have we heard that? I would like to see some examples of that approach actually working.
For example, in Kashmir now the people are suffering lockdown,
brutal treatment and imprisonment after India decided to occupy their state. What
is going on there? No one knows. We are not being told anything.
Why are we not being told? Why are the Government not asking any
questions? Do we turn a blind eye even to this because our future
trade with India might be far more important than
human lives and human rights in Kashmir?
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