Our present relationship with the European Union is untenable. As David Cameron has said, “we need fundamental, far-reaching change”. We are now in a Parliament which will deliver an in/out referendum on our membership after a renegotiation by the Government. The following three points must be achieved if any renegotiation is to be successful: […]
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“It is impossible to be a democrat and support the continued existence of the European Union”
In the Telegraph, Peter Oborne reviews Ruling the Void: The Hollowing of Western Democracy by Peter Mair. I have not yet read it. Towards the end, Oborne writes, Like Miliband, Peter Mair comes from the Left. He was an Irishman who spent the majority of his professional life working in […]
Read MoreKashmir’s Torture Trail – Channel 4, tonight, 23:10
Tonight on Channel 4 at 11:10 PM, Kashmir’s Torture Trail: In 2010 Kashmir erupted in violent protests in which 118 demonstrators died. This programme meets the Kashmiri lawyer determined to bring India to account for events in Kashmir. In the course of campaigning for peaceful democratic self-determination for Kashmir, I […]
Read MoreA call for non-aggression towards Iran
Today, the Commons will debate this motion brought forward by John Baron MP: That this House believes that the use of force against Iran would be wholly counter-productive and would serve only to encourage any development of nuclear weapons; and calls upon the Government to rule out the use of […]
Read MoreReport on a visit to Equatorial Guinea
On Conservative Home, Nadine Dorries reports on our visit to Equatorial Guinea: All three of us undertook the trip with one objective in mind, to bring back an accurate impression and to do whatever we could to make any suggestion towards improving the daily lives of the small population. Nadine’s […]
Read MoreDebate on Human Rights on the Indian Subcontinent
Yesterday’s debate on Human Rights on the Indian Subcontinent, which I moved and in which I focussed on Kashmir, may be found here: Steve Baker (Wycombe) (Con): I beg to move, That this House has considered the issue of Human Rights on the Indian Subcontinent. I am extremely grateful to the […]
Read MoreThe Hindu: “U.K.’s Kashmir lobby forces debate in House of Commons”
Via The Hindu, we find an Indian reaction to this afternoon’s debate, which I shall lead: Britain’s strong Kashmir lobby, represented by MPs with large constituents of Pakistani origin from Mirpur, has seized on an Amnesty International report on alleged human rights violations in Kashmir to seek the British government’s […]
Read MoreConservativeHome’s Platform: Steve Baker MP: Egypt teeters, exposing lessons for the UK
On ConservativeHome’s Platform: Steve Baker MP: Egypt teeters, exposing lessons for the UK: Under the auspices of the Iman Foundation, Syed Kamall MEP and I travelled this week to Cairo to promote pluralism and the principles of a free society. We delivered two successful seminars on democracy, freedom and tolerance – one for […]
Read MoreLibya and the War Powers Act – NYTimes.com
Via Libya and the War Powers Act – NYTimes.com, comment on Obama’s conflict with Congress over whether US participation is within his authority: It would be hugely costly — for this country’s credibility, for the future of NATO and for the people of Libya — if Congress were to force President […]
Read MoreSri Lanka update
A number of my constituents have contacted me about the situation in Sri Lanka and the allegations of war crimes. I wrote to Alistair Burt, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, seeking more information. He recently replied as follows: The UK wants to see lasting peace […]
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