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Category: Foreign Affairs

  • Jim Shannon – 2022 Speech on Arrest of Edward Lawrence

    Jim Shannon – 2022 Speech on Arrest of Edward Lawrence

    The speech made by Jim Shannon, the DUP MP for Strangford, in the House of Commons on 29 November 2022.

    I thank the Minister for having a certain firmness in his response, which is what we wish to hear. I welcome the news that the Chinese ambassador has been summoned by the FCDO to account for this arrest. I encourage the Minister to share—hopefully he can—all the justifications that will be given at that meeting. The reason given to the BBC by the Chinese authorities was that they had arrested Edward Lawrence for his own good in case he caught covid from the crowd. Wow, what a pathetic answer! My goodness. Such was their concern for him, a senior journalist in the BBC and a British citizen, that the Chinese police beat him and kicked him as he tried to lawfully cover a peaceful protest in Shanghai. He had all the necessary permits and licences, and is a veteran reporter in China.

    The first question we need to ask is: what assessment has the FCDO Minister made of the safety of British journalists in China following this assault? It is important to remember that the arrest and assault of Edward Lawrence is not the first attack on freedom of speech, but just another example in a long line of journalists and human rights defenders who have been silenced, arrested or simply disappeared by the Chinese Communist party. This is the sixth urgent question granted in this parliamentary term on human rights abuses by the Chinese Communist party. We have seen the CCP establishing incognito police stations in the UK, the assault of Bob Chan outside the Chinese consulate in Manchester, the Xinjiang police files highlighting horrendous crimes against the Uyghurs, and the arrest of pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong. This is unprecedented and needs urgent action.

    This incident is part of a clear pattern of behaviour of increased crackdowns and restrictions on Chinese people within China and on British soil in the run-up to, and following, the 20th national congress of the Chinese Communist party last month. Last night at the Lord Mayor’s banquet, the Prime Minister gave a speech stating that the “golden era” of China-UK relations was over. I welcome the Prime Minister’s commitment, which is worthy of saying. The director general of MI5 said that China represents

    “the biggest long-term threat to Britain and the world’s economic and national security”.

    Clearly, tougher action is needed to protect British citizens, human rights defenders, pro-democracy activists, and religious and ethnic minorities targeted by the CCP.

    David Rutley

    As always, my friend the hon. Gentleman raises important points, and he can be assured that when the Chinese ambassador is called in to the FCDO, they will be raised, particularly the immediate point about the arrest, its unacceptable manner and the justification, which as he highlighted is incredibly thin. In that meeting, we will also raise the wider point he has mentioned about the safety of journalists. He raises a number of other important points, including about Chinese police stations. As the Minister for Security, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tonbridge and Malling (Tom Tugendhat), made clear in his statement to the House on 1 November, reports of undeclared police stations in the United Kingdom are extremely concerning and will be taken seriously. The Home Office is reviewing our approach to transnational repression, and the Minister for Security has committed to providing an update on that work to the House in due course. The hon. Gentleman rightly says that there are wider concerns about the increasing authoritarianism and muscular foreign policy of the Chinese, and the Prime Minister rightly set out a new era of robust pragmatism, which we have seen grow over recent years, but which was clearly articulated by the Prime Minister yesterday.

  • David Rutley – 2022 Statement on Arrest of Edward Lawrence

    David Rutley – 2022 Statement on Arrest of Edward Lawrence

    The statement made by David Rutley, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign Office, in the House of Commons on 29 November 2022.

    Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)

    (Urgent Question): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs if he will make a statement on the arrest and assault of Edward Lawrence by Chinese authorities while covering an anti-lockdown protest in Shanghai.

    Thank you, Mr Speaker, for giving me the opportunity. It has been 12 years of waiting—patience is a virtue.

    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
    (David Rutley)

    I find it hard to believe, given his powers of persuasion, that this is the hon. Gentleman’s first urgent question. He is an ever present ray of sunshine in Parliament, and we love him for it.

    As the Foreign Secretary made clear yesterday, the arrest of a BBC journalist while covering the recent protests in Shanghai is a deeply disturbing and wholly unacceptable situation. Journalists must be able to do their job without fear of arrest of intimidation. The BBC has stated that the journalist was beaten and kicked by the police during his arrest, and was held for several hours before being released. In response, we are calling in the Chinese ambassador to make clear the unacceptable and unwarranted nature of those actions and the importance of freedom of speech, and to demand a full explanation. We have also been in close touch with the journalist and the BBC throughout to gather the facts and provide consular support.

