Senior Conservative MPs and peers have accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government of mishandling relations with Beijing after China appeared to lift sanctions on some UK parliamentarians, while leaving others and their families under restriction.
In a joint statement issued on Friday, the group said they had learned through media reports that the Chinese government had removed sanctions imposed in 2021 on certain sitting MPs and peers who had raised concerns in Parliament about alleged human-rights abuses in Xinjiang.
They said they had not been contacted by the UK government in advance and demanded assurances that British sanctions on four Chinese officials accused of involvement in atrocities against Uyghur Muslims remained in place.
The statement was signed by Lord Alton of Liverpool, Baroness Helena Kennedy KC, Nusrat Ghani MP, Tom Tugendhat MP and Neil O’Brien MP, alongside former Conservative MP Tim Loughton, who remains sanctioned.
The parliamentarians said it appeared that sanctions had not been lifted on Mr Loughton, on Essex Court Chambers, Sir Geoffrey Nice KC, the Uyghur Tribunal, the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission or academic Dr Joanne Smith Finley. They also said they had not been told whether restrictions on their family members were still in force.
Claims of “Selective” Treatment
In unusually blunt language, the group criticised what they described as the “selective lifting” of sanctions affecting only current parliamentarians.
They said:
“The selective lifting of sanctions solely on sitting parliamentarians is wrong. Parliament exists to represent and defend the people of the United Kingdom. Seeking or accepting preferential treatment for current MPs and Peers sends a damaging signal that some are more deserving of protection than others.”
The MPs and peers added that they took “no comfort” from the move while Hong Kong activist Jimmy Lai remains imprisoned in China and while Uyghurs continue to face what they described as atrocity crimes.
They said they would not be silenced and demanded urgent clarification from ministers about the status of those who remain sanctioned.
Pressure on the Prime Minister
The intervention places fresh pressure on Keir Starmer as he attempts to reset relations with Beijing following his recent visit to China, a trip that has already drawn criticism from opposition figures and human-rights campaigners who fear the government is softening its stance.
In their statement, the signatories said they expected the Prime Minister to meet all those who were sanctioned by China, not just sitting MPs and peers, when he returns to the UK.
The row risks fuelling accusations that Mr Starmer is prioritising diplomatic engagement with Beijing at the expense of transparency and principle, particularly over sensitive human-rights issues.
Downing Street has yet to respond directly to the parliamentarians’ statement.
Image: For illustration purposes
