THE Foreign Secretary mocked the SNP over “British passports” after being challenged on what the UK Government is doing to help its citizens who are arbitrarily detained abroad.
SNP MP Brendan O’Hara and Chris Law were visibly irked by the response from Labour’s David Lammy, with O’Hara repeating: “Pathetic.”
The moment came as Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, fielded questions on arbitrarily detained UK citizens abroad.
John McDonnell, the former shadow chancellor, had asked that Labour contact the Egyptian presidency over the imprisonment of human rights activist Aala Abdel Fattah and threaten economic sanctions if he is not released.
Fattah has been in Egyptian jail for more than five years – after his official sentence ended – over charges that Amnesty said amounts to “peacefully exercising his human rights”.
O’Hara then also raised Fattah’s case, saying that MPs had heard evidence from his mother on Tuesday morning.
The SNP MP went on: “An oft repeated concern is that if you are a UK national and you find yourself in this awful situation, you're essentially on your own when compared to other nationals.
“Does the minister recognise that depiction? And if he doesn't, what could he point to as being a unique advantage of having a British passport for someone who finds himself arbitrarily detained?”
In his response, Lammy said: “I recognise that the honourable gentleman has got some problem with having a British passport, but I haven't got a problem with having a British passport. I'm proud to be a citizen of this great country.”
Lammy then said that his Foreign Office has “some outstanding diplomats and officials,” before saying that while in opposition Labour had recognised there were “issues in this area”.
The case of Jagtar Singh Johal, a Scot detained in India for seven years without substantial evidence against him, has been raised directly with Lammy since Labour took power.
His brother, Gurpreet, a Labour councillor, met Lammy in Westminster last month and has gathered the support of other Labour MPs for the cause.
The UK Government said it was “committed to working for faster progress on Jagtar’s case”.