    We recognise that the covid-related restrictions in China are challenging for the Chinese people. We urge the Chinese authorities to respect the rights of those who decide to express their views about the situation. Moreover, as the Prime Minister made clear yesterday in his Mansion House speech, the media—and, for that matter, our parliamentarians—must be able to highlight issues without fear of sanction or intimidation, whether in calling out human rights violations in Xinjiang and the curtailment of freedom in Hong Kong, or in reporting on the recent protests.

    This, of course, follows the recent incident in Manchester. As we have previously made clear to the House, the apparent behaviour of staff at the Chinese consulate general was wholly unacceptable. In view of the gravity of that incident, we summoned the Chinese chargé d’affaires on 18 October and delivered a clear message through our ambassador in Beijing. There is now an ongoing investigation and it would be wrong to pre-empt the findings.

    More broadly, we recognise that China poses a systemic challenge to our values and interests, which, again, the Prime Minister highlighted yesterday. That challenge grows more acute as China moves towards greater authoritarianism. That is why we are taking robust action to protect our interests and stand up for our values. That includes imposing sanctions, leading action at the UN and strengthening our supply chain resilience. Let me assure Members that, as part of our frank relationship with China, we will continue to raise our human rights concerns at the highest levels.

  • Alyn Smith – 2022 Speech on the Death Penalty in Saudi Arabia

    Alyn Smith – 2022 Speech on the Death Penalty in Saudi Arabia

    The speech made by Alyn Smith, the SNP MP for Stirling and the party’s foreign affairs spokesperson in Westminster, in the House of Commons on 28 November 2022.

    The SNP is a party of international law, and we condemn the death penalty wherever it occurs. We think it is a barbaric punishment that never fits the crime. I must say to the House that, in Saudi’s case, it is personal for me: I grew up in Riyadh in the late ’70s and ’80s and know the Saudis well, so forgive me, but I am immune to the flannel and hypocrisy that we are used to hearing when talking about Saudi in this place.

    We are united in our condemnation of the spike in judicial murder. I think we need to see some consequence to what is happening. We have seen 138 individuals executed this year, which must be sending a signal internally on the part of the regime to potential dissidents or somebody else. What is causing the spike now? I would be curious to hear the Minister’s assessment of that. If there have been this many judicial murders in a key partner of the UK, does he really think that it is a suitable partner to be receiving billions in arms exports from this country?

    David Rutley

    I thank the hon. Member for his comments, which are always well grounded, particularly when we talk about the middle east and north Africa—I remember our recent debate on Yemen. He asked a very good question about the spike in executions, on which we are seeking further clarification. As I said, that does not sit easily with what the Saudi Government have said, so we are seeking further clarification—[Interruption.] I am grateful for the mobile phone notification that things are happening on the Opposition Benches. That has distracted me from the other points that the hon. Member made. He mentioned his concerns about arms sales. I reiterate that the UK operates one of the most comprehensive export control regimes in the world and that every licence application is vigorously and rigorously assessed against strategic export licensing criteria. Risks around human rights abuses are a key part of our assessment.

  • Peter Bottomley – 2022 Speech on the Death Penalty in Saudi Arabia

    Peter Bottomley – 2022 Speech on the Death Penalty in Saudi Arabia

    The speech made by Peter Bottomley, the Conservative MP for Worthing West and the Father of the House, in the House of Commons on 28 November 2022.

    It would be good for the House to know whether the Crown Prince—the Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia—thinks that he is personally involved or uninvolved in what is going on. It is now four years and seven weeks since Jamal Khashoggi was murdered. I think it is time that our friend—our ally—Saudi Arabia got to know that whenever a senior member of its country comes abroad, unless such executions stop, they will be associated with them.

    May I also make the point that any suggestion that a confession was gained by torture makes it invalid? We know from our past that seven times a year, people convicted of a capital offence were innocent or should not have been convicted. I suspect that the same applies in Saudi Arabia.

