Statement on in Support of Wera Hobhouse MP

We unite in support of Wera Hobhouse MP, after the Hong Kong authorities denied her entry, and with it the ability to see her newborn grandson.
Detained and deported without explanation, Hobhouse’s exclusion appears linked to her criticism of Beijing’s human rights record, and possibly her membership of this network.
This incident, the first of its kind since Beijing’s crackdown in Hong Kong, coincides with UK ministers visiting China and Hong Kong to develop trade and investment links. That the Hong Kong authorities felt able to deny entry to a sitting parliamentarian while simultaneously hosting UK Ministers is an insult to Parliament. That they appear to have done so because of an objection to something a UK MP has said in the legitimate exercise of her duties is a challenge to our core values as a nation.
We urge both the UK government and Mr. Speaker to take a very strong stand in addressing this affront to democratic principles and personal freedoms.