Debate Excerpts: Lord Swire vs David Winnick

China (Human Rights)

Debate between Lord Swire and David Winnick

Thursday 22nd October 2015

(9 years, 2 months 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.

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Mr Swire

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I subscribe to the words that

“persuasion and dialogue achieve more than confrontation and empty rhetoric.”

Those are not my words; they are the words of the Prime Minister—[Interruption.] Yes, the Prime Minister of the time—Tony Blair, in October 1998.

Mr David Winnick (Walsall North) (Lab)

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While we of course have to trade with all kinds of countries, do we really have to grovel to every dictatorship going that treats human rights with such total contempt as China is doing?

Mr Swire

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I would only say to the hon. Gentleman that I agree with another statement:

“We will make our position clear as we always do, but the best way to do it is without grandstanding or hectoring”.

Those are the words of the Prime Minister—Tony Blair, back in 1998.

Debates between Lord Swire and David Winnick during the 2015-2017 Parliament

China (Human Rights)