    David Rutley

    The Father of the House makes important points. As he is aware, the UK has always been clear that Khashoggi’s murder was a terrible crime. We called for a thorough, credible and transparent investigation to hold those responsible to account and imposed sanctions against 20 Saudis involved. I cannot speculate about future designations or sanctions as that would reduce their impact, but he can be assured that we will speak up clearly and call out any confessions secured under torture, which are abhorrent and against all that we stand for.

  • Bambos Charalambous – 2022 Speech on the Death Penalty in Saudi Arabia

    Bambos Charalambous – 2022 Speech on the Death Penalty in Saudi Arabia

    The speech made by Bambos Charalambous, the Labour MP for Enfield Southgate, in the House of Commons on 28 November 2022.

    Labour unequivocally condemns the recent executions in Saudi Arabia and the use of the death penalty anywhere in the world. In the last two weeks, executions have been taking place on almost a daily basis in Saudi Arabia. In total, according to the UN, 144 people have been executed in Saudi Arabia this year alone, which is a record high for the kingdom, and more than double the number last year. The recent executions have been for alleged drugs and contraband offences following the Saudi authorities ending a 21-month moratorium on the use of the death penalty for drug-related offences. That is deeply concerning, especially after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s public assurances that the kingdom would minimise use of the death penalty altogether.

    The UK should join the international community in condemning these executions in the strongest terms. What steps have the UK Government taken to raise our concerns about the resumption of executions and the wider crackdown on freedom of expression and activism with the Minister’s Saudi counterparts? I note the Minister’s comments about the meeting with Lord Ahmad, but this needs to be an ongoing process. How do the Government intend to use the close relationship between our countries to press for a change in Saudi Arabia’s approach? I join my right hon. Friend the Member for Tottenham (Mr Lammy) and the right hon. Member for Haltemprice and Howden (Mr Davis) in calling on the Government to do everything in their power to prevent the imminent execution of Hussein Abo al-Kheir. What steps have they taken so far to secure that goal?

    We must oppose the death penalty in all countries and in all circumstances. Will the Minister confirm whether the Prime Minister raised the importance of standing up for human rights, which should be at the heart of British diplomacy, when he met the Crown Prince earlier this month at the G20?

    David Rutley

    It speaks volumes when we have condemnation coming from both sides of the House. I am grateful to the hon. Member for his contribution and for joining us in condemning this spike in use of the death penalty. We are seeking further clarification of its cause at the highest level. That was part of the conversation that Lord Ahmad had, because, as the hon. Member said, that does not sit comfortably with what was previously said by the Saudi Government. We are seeking that clarification as a key priority. As I said, we are raising this matter at the highest possible levels.

  • David Rutley – 2022 Statement on the Death Penalty in Saudi Arabia

    David Rutley – 2022 Statement on the Death Penalty in Saudi Arabia

    The statement made by David Rutley, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, in the House of Commons on 28 November 2022.

    I congratulate my right hon. Friend on securing the urgent question.

    Saudi Arabia remains a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office human rights priority country, particularly because of the use of the death penalty and restrictions on freedom of expression. We seek to engage the kingdom and support positive reform, and Lord Ahmad, the Minister responsible for our middle east and north Africa policy, visited the kingdom in February to advance UK strategic engagement on human rights specifically. Key areas included promoting freedom of religious belief, lobbying on individual human rights cases of concern and encouraging justice reforms. Saudi Arabia is committed to an ambitious programme of economic and social reform through Vision 2030, which has already delivered significant change, including increased freedoms and economic opportunity for women. However, the human rights situation is likely to remain a key issue in our engagement for the foreseeable future.

    It is a long-standing UK policy to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances in all countries as a matter of principle. The Saudi Government are well aware of the UK’s opposition to the use of the death penalty. The Saudi authorities have executed around 150 individuals in 2022, a marked increase on the 67 executions last year. On 12 March 2022 Saudi Arabia executed 81 people in a single day, and the British ambassador raised UK concerns with Saudi authorities at both ministerial and senior official level in Riyadh on 14 March. The then Middle East Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Cannock Chase (Amanda Milling), also raised concern over the 81 executions with the Saudi ambassador to the UK. More recently, Saudi Arabia has executed 20 individuals for drugs-related offences since 10 November despite Saudi Arabia’s moratorium on the death penalty for drugs-related offences announced in January 2021.

