Sir Keir Starmer has come under fire over his recent trip to China, with claims that the Government was “tricked” by Beijing. The controversy centres on the lifting of Chinese sanctions on four Conservative MPs, which the Prime Minister presented as a success, but critics argue amounts to little of substance.
Former security minister Tom Tugendhat raised the issue in the Commons, noting that the sanctions were lifted only for current parliamentarians, not for others such as lawyers, advisers, and academics who support parliamentary work. He accused the Government of falling for a “divide and conquer” tactic that China has used against the European Parliament.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch described Starmer’s approach as “supine and short-termist”, pointing out that the Prime Minister returned with “next to nothing” apart from a Labubu doll. She highlighted that those sanctioned had stood up to China over human rights abuses, and the lifting of sanctions was a meaningless gesture.
The Prime Minister defended his engagement, stating that leader-level talks are necessary to raise difficult issues and opportunities. He dismissed Badenoch’s stance as “an abdication of responsibility”, comparing it to “stick her head in the sand”. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey supported the trip but said Starmer approached President Xi from a “position of weakness”.
