A re-run of the Afghan election should not be ruled out

Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague has expressed concern about widespread reports of irregularities and fraud in the elections in Afghanistan.

"It is very important for the success of what our troops are doing in Afghanistan that the Afghan people accept the legitimacy of the Government", he said.

"It is vital that the Electoral Complaints Commission completes its work and that President Karzai does not declare victory before that work is done, even if it means delaying the provisional result of the election".

Hague added that if the Electoral Complaints Commission required some elections to be re-run then "that should happen", and said that a full second round of the election shouldn't be ruled out "if that proves necessary".

Preventing further suffering in Sri Lanka

100 days on from the conflict which blighted Sri Lanka for decades, William Hague has expressed serious concerns about the fate of the innocent civilians who are now residing in internment camps.

"Whilst we are glad that Sri Lanka is now free from the scourge of terrorism", he said, "we have repeatedly urged the Sri Lankan government to take all possible measures to prevent further suffering".

He called for UN and relief organisations to be given "full and unrestricted access to provide shelter, food, water, and medicine, and to oversee the screening process" – a call made all the more urgent by the onset of the monsoon season.

Hague also stressed the importance of the Sri Lankan government living up to its commitment to allow the people to return to their homes by the end of the year. "Their continued confinement in camps will simply sow the seeds of discontent and may lead to renewed conflict in years to come. This would be a disastrous setback for the country when peace has been so hard won."

Hague sends message to mark Pakistan Independence Dayconservat

William Hague has sent a message to Asif Ali Zardari, the President of Pakistan, to mark the 62^nd anniversary of the country’s independence from Britain.

In his message, William, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, said, “I would like to congratulate Pakistan on the 62^nd anniversary of its independence, and extend the best wishes of the Conservative Party. My party and I are proud of the ties that link our two countries, whether they be personal, historical or political.”

“As a party, we are determined to deepen our links to Pakistan and help it to become one of the success stories of South Asia.”

Hague demands Brown takes action over torture allegations

William Hague has written to the Prime Minister to ask what action he will take in response to the Joint Committee Report on allegations of British complicity in torture.

The Shadow Foreign Secretary stressed the Committee’s findings are “extremely serious”, and made clear, “We need to know whether the allegations of UK complicity contained in the report are being examined.”

He asked the Prime Minister whether he will refer any of the new allegations in the report to the Attorney General, who earlier this year launched a police investigation into allegations about the torture of Binyam Mohamed.

And he called on the Prime Minister to say whether the Attorney General is considering any additional cases of alleged UK complicity in torture.

Full text of letter from William Hague to Gordon Brown:

Dear Prime Minister,

I write to ask whether you plan to instruct the Attorney General to consider any of the allegations of UK complicity in torture which are contained in the report released today by the House of Lords and House of Commons Joint Committee on