    Lord Ahmad, the Minister responsible for the middle east and human rights, requested a meeting and spoke to the Saudi ambassador last week, on 24 November. He raised UK concern over the recent executions and pushed for the 2021 moratorium for drugs-related offences to remain in place. During the meeting Lord Ahmad also raised an important case for my right hon. Friend, that of Hussein Abo al-Kheir, who is assessed by respected international non-governmental organisations to be at risk of imminent execution. There are allegations of torture and forced confession in this case, and the Minister reiterated His Majesty’s Government’s long-standing position on the death penalty and the importance of ensuring the 2021 moratorium was upheld.

    Through Ministers and our embassy in Riyadh we regularly raise the death penalty as a key issue of concern with Saudi Arabia. We will continue to do so, and no aspect of our relationship with Saudi Arabia prevents us from speaking frankly about human rights.

  • James Cleverly – 2022 Statement on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative Strategy

    James Cleverly – 2022 Statement on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative Strategy

    The statement made by James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, in the House of Commons on 28 November 2022.

    Today we have presented our vision for ending the scourge of conflict-related sexual violence. With this strategy, the UK is stepping up our ambition: we will deliver a step change in the international response, working with our partners to support survivors, hold perpetrators to account and put an end to these heinous acts for good.

    Progress has been made to support survivors and strengthen accountability but sexual violence continues to be widely used in conflict, as demonstrated by the appalling reports from Ukraine. We need a stronger international response for all those affected.

    The Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative strategy will support the delivery of the international development strategy and the integrated review. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon is the Prime Minister’s special representative on preventing sexual violence in conflict.

    There are significant challenges including reliable data collection, gathering evidence on what works, securing justice and providing holistic survivor support.

    This strategy will seek to change this by delivering four key objectives:

    Strengthening the global response to CRSV;

    Preventing CRSV, including by addressing root causes such as harmful gender norms;

    Improving justice for all survivors and holding perpetrators to account;

    Enhancing support for survivors and children born of sexual violence in conflict, including tackling the stigma they face within their communities.

    We will strive to deliver these objectives by showing UK leadership to strengthen the global response. This will include working with partners to deliver the commitments made at the PSVI international conference and the political declaration launched there. We have launched a new initiative on accountability that will strengthen the ability of national authorities to end impunity for CRSV. This aims to bring together expertise and best practice, build capacity, improve national implementation in focus countries, and increase support to survivors.

    We will drive concerted action on the Crimes Against Humanity Convention to strengthen international law in this area, including on some forms of CRSV.

    Key policy initiatives:

    The Call to Action to Ensure the Rights and Wellbeing of Children Born of Sexual Violence in Conflict;

    The Murad Code, a global code of conduct to ensure that the documentation of the experiences of CRSV survivors is effective and upholds survivors’ rights;

    The Declaration of Humanity, a faith and belief-based call for the prevention of sexual violence in conflict that denounces the stigma faced by survivors and children born of rape; and

    Increasing the UK’s focus on conflict and atrocity prevention to tackle the drivers of conflict before violence becomes widespread.

    We will use our development budget to deliver change, including through:

    The £67.5 million committed to the What Works to Prevent Violence: Impact at Scale programme, which pioneers and rigorously evaluates scalable solutions to prevent gender-based violence, including sexual violence in conflict settings;

    Up to £12.5 million of new funding that the PSVI team will use over the next three years to tackle CRSV. This funding will be complemented by wider CRSV programming across FCDO.

    The £12.5 million will include:

    a contribution of up to £5.15 million to the Global Survivors Fund, which aims to enhance CRSV survivors’ access to reparations, including through the provision financial support, livelihood assistance, education, and health care; and

    continued funding to the UK’s PSVI team of experts, a group of independent specialists deployed to support the work of national and international bodies and NGOs to strengthen their response to CRSV.

    Delivering on our commitments under the Call to Action on Protection from GBV in Emergencies, including working with our operational partners to prevent, mitigate and respond to GBV, including CRSV, from the earliest stages of a humanitarian crisis.

    We will continue to work closely with international and UK partners to put an end to the scourge of sexual violence in conflict.

  • BBC – 2022 Statement on Arrest of Ed Lawrence in China

    BBC – 2022 Statement on Arrest of Ed Lawrence in China

    The statement made by the BBC on 27 November 2022 following the arrest of their journalist Ed Lawrence in China.

