Debates between Lord Bellingham and Boris Johnson during the 2017-2019 Parliament

Wed 15th Nov 2017
Zimbabwe
Commons Chamber
(Urgent Question)

Brexit Negotiations

Debate between Lord Bellingham and Boris Johnson
Thursday 3rd October 2019

(5 years, 2 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Boris Johnson Portrait The Prime Minister
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We will of course publish the legislation in due course.

Lord Bellingham Portrait Sir Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk) (Con)
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May I congratulate the Prime Minister on his statesmanship, and indeed ingenuity, in delivering an offer that is serious and credible? If my email is anything to go by, there is huge support in my constituency.

May I take the Prime Minister to paragraph 1b of the protocol note, which makes it clear that 100% of these unique areas of collaboration will continue? Will he find time to ring the Taoiseach and tell him that there are going to be many areas for collaboration on community projects and on pushing enterprise, investment and wealth creation on both sides of the border?

Boris Johnson Portrait The Prime Minister
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I thank my hon. Friend. I talked to the Taoiseach last night and expect to be talking to him quite a lot in the days to come. I will certainly make that point to him as well. It is something we have already discussed.

Zimbabwe

Debate between Lord Bellingham and Boris Johnson
Wednesday 15th November 2017

(7 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Urgent Questions are proposed each morning by backbench MPs, and up to two may be selected each day by the Speaker. Chosen Urgent Questions are announced 30 minutes before Parliament sits each day.

Each Urgent Question requires a Government Minister to give a response on the debate topic.

This information is provided by Parallel Parliament and does not comprise part of the offical record

Boris Johnson Portrait Boris Johnson
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Clearly, there is a great opportunity here for the international community to come together, perhaps under United Nations auspices, to ensure there are free and fair elections. We will be making sure the UK Government are in the lead, as we would expect, in ensuring that the people of Zimbabwe have that opportunity.

Lord Bellingham Portrait Sir Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk) (Con)
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Does the Foreign Secretary agree that this could be the beginning of the end of one of the most flawed regimes the world has ever seen? Does he also agree that the key priority, as my hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge) has just pointed out, is having a pathway to free and fair elections? Also, what is going to be done to try to recover the many billions of dollars stolen by Mugabe and his cronies?

Boris Johnson Portrait Boris Johnson
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The first priority is free and fair elections, and then to get the Zimbabwean economy back on its feet so that the great natural potential of that country can be unleashed. That should, I am afraid, come before any attempt to take back huge sums from a country that is already in the throes of bankruptcy.