British Foreign Secretary David Lammy expressed his concern after a British lawmaker, Wera Hobhouse, was denied entry to Hong Kong. This denial was for a personal trip to visit her son and new grandson, who have resided in Hong Kong since 2019. Hobhouse stated that this marks the first time a British MP has been refused entry to Hong Kong since it was handed over to China in 1997, describing the decision as “cruel” and an “insult to all parliamentarians”.

Hobhouse, a Liberal Democrat and member of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac), received no explanation for her entry refusal. Lammy has promised to urgently raise the issue with the authorities in Hong Kong and Beijing in search of an explanation. He emphasized that restricting freedom of movement unjustly only undermines Hong Kong’s international reputation.

Hobhouse’s parliamentary colleagues and the Ipac expressed outrage, suggesting the denial may be linked to her criticisms of Beijing’s human rights record and her involvement with IPAC. Previous British MPs, including Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Nusrat Ghani, and Tom Tugendhat, have also been banned from entering China. Lammy had previously criticized the Israeli government for a similar refusal to allow Labour MPs Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang entry for statements about the conflict in Gaza. The Hong Kong government has been contacted for comment.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/13/outcry-after-british-mp-refused-entry-to-hong-kong