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During Sir Keir Starmer’s recent visit to Beijing, China lifted sanctions on a group of British parliamentarians, including Labour peer Baroness Helena Kennedy KC. This group had originally faced restrictions from China in 2021 following their criticism of human rights abuses against the Uyghur minority. Despite the easing of these sanctions, Baroness Kennedy described the outcome of the trip as a “meagre return,” expressing that more substantial progress was needed.
Among the sanctioned parliamentarians were seven members who were vocal opponents of China’s policies, particularly as part of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China. This group included Baroness Kennedy, crossbencher Lord Alton, and four active Conservative MPs: Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Nusrat Ghani, Tom Tugendhat, and Neil O’Brien. Former Conservative MP Tim Loughton, who previously faced sanctions, stood down at the last general election. While the lifting of sanctions has been welcomed by some, the group remains critical of what they see as the “selective lifting of sanctions,” emphasizing that justice has not been served as long as Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai remains imprisoned and the Uyghur community continues to face repression.
Baroness Kennedy noted she was pleased that the current Labour government had made headway where previous Conservative administrations, under leaders such as David Cameron and Boris Johnson, had not succeeded. Speaking on the BBC’s World Tonight programme, she acknowledged the government had “got something out of this,” but emphasized that she was not celebrating, describing the results as insufficient. She expressed hope that further progress could be made regarding Jimmy Lai, a British citizen convicted under a contentious national security law in Hong Kong. Although she had not yet been briefed about discussions on Lai’s case, she remained optimistic that good news might emerge. The prime minister confirmed to the BBC that he had indeed raised both Lai’s situation and the ongoing treatment of the Uyghurs during talks with President Xi Jinping.
Despite the apparent diplomatic progress, criticism from some quarters remains strong. Former security minister Tom Tugendhat, who was also among those sanctioned, described the deal as “frankly extraordinary and unbelievably bad” for Britain’s international standing. He highlighted concerns over perceived concessions made before the talks and expressed disappointment that the release of Jimmy Lai had not been secured. Additionally, Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse, who was herself denied entry to Hong Kong last year under contentious circumstances, condemned the diplomatic reset for ignoring ongoing restrictions and called for assurances that British parliamentarians can freely criticize the Chinese Communist Party without fear of retaliation
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