Belarus: Presidential Elections Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Feryal Clark
Main Page: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)Department Debates - View all Feryal Clark's debates with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
(3 years, 7 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Dominic Raab
My hon. Friend is right, and the first liberty that any despot or dictator goes for is freedom of speech, or freedom of expression, because those are the liberties that guard all the others, and they shine a light on mispractices that take place. We absolutely stand with the people of Belarus for freedom of expression, and against any attacks on journalists, the media, or social media, including the internet.
Feryal Clark (Enfield North) (Lab) [V]
In the wake of the Belarusian election, NGOs have expressed serious concerns that the UK is considering reducing funding for international election monitoring. Will the Secretary of State assure the House that that is not the case, and that the Government recognise the important role that upholding free and fair elections around the world plays in protecting our national security in the UK?