LONDON, June 19, 2025 – Yesterday, in the British parliament, members from across the political spectrum debated efforts to better protect British citizens like Jimmy Lai from arbitrary detention and called for the UK government to confront Chinese Communist Party (CCP) repression.
Rachel Blake MP introduced the “Detention of Jimmy Lai and other political prisoners internationally” debate, which highlighted Jimmy Lai’s suffering while allowing lawmakers to speak with one voice on his detention and that of other political prisoners abroad.
Rachel Blake MP, who is Jimmy Lai’s representative in the House of Commons, introduced the debate. (Parliament TV)
Jimmy Lai, 77, is in poor health and has now been wrongfully detained on politically motivated charges in Hong Kong, mostly in solitary confinement, for 1,631 days. The cases of other British citizens detained abroad like Alaa Abd el-Fattah, Jagtar Singh, and Ryan Cornelius were also raised as examples of the government’s failure in securing the release of wrongfully detained nationals.
Blair McDougall MP, who introduced the Jimmy Lai Bill (formally known as the Consular Assistance (Journalists) Bill), which would provide a legal right to consular access for British journalists detained abroad, said: “This is about more than Jimmy Lai, because the rights that [he] was exercising when he was arrested were guaranteed under the [Sino-British] Joint Declaration. It brings into question whether China is a reliable partner on all sorts of other international agreements.”
Calls for the government to follow through on its election campaign promise to introduce a special envoy to deal with hostages and arbitrarily detained British citizens abroad also gathered momentum.
Bobby Dean MP, speaking on behalf of the Liberal Democrats, said there is a “disturbing pattern” of British nationals being detained abroad without fair trial or consular access while diplomatic efforts fall on deaf ears.
“The Liberal Democrats are also calling for a legal right to consular assistance for all British nationals … who are politically detained or face human rights violations abroad,” Dean said. “We also support the appointment of a dedicated envoy for hostages and detainees, but this must not come at the expense of ministerial accountability.”
Shadow foreign minister Andrew Rosindell MP said: “Jimmy Lai is one of us, he is a British citizen. We must be prepared to defend our British citizens, our values and our international obligations. Our silence gives permission to authoritarian regimes to target our people, suppress the truth and redefine the rules of the international order. The world is watching and so is Jimmy Lai.” Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman MP and Jim Shannon MP also spoke up on Jimmy Lai’s behalf.
Hamish Falconer MP, a Minister at the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office, concluded the debate by saying that the government is “examining options to strengthen our approach with the appointment of a special envoy to work with families on the most complex detention cases. We are also committed to introducing a new right to consular assistance in cases of human rights violations.”
Mark Sabah, Director at the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, said:
“Once again, British MPs have condemned government inaction in securing Jimmy Lai’s release. It is a failure of the highest order that Jimmy Lai remains in jail. It highlights just how weak the UK has become in standing up for British detainees arbitrarily held abroad. The prime minister should fly to Hong Kong immediately and demand a visit with Jimmy Lai and all negotiations about mega embassies and trade should stop until Jimmy Lai and his family are returned safely to the UK.”