    The BBC is extremely concerned about the treatment of our journalist Ed Lawrence, who was arrested and handcuffed while covering the protests in Shanghai. He was held for several hours before being released. During his arrest, he was beaten and kicked by the police. This happened while he was working as an accredited journalist.

    It is very worrying that one of our journalists was attacked in this way whilst carrying out his duties. We have had no official explanation or apology from the Chinese authorities, beyond a claim by the officials who later released him that they had arrested him for his own good in case he caught Covid from the crowd. We do not consider this a credible explanation.

  • James Cleverly – 2022 Comments on Arrest of BBC Journalist in China

    James Cleverly – 2022 Comments on Arrest of BBC Journalist in China

    The comments made by James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, on Twitter on 28 November 2022.

    Media freedom and freedom to protest must be respected. No country is exempt.

    The arrest of BBC journalist @EP_Lawrence (Edward Lawrence) in China is deeply disturbing.

    Journalists must be able to do their job without intimidation.

  • Rishi Sunak – 2022 Speech on Foreign Policy to the Lord Mayor’s Banquet

    Rishi Sunak – 2022 Speech on Foreign Policy to the Lord Mayor’s Banquet

    The speech made by Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, at the Guildhall in London on 28 November 2022.

    My Lord Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,

    Whether by virtue of history or accident of geography, our country has always looked out to the world.

    I was born in Southampton…

    … a port city the Victorians called the gateway to the world…

    … where the Mayflower set sail…

    … where Spitfires were built and allied troops embarked on D-Day.

    And just as we look out to the world, so the world often looks to Britain.

    Like many others, my grandparents came to the UK, via East Africa and the Indian subcontinent… and made their lives here.

    In recent years, we’ve welcomed thousands of people…

    …from Hong Kong, Afghanistan, and Ukraine.

    We’re a country that stands up for our values…

    … that defends democracy by actions not just words…

    A country that commits not just our resources but our ingenuity to better the lives of others, and ourselves.

    Ukrainian flags have flown over almost every town and city on these islands for the past nine months.

    No one told people to put them there.

    They felt moved to show solidarity with people they’ve never met, in a country most have never even visited…

    …to show their faith in fairness, freedom and the rule of law.

    These values are constant.

    They are set in stone.

    But as the world evolves, so does our application of those values.

    As Edmund Burke argued, circumstances and context are everything.

    And today the pace of geopolitical change is intensifying.

    Our adversaries and competitors plan for the long term.

    After years of pushing at the boundaries, Russia is challenging the fundamental principles of the UN Charter.

    China is conspicuously competing for global influence using all the levers of state power.

    In the face of these challenges, short-termism or wishful thinking will not suffice.

    We can’t depend on Cold War arguments or approaches, or mere sentimentality about our past.

    So we will make an evolutionary leap in our approach.

    This means being stronger in defending our values and the openness on which our prosperity depends.

    It means delivering a stronger economy at home, as the foundation of our strength abroad.

    And it means standing up to our competitors, not with grand rhetoric but with robust pragmatism.

    We will do all this…

    …not only through our diplomatic expertise, science and tech leadership, and investment in defence and security…

    …but by dramatically increasing the quality and depth of our partnerships with like-minded allies around the world.

    We will set out more detail in the updated Integrated Review in the new year…

    …including how we’ll work with friends in the Commonwealth, the US, the Gulf states, Israel and others.

    But tonight I’d like to describe how we’re already making this evolutionary leap in three other places.

    First, as we stand by Ukraine, we’re also reinvigorating our European relationships to tackle challenges like security and illegal migration.

    Second, we’re taking a longer-term view on China, strengthening our resilience and protecting our economic security.

    And third, we’re seizing the huge opportunities on offer in the Indo-Pacific by building deep and long-lasting partnerships.

    First, Ukraine.

    In Kyiv, I just saw how Russia’s focus is shifting from bruising encounters on the battlefield to brutalising the civilian population.

    It was written in the scarred buildings and the piles of rubble lining the streets…

    …in the stories of the first responders I met from liberated Kherson…

    …from the torture chambers to the booby traps left in children’s toys.

    As the world comes together to watch the World Cup…

    …I saw how an explosive device had been hidden inside a child’s football – seeking to make it a weapon of war.

    It defies belief.

    So be in no doubt, we will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.

    Next year we will maintain or even  increase our military aid.

    And we will provide new support for air defence, to protect the Ukrainian people and the critical infrastructure they rely on.

