My letter to MP colleagues regarding the forthcoming election for a new Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.
Dear Colleague,
Our values are under assault like never before. Russia and China’s ascendency threaten the Western alliance and point towards a global tilt to totalitarianism. Now more than ever, our Government must vocally and viscerally defend the freedoms that define our nation.
Vladimir Putin’s outrageous invasion of Ukraine has shown us afresh that failing to face up to totalitarian dictators has a devastating financial and human cost. If elected I would ensure that the Foreign Affairs Committee holds the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to account so that it fulfils its role as a global defender of our freedoms.
I believe in standing up for human rights and for the most oppressed in our world, particularly religious minorities. To that end, I make no apology for seeking to amend the recent Trade Bill to ensure that the UK can call out countries guilty of genocide and forced sterilisation of Uyghur women. I have continued to campaign for the Uyghur, Rohingya Muslims, and other oppressed groups.
I have also amended legislation and campaigned to secure the recall of British judges from Hong Kong; persuade the Department for Health to eradicate slavery within its supply chains; ban Huawei from the UK’s 5G networks; extend the BN(O) scheme to young Hong Kongers; and amend the Nationality and Borders Bill to provide greater protections to confirmed victims of modern-day slavery.
I have always worked to champion the voices of colleagues. We are privileged to have serious foreign policy expertise on the Foreign Affairs Committee. My role as chairman will be to ensure all colleagues’ voices are heard.
I founded and co-chair the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), the cross-party group of legislators from 30 countries and five continents and I work closely with my co-chair in the UK, Baroness Helena Kennedy QC. Each IPAC member country has parliamentarians from both the left and the right who hold their governments to account in promoting democracy and human rights. This work resulted in the Chinese Communist Party imposing sanctions me and some of my colleagues.
It is not just China and Russia that threaten our values, however. Democracy is under threat on every continent. In the last year, along with colleagues, I have travelled to Italy, Lithuania, the United States of America and the Czech Republic to meet politicians from all parties and to strengthen the global coalition against the axis of totalitarianism.
As Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Magnitsky Sanctions I have scrutinised the Government’s sanctions list. Alongside others, I have called for greater and tougher sanctions on kleptocrats and corrupt officials from Rwanda, Nicaragua, Russia, Sudan, the DRC, Bangladesh and Nigeria.
Where possible I have worked with the Government to seek change. Where it has not proven possible on issues including the genocide amendment, the Huawei battle and the response to Russia and China, I have not been afraid to speak out when the Government has fallen short. I will hold the Government to account without fear or favour. That will be the role of the Foreign Affairs Committee under my chairmanship.
In my 30 years in Parliament, I have served as Leader of the Opposition, Shadow Defence Secretary and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. In each of these roles I have attempted to be principled, independent, and eager to work across party lines.
It will be exactly this approach that I take to the role of Chairmanship of the Foreign Affairs Committee if elected. I would be grateful to hear your views on the priorities for the committee under the new Government. Please do get in contact with any thoughts or suggestions.
I do hope that I can count on your support.
Yours aye,
Iain