Tag: Lisa Nandy

The speech made by Lisa Nandy, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, in the House of Commons on 6 September 2021.

These have been a painful and sobering few weeks. Had it not been for the heroic efforts of the armed forces as well as the brave diplomats and civil servants involved in Operation Pitting, many more lives would have been lost and many more people left behind. They reminded us what courage looks like. I want to put on record my thanks to them and to all those who have served in Afghanistan over the last two decades, and also to add my condolences to the families of all those killed in the horrific bombing at Kabul airport.

If more lives are not to be lost, we need some urgent clarity today. What, specifically, is the advice to people trying to leave? Should they stay put and be hunted by the Taliban, or should they make their way to a border and risk being turned back?

Could the Foreign Secretary take care of some basic issues? The Home Office phone number provided for Afghans asks people to hold on for hours, and it is still chargeable. That is pretty easy to fix. Could he have a word with the Home Secretary and get it dealt with? He was not able to tell us how many British nationals are still there, but I imagine he must know by now, so can he tell us? We know that only one security guard from the embassy got out, so what is his plan for the rest? I did a quick check before I left my office today; there are still hundreds of unanswered emails from MPs, and many of them raised that question with the Prime Minister this afternoon. How many staff are now working on this in the Foreign Office, and why has it not been dealt with? If those Members are to get an answer by this evening, can the Foreign Secretary assure us that it will be a real answer and not just a holding response?

Can we have some clarity about who is actually eligible, especially under the ARAP scheme—it is welcome that the Secretary of State for Defence has stayed for the statement—because without clarity about who is eligible, people cannot risk heading to the border? It would be useful to have a much tighter idea of who the eligible people are, particularly the special cases. What is the assurance about safe passage that the Foreign Secretary believes that he has from the Taliban? Does it apply to all those with documentation, or just to the British nationals?

I understand that the technical problems at the airport have now been overcome, and that is welcome, but can the Foreign Secretary tell us a bit more about the diplomatic progress that has been made? How, for example, does he intend to square the circle to comply with the Taliban’s refusal to allow a foreign military presence, while also ensuring that those technicians from Turkey or Qatar, or whichever other country is chosen to oversee that operation, can be safeguarded? I very much support his view that it would be wrong to recognise the Taliban as a legitimate Government, but that presents a practical challenge to the countries that are considering stepping in to oversee the airport in respect of how guarantees can be upheld.

May I just say to the Foreign Secretary that the co-ordination between the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defence, despite some very hard-working civil servants on the ground who are working round the clock, is still appalling? My office is in touch with a small number of Afghan workers, for example, who have been attached to intelligence and to MI6 in recent years. They are being treated as special cases under ARAP, and many of them have been waiting for months. I want to place on record my thanks to the Secretary of State of Defence, and also to the Minister for Afghan Resettlement, the hon. Member for Louth and Horncastle (Victoria Atkins), who have made themselves available to many of us at all hours and at short notice to assist with some of these cases. Their personal intervention has made a difference, although that is no substitute for a system.

Could the Foreign Secretary also clarify some comments that he made to the Select Committee? He suggested that those who had been cleared to travel as part of Operation Pitting would now have to undergo security checks before being accepted on to ARAP. Were those checks not initially done, or is he now reneging on his promise? I have to say that both those scenarios concern us greatly. These are practical issues that are within the Foreign Secretary’s gift, and the fact that they have still not been dealt with sends a strong message that he has been more focused in recent days on keeping his job than on actually doing it. I want him to prove us wrong, because a lot rides on this, including the lives of many Afghans who assisted us.

Will the Foreign Secretary say a bit more about how the UK is going to get aid into Afghanistan to those who need it? I have been in touch with aid workers on the ground, many of whom are female and who have been banned from working by the Taliban. Those aid agencies are understandably saying that they will not operate with those conditions in place, but that means that they are not operating at all. On the refugee crisis, I say to him gently that countries in the region are not hugely impressed by the Home Secretary’s decision to cap the number of refugees that the UK will accept at 5,000 when they are dealing with a far greater refugee crisis. A bit of generosity from the UK would go a long way to helping to resolve the issues at the borders.

These are immediate concerns, but we are also concerned that for a generation of young Afghans, the future that they had expected is unravelling in front of their eyes. Can the Foreign Secretary say something about how the rights of the LGBT+ community will be upheld, as well as those of religious minorities? Can he outline the measures that he intends to take to set conditions for the Taliban regime, particularly that the situation of women and girls will be the cornerstone of any future engagement?

