Guildford
Pledge
I pledge to support Hongkongers
in their pursuit of freedom and democracy;
in their settlement and integration in the UK, including the existing BN(0) visa programme and support for Hongkonger asylum seekers facing political repression, and;
in the exercise of their civic rights and freedoms, free from repression, in Britain.
Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrats): Signed
Sam Peters (Green Party): Signed
Angela Richardson (Conservative Party): Signed
Statement
Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrats):
I can assure you that the Liberal Democrats take the issues impacting Hongkongers and Hong Kong very seriously.
As a party, the Liberal Democrats stand with the people of Hong Kong.
Many Hongkongers have suffered grave persecution at the hands of the Chinese Regime and with the repeated reports of police brutality, the UK has a moral and legal duty to stand with Hongkongers and ensure no one is left behind to suffer under the Chinese Communist Party.
For too long the UK Government has failed in its duty under the Joint Declaration and international law to preserve Hong Kong’s democracy and human rights.
We believe that the Government can make no more excuses – it is time for the UK to step up, lead and take action. The UK Government must step up and hold China to account. Now is the time for the UK to consider taking China to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over its disregard for its obligations in international law.
Now is also the time for the UK to impose Magnitsky-style sanctions on those individuals in Hong Kong and China who are responsible for human rights abuses in the peninsula. That must include Magnitsky sanctions and taking China to the International Court of Justice.
The UK Government must also conduct an audit of UK-based assets owned by Hong Kong officials involved in the crackdown and should consider declaring Hong Kong as no longer autonomous - and review whether it should continue to receive preferential customs status - until fundamental liberties are restored.
We, the Lib Dems, are urging the Government to ensure no one is left behind. Gaps in the British National Overseas (BNO) visa scheme must be plugged - to give Hongkongers a lifeboat if they need it. The UK Government must ensure that Hongkongers in the UK are given the support they need - including guaranteeing an expansion of funding for the BNO Integration Scheme, and ensuring that Hongkongers’ needs are met, including proper mental health support and English language support where appropriate.
For a more general overview of our vision for the future of the UK please see “Our Fair Deal” (What we stand for - Liberal Democrats (libdems.org.uk) – this document sets five key themes which we regard as essential to achieve what the Liberal Democrats stand for: to give everyone the power to make the most of their potential, and real freedom to decide how they live their lives.
Policy Questionnaire
1. Tackling transnational repression by the Chinese and Hong Kong governments
Sam Peters (Green Party):
The growing repression of freedoms in Hong Kong must be opposed by the UK government – not only as a matter of course for any country which claims to care about democracy and human rights, but especially in this case given the shared history of the UK and Hong Kong. It is particularly concerning to see the reach that this repression extends to – even targeting Hongkongers and those believed to be connected to protest or campaign groups abroad, including in the UK. Hongkongers in Hong Kong and worldwide must have the freedom to organise, debate and decide on their own future, safe in the knowledge that global governments will afford them all necessary protections to do so with dignity and human rights upheld.
Angela Richardson (Conservative Party):
Conservatives will stand up for the rights of all people to live here safely and freely. We will not tolerate transnational repression and any attempt by any foreign power to intimidate, harass or harm individuals or communities in the UK.
In Government, the Conservatives have passed new legislation which strengthens the UK's ability to counter and disrupt foreign interference.
The Conservative Government has raised serious concerns about the new national security legislation passed under article 23 of the Basic Law in Hong Kong earlier this year. We are clear that this law has no effect in the UK.
2. Sanctioning Chinese and Hong Kong government officials responsible for human rights abuses
Sam Peters (Green Party):
Any government officials responsible for human rights abuses must be brought to justice. The UK government must impose sanctions – legal, financial, travel and otherwise – firstly to help bring perpetrators to justice if possible, but also to set a strong precedent for the application of consistent international law both inside and outside Hong Kong. The UK loses all credibility if it talks about human rights, democracy and freedom from repression but fails to act when it has the chance to demonstrate these fundamental principles.
Angela Richardson (Conservative Party):
In June 2019, we restricted the sale of crowd control equipment to Hong Kong. In July 2020, we extended the UK's arms embargo with mainland China fully to Hong Kong in response To the National Security Law.
The Conservative Government has imposed sanctions against Chinese government officials for gross human rights violations in Xinjiang.
The Conservative Government has also applied sanctions in response to Chinese state-affiliated organisations and individuals carrying out malicious cyber campaigns targeting democratic institutions and parliamentarians in the UK. We will always defend ourselves from those who seek to threaten the freedoms that underpin our values and democracy.
3. Shutting down Confucius Institutes in the UK
Sam Peters (Green Party):
The Scottish Green party became the first major UK party to call for the termination of Confucius partnerships in schools and universities in 2021, citing similar concerns that have led to scores of institutes being shut down worldwide. The University of Surrey appears not to have a CI branch, but plenty of other universities around the UK do. The ostensibly benign goals of sharing Chinese language and culture do not justify potential issues of funding, academic freedoms, and more which have been behind the closure of CIs around the world.
Angela Richardson (Conservative Party):
The Government continually updates and assesses the threats posed to our country and our values, including in higher education. We have been clear that Government funding to Confucius Institutes in the UK should be removed, but that it is currently disproportionate to ban them entirely.
Universities have a duty to promote freedom of expression and ensure that due diligence of institutions on-site is conducted. It is crucial that this remains the case with Confucius Institutes.
I will work with Government to ensure that the monitoring of these institutes are kept under constant review and, should it be judged that further action is needed, that it is taken robustly.
4. Assisting Hong Kong immigrants in retrieving their Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF)
Sam Peters (Green Party):
While I cannot profess to have known about the Mandatory Provident Fund or issues with it prior to reading the comprehensive policy brief, the argument for the UK government to assist Hong Kong immigrants to the UK in retrieving their savings is certainly compelling. Freedom from repression must also come with a financial perspective.
Angela Richardson (Conservative Party):
If elected, I will lobby the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to use every power and diplomatic relationship to get these pension funds released.
5. Assisting Hong Kong immigrants in finding jobs commensurate with their work experience
Sam Peters (Green Party):
The Green Party believes how we treat people who have chosen the UK as their home says a great deal about our values and national character. Greens are proud that we are a country forged by migrants and welcome the economic and societal contributions that immigrants and refugees make to British society. We want to promote social cohesion and support migrants to put down roots, and this includes ensuring that everyone has full opportunity to find suitable work for their skills and talents. We will invest in local councils to better their ability to provide education for immigrants including language skills and converting existing qualifications to those recognised in the UK where applicable, rather than requiring skilled workers into alternative work or to have to take qualifications from scratch despite having all the requisite knowledge.
Angela Richardson (Conservative Party):
The role of an MP is to legislate and to deal with casework for constituents on a range of issues such as immigration, benefits, housing, education and health. Whilst an MP is unable to provide employment seeking assistance, they can direct constituents to the appropriate Services and lobby to Government to ensure the best environment for job creation exists.
6. Improving NHS services and reducing crimes in local communities
Sam Peters (Green Party):
Green Party policy on the NHS and policing/crime are both extremely comprehensive. I will share the ‘headlines’ below, but also encourage a reading of our manifesto which includes large sections on health and policing (available at https://greenparty.org.uk/app/uploads/2024/06/Green-Party-2024-General-ElectionManifesto-Long-version-with-cover.pdf).
On health and the NHS, the Green Party will;
Commit to a fully public health service including actively reversing the privatisation and marketisation of the NHS. 3 - Guarantee rapid access to a GP and same-day access in case of urgent need.
Make essential dentistry free at the point of use.
Address existing health disparities in factors such as race, socioeconomic status, etc.
Increase annual expenditure by £8bn in the first year of the next parliament, rising to a total of £28bn in 2030, plus an additional capital spend of at least £20bn over the next five years. Our tax policies, including a wealth tax on billionaires which will bring in over £50bn a year, will be crucial to supporting this funding.
Support pay restoration for NHS staff who have faced over a decade of pay freezes and cuts.
Put mental health on parity with physical health, and support social care and community care to ensure dignity for all patients while ending the exploitation of migrant workers so often seen in outsourced social/community care settings.
Restore local council budgets for public health, and in particular focus on preventative health (much Green policy – for example on insulation, air pollution or active travel – has knock-on benefits for public health already).
On crime, justice and policing, the Green Party will;
Focus on the prevention of crime through restoring funding withdrawn from youth services since 2010 and through community-based policing.
Invest £11bn in restoring the Ministry of Justice budget over the course of the next parliament, to restore legal aid budgets, ensure that the Criminal Bar is sufficiently well funded, and to repair court buildings.
Push to recruit more judges (and ensure that they are representative of wider society), so that defendants are brought to trial quickly in the interests of both victim and the people accused.
Expand restorative justice when crimes do take place, both to give victims a voice and to help offenders take responsibility for the harm they have done, in turn reducing recidivism rates alongside a focus on rehabilitation.
Push Police Services to acknowledge the institutional bigotry, including racism, that have remained rooted in policing for so long. Services must expel any officers who hold views incompatible with serving as a police officer.
Angela Richardson (Conservative Party):
I know that Hong Kongers pay a Health Surcharge, which can seem expensive, however, the health service we have in the UK is exceptional in how it is free at the point of need and world leading in new technologies and treatments In Guildford, our health service is of the highest quality and I have been working since 2019 to ensure that remains the case.
You can see a full list of all the candidates for the Guildford constituency here.
Last updated: 14/6/2024