Islington South and Finsbury

Statement

Emily Thornberry (Labour Party):

I’m afraid as a member of the Shadow Cabinet I am unable to sign up to campaign pledges. However, I want to reassure you that I am strongly supportive of the rights and freedoms of Hong Kongers, as defined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration, and defended those rights vociferously during my time as Labour’s Shadow Foreign Secretary. That’s why I am delighted that Labour has committed in our manifesto to standing with and supporting those who have relocated from Hong Kong to the UK under the British National (Overseas) visa scheme.

As our manifesto clearly states:

After 14 years of damaging Conservative inconsistency over China, Labour will bring a long term and strategic approach to managing our relations. We will co-operate where we can, compete where we need to, and challenge where we must. We will improve the UK’s capability to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities China poses through an audit of our bilateral relationship. We will always act in our interests and defend our sovereignty and our democratic values. We will stand with and support members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK.

It's an honour to have represented Islington South and Finsbury for the past nineteen years, and during that time I have always tried to speak up for residents and our progressive, inclusive values. This election is a choice between a fresh start with Labour or five more years of Tory cruelty, sleaze, and incompetence. I hope that I can count on your vote to bring about the change that Britain desperately needs.

You can see a full list of all the candidates for the Islington South and Finsbury constituency here.

Last updated: 2/7/2024