Our intelligence has been downgraded, our diplomats and troops are no longer on the ground and the Prime Minister appeared to say in his statement just now that the risk posed to the UK was unknown. The Foreign Secretary has suggested in a media interview that we would rely on open-source intelligence. Could he say some more about that, and about the possibility that we might be in a position where we are sharing intelligence with countries such as China and Russia? Given the significant national security implications of that, the House has a right to understand the Government’s strategy on it, if there is one. This has been nothing short of a disaster, so I ask him now to turn with humility to the world and to start to repair some of those broken relationships, trashed alliances and broken promises that have reduced us to a position where we are reliant on the Taliban for permission to safeguard our own citizens and negotiating with China and Russia in our own interests? In the cold, hard light of what has unfolded over this summer, surely it is time for him to rethink his approach to the way that Britain engages with the rest of the world.

The letter sent by Lisa Nandy, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, to Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary, on 29 August 2021.

Dear Foreign Secretary,

Now that the airbridge has closed and the UK military drawdown is complete I am writing to ask for your support with the safe evacuation of the British nationals and Afghans who have been left behind. It was welcome to hear the Prime Minister commit to move heaven and earth to help those who are currently in hiding or trying to reach the border but I am increasingly concerned that, even now, few practical measures have been put in place to achieve this.

The scale and complexity of the operation

I understand the Government is working on the assumption that there are 800-1,100 people who will need assistance. Based on our caseload, this is likely to be a significant underestimate. My office is currently tracking cases related to 5,000 people from Labour MPs alone, including British nationals, high profile public figures, people with serious disabilities and children separated from their families – which may give a sense of the complexity of evacuation. I was also extremely concerned to read in today’s Observer that many of the emails MPs have sent to the crisis centre in recent weeks haven’t been opened. Could I ask that those are now dealt with urgently in order to get a sense of the scale of this operation? I would strongly suggest that you plan for a significantly larger number than 1,100.

At the height of the evacuation we were told less than a dozen people in the Foreign Office had been tasked with processing the details of those trying to flee. They were so under-resourced and overstretched that by the final days the only realistic route to assist people was by sending WhatsApp messages to the Defence Secretary or the Minister for Afghanistan. The evacuation efforts cannot have been helped by the range of email addresses and phone numbers that were provided by the Foreign Office, Ministry of Defence and Home Office, most of which either did not work or were not answered. Can you work with colleagues in Government to establish one cross-departmental unit with adequate resources to take responsibility for this next phase?

Border crossings

Given the recent remarks by Taliban leaders and the practical barriers to continue to operate an airport, I presume you are planning for the majority of people to attempt to leave via border crossings. I was concerned to hear from Pakistani diplomats on Thursday that no agreement has yet been reached to take in UK nationals or people eligible for evacuation to the UK.

They raised concerns about the ability to provide public health checks, including testing and quarantine procedures, for those arriving over the border in large numbers. Could the UK alongside allies provide practical support to Pakistan and other countries in the region to help with this?

The adoption of e-visa systems for entry to Pakistan – as India has done – could reduce pressure at Embassies and reduce the risks of crushes and stampedes.

I am also acutely aware that there are an estimated 3 million Afghan refugees already in Pakistan and it will be difficult to urge the Pakistani authorities to take responsibility for large numbers of new Afghan refugees without broader support from the international community. The country lost development assistance from the UK earlier this year. Could you now explore expanding development assistance to support the significant number of refugees in Pakistan, in particular through the UN and NGOs helping refugees on the ground directly?

I also understand you hope to extend the UK’s capacity to process people who would be eligible under the ARAP scheme in Pakistan. There could be an obvious benefit to increasing UK diplomatic capacity on the Pakistan side of the border, to help identify and process those in need. Could you provide further details on additional capacity you are considering deploying to the country?

Safe passage

We are in touch with a number of people who are in hiding following threats to themselves or their families. Aid workers on the ground have raised with me the shortage of those spaces given that local families fear reprisals if they provide shelter to those who have assisted the UK. I am told they are keen to expand these facilities but are unable to do so because they are funded by your department via the CSSF, and the funds cannot be used for this purpose. Could you look into this urgently to see if flexibility can be applied? I suggested this in my letter a week ago but I am told there has been no movement on this.

Clearly, many individuals will have no prospect of reaching a border without the permission of the Taliban. If the UK isn’t in direct communication with Taliban leaders, could you prioritise speaking to regional partners to see if a civilian corridor, possibly overseen by a neighbouring country, could be arranged?

Could you pass on my thanks to the FCDO staff and diplomats who have worked tirelessly in recent days to try to evacuate as many people as possible. I am only too aware of the agonising decisions they have had to make about who to prioritise. Now with this new crisis looming, I hope we can work together to ensure they have all the support they need.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Lisa Nandy MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

The comments made by Lisa Nandy, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, on 24 August 2021.

This is a dark moment for the UK Government and for Afghans. The Prime Minister has failed to persuade President Biden to agree to extension to evacuation efforts and the painful reality is that people will be left behind – that’s appalling and unconscionable. With 18 months to prepare for this, we are left with a desperate scramble, with heroic soldiers and diplomats on the ground trying to move mountains while the clock keeps ticking.

The urgent priority remains the evacuation. The next few hours are vital. There are still so many desperate people on the ground. All possible resource should be placed into getting as many people out safely as possible.

We need to confront the new reality of Taliban control. This is a difficult situation and it is hard to swallow. But it does not mean we can give up on the Afghan people or on the things they and our troops fought so hard to build over two decades. Afghanistan is facing a humanitarian crisis and a refugee crisis. We need to do all we can with regional partners to keep land routes open and work together to ensure people can access food, water and basic essentials and those in danger can flee. We should agree a common approach to the Taliban and seek a UN Security Council resolution to set the parameters of the world’s expectations.

We should use every lever we have, especially economic, to try to protect the gains of the last 20 years, including protecting our security and preventing Afghanistan becoming once again a safe haven for international terrorism.

The comments made by Lisa Nandy, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, on 19 August 2021.

How can Boris Johnson allow the Foreign Secretary to continue in his role after yet another catastrophic failure of judgement? If Dominic Raab doesn’t have the decency to resign, the Prime Minister must show a shred of leadership and sack him.

The comments made by Lisa Nandy, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, on 1 August 2021.

This reckless Iranian attack on a merchant vessel in international waters is a flagrant breach of international law. It is tragic that this has led to the death of two sailors, including one Briton. We send our deepest condolences to their families.

The Prime Minister must make it clear to the incoming Iranian President that lawless actions will carry costs. This is the moment where Britain must show we are resolute in our determination to end this pattern of behaviour.

The breakdown of a clear strategy to deal with Iran has not served the UK or our allies well in recent years. The Foreign Secretary must now make it a priority to pursue coordinated international efforts to tackle these actions by the Iranian Government.

The comments made by Lisa Nandy, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, on 15 July 2021.

Today’s landmark decision by Parliament to back a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics sends a clear message that appalling human rights abuses must have consequences.

By refusing to back today’s motion, this Government is sleepwalking into a situation where members of government and the Royal Family will participate in a PR coup for the Chinese authorities while genocide is committed against the Uyghur. Global Britain must stand for more than this.

With a global audience of billions, the Beijing Olympics must be the moment we show the world that we will not look away. The Government must use this moment to call time on one of the world’s most appalling human rights atrocities. We cannot turn a blind eye to genocide.

The comments made by Lisa Nandy, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, on 10 July 2021.

On Srebrenica Memorial Day, we remember the thousands who lost their lives and the survivors whose stories continue to serve as a reminder of the horrors they faced.

As we pay tribute to the victims of the Srebrenica genocide, we are reminded that we continue to live in a world scarred by intolerance, persecution and inhumanity. This year’s Srebrenica Memorial Day should be a moment when we remember the horrors of the past and commit ourselves to building a world that is more inclusive, more generous, more tolerant and more just.

The comments made by Lisa Nandy, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, on 14 June 2021.

The approval of a new coalition government offers an opportunity for change in Israel and a chance to kickstart a meaningful process towards a peaceful two state solution.

As a priority the international community must reach out to the new Israeli government and the new US President to urge a renewal of negotiations, the protection of human rights, adherence to international law, and the importance of a two state solution, based on a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable, sovereign and recognised Palestinian state.

Whilst we are pleased the current ceasefire in Gaza is holding firm, the cycle of violence over the past few weeks only highlights diplomatic failures of the past.

This conflict continues to cost lives and bring needless suffering to millions of people. There is now a new opportunity to address this and work with Israeli allies, Palestinian leaders and Arab neighbours to start a dialogue about how we move away from conflict towards a more peaceful Middle East.