18 hours ago
11
Harry Farley
Political correspondent
A Liberal Democrat MP has spoken of her "shock" after being barred from entering Hong Kong this week.
Wera Hobhouse said she flew to the Chinese region on Thursday to visit her newborn grandson but she was detained at the airport, questioned, and then deported on the first flight home.
The MP for Bath is one of more than 40 parliamentarians on the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China that scrutinises Beijing's human rights record but told the Sunday Times she had been given no reason as to why she was refused entry.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: "We will urgently raise this with the authorities in Hong Kong and Beijing to demand an explanation."
He added, it would be "unacceptable for an MP to be denied entry for simply expressing their views as a parliamentarian".
In a letter to Mr Lammy, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey asked him to summon the Chinese Ambassador.
"We are sure you will agree that this is a deeply concerning situation," Sir Ed wrote in the letter seen by BBC News.
"The UK cannot allow the Chinese government to attempt to undermine our democracy by intimidating our parliamentarians."
The Sunday Times reported that Ms Hobhouse was with her husband, who was allowed to enter but decided to return. The couple had travelled to visit their son who has lived in Hong Kong since 2019.
Sir Ed said the bar was "apparently simply because she is a British Member of Parliament".
It comes after after two Labour MPs, Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang, were refused entry to Israel while on a trip to the occupied West Bank this month.
Ms Hobhouse's treatment is likely to raise further questions about the government's engagement with China.
In 2021, Beijing sanctioned five MPs who had been critical of China.
Ms Hobhouse, 65, told the Sunday Times: "My son was waiting at the other end at arrivals...
"I couldn't even see him and give him a hug and I hadn't seen him in a year.
"When I was given the decision my voice was shaking and I was just saying: 'Why, please explain to me?'"
She added that she was not given an explanation - something she described as "cruel".
"I am obviously devastated. I was obviously looking forward to holding [my grandson] and cuddling him and... establishing a relationship," Ms Hobhouse continued.
"They are obviously quite a long way away, so each month you lose is a bit of a loss for the relationship I will have with my grandson. Having to fly back, it was so hard. I didn't cry but I was very close to tears."
In a statement, the foreign secretary said it was "deeply concerning to hear that an MP on a personal trip has been refused entry to Hong Kong".
Mr Lammy said: "Unjustified restrictions on freedom of movement can only serve to further undermine Hong Kong's international reputation."
The Chinese Embassy have been approached for comment.