    By protecting Ukraine, we protect ourselves.

    With the fall of Kabul, the pandemic, the economic strife, some said the West was weak.

    In fact, our response in Ukraine has shown the depth of our collective resolve.

    Sweden and Finland are joining NATO.

    Germany is increasing its defence spending.

    Partners as far afield as Australia, Japan and South Korea are standing with us.

    We’ve developed an entirely new sanctions model.

    And through NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force we’re guarding against further Russian aggression…

    …whether in the east or the High North.

    We’re also evolving our wider post-Brexit relations with Europe…

    …including bilaterally and engaging with the new European Political Community.

    But this is not about greater alignment.

    Under my leadership we’ll never align with EU law.

    Instead, we’ll foster respectful, mature relationships with our European neighbours on shared issues like energy and illegal migration…

    …to strengthen our collective resilience against strategic vulnerabilities.

    And that brings me to my second point.

    We also need to evolve our approach to China.

    Let’s be clear, the so-called “golden era” is over…

    …along with the naïve idea that trade would automatically lead to social and political reform.

    But nor should we rely on simplistic Cold War rhetoric.

    We recognise China poses a systemic challenge to our values and interests…

    …a challenge that grows more acute as it moves towards even greater authoritarianism.

    Instead of listening to their people’s protests, the Chinese Government has chosen to crack down further…

    …including by assaulting a BBC journalist.

    The media – and our parliamentarians – must be able to highlight these issues without sanction…

    …including calling out abuses in Xinjiang – and the curtailment of freedom in Hong Kong.

    Of course, we cannot simply ignore China’s significance in world affairs…

    …to global economic stability or issues like climate change.

    The US, Canada, Australia, Japan and many others understand this too.

    So together we’ll manage this sharpening competition, including with diplomacy and engagement.

    Much of this is about dramatically improving our resilience, particularly our economic security.

    That’s why we created new powers under the National Security and Investment Act…

    …it’s why we used them this month to block the sale of Newport Wafer Fab.

    It’s why we took action on 5G.

    And it’s why we’re ending global dependence on authoritarian regimes – starting with Russian gas.

    Now we’re also acting to deepen our ties in the Indo-Pacific – the third example of where we’re evolving our approach.

    Before I came into politics, like many of you, I invested in businesses around the world… and the opportunity in the Indo-Pacific is compelling.

    Take Indonesia, which I visited just this month.

    It’s a young, vibrant country…

    …the world’s third largest democracy…

    …poised to become a top 5 global economy.

    By 2050, the Indo-Pacific will deliver over half of global growth …

    …compared with just a quarter from Europe and North America combined.

    That’s why we’re joining the Trans-Pacific trade deal, the CPTPP…

    …delivering a new FTA with India…

    …and pursuing one with Indonesia.

    But in the Indo-Pacific economics and security are indivisible.

    60% of global trade passes through regional shipping routes…

    …including choke points like the straits of Malacca.

    It’s in our interests to keep these trade lines open.

    That’s why we joined the Five Power Defence Arrangements with Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore half a century ago.

    And it’s why we’re evolving new long-term defence, industrial and technological partnerships…

    …like AUKUS with Australia and the US…

    …and the Future Combat Air System with Italy and Japan.

    By deepening these ties we’ll help protect the arteries and ventricles of the global economy…

    …supporting security and prosperity – both at home in our European neighbourhood and in the Indo-Pacific.

    My Lord Mayor,

    As we meet here tonight, the people of Ukraine are hunkered down in freezing temperatures, on the front line of the fight for freedom.

    In Iran, women are displaying the most humbling and breath-taking courage…

    …refusing to bow to thuggish, theocratic control.

    And tomorrow Iran’s football team will again stand with them in solidarity – facing unknown consequences as a result.

    Freedom and openness have always been the most powerful forces for progress.

    But they have never been achieved by standing still.

    As Henry Kissinger wrote:

    …during periods of crisis… whether war, technological change or economic dislocation… management of the status quo may be the riskiest choice of all.

    Under my leadership we won’t choose the status quo.

    We will do things differently.

    We will evolve…

    … anchored always by our enduring belief in freedom, openness and the rule of law…

    … and confident that in this moment of challenge and competition…

    … our interests will be protected… and our values will prevail.

    Thank you.