UK MP Barred from Entering Hong Kong During Family Visit
Wera Hobhouse, the first British MP denied entry since 1997, faces diplomatic fallout as UK officials demand explanations from China.
- Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse was denied entry to Hong Kong on Thursday while traveling to visit her son and meet her newborn grandson.
- Hobhouse was detained at the airport, questioned, had her passport confiscated, and was placed on a return flight to the UK without explanation.
- She is the first British MP to be refused entry to Hong Kong since its 1997 handover to China, a move believed to be linked to her membership in the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC).
- UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey have condemned the incident, calling it an affront to democratic principles and free movement.
- The UK government is engaging with Chinese and Hong Kong authorities to demand accountability, as the incident highlights growing tensions over human rights and political freedoms in Hong Kong.