Iain Duncan Smith MP Chingford & Woodford Green

This morning, I joined veterans, local residents and Conservative councillors at the Woodford War Memorial in South Woodford to remember and honour those who gave their lives in service of our country. We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to those who fought and sacrificed so much to defend our country and the freedoms we enjoy today. Their courage, duty and sacrifice must never be forgotten. We will remember them.

I have written to the Prime Minister, supported by 68 fellow MPs and Peers from across Parliament, calling for urgent intervention in the case of British citizen Ryan Cornelius.

Ryan is now 72 years old. He has already spent more than 18 years in a Dubai prison, and under his current sentence will not be released until 2038, when he will be 84. Seven UN human rights experts have called for his immediate release, warning that his deteriorating health puts him at risk of irreparable harm.

Our letter sets out clear steps the Government must now take, including a public request for his release ahead of UAE National Day on 2 December, and targeted sanctions if that request is refused. The Prime Minister must now respond and make clear what action the Government intends to take.
@10DowningStreet @FCDOGovUK
The full letter is below.

For more than 18 years, Ryan Cornelius has been held in a Dubai prison, denied justice and separated from his family. His business partner, Charles Ridley, has also been imprisoned, and it is utterly unacceptable that British citizens should face what amounts to a life sentence with trumped up charges following proceedings condemned by the United Nations.
dailymail.com/news/article-1…
The British Government has a duty to protect its citizens, and after 18 years it is abundantly clear that quiet diplomacy has achieved nothing. That is why 69 MPs and Peers have come together to demand action. The UAE has an opportunity to put this right by releasing Ryan on its National Day. If it refuses, there must be consequences, including targeted sanctions against those responsible for prolonging his detention. Britain cannot continue to look the other way. Ryan and Charles must be brought home. @10DowningStreet @FCDOGovUK

The sentencing of Joshua Wong to 10 years in prison is an absolute disgrace and yet another example of the Chinese Communist Party's brutal suppression of democracy and freedom in Hong Kong. I raised Joshua Wong's case in the House of Commons in September, calling on the Government to confront Beijing over its persecution of peaceful protesters.

China has torn up the Sino-British Joint Declaration and systematically dismantled the freedoms it promised to uphold. Britain has a moral and historic responsibility to the people of Hong Kong. Strong words are no longer enough. The Government must act, impose sanctions on those responsible and demand Joshua Wong's, and Jimmy Lai's, release.

Andy Burnham's intervention on slavery reparations raises a serious question: is this yet another attempt to deflect attention from the failings of his Government? With welfare spending spiralling, immigration remaining a serious challenge and defence funding under pressure, Labour should be confronting the problems facing Britain today, not reopening arguments about historic reparations.

Britain's involvement in the slave trade was abhorrent. But our country's extraordinary role in abolishing that trade must also be remembered. If Burnham is serious about tackling slavery, he should start by demanding action against forced labour in China and the products entering Britain as a result.
telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/11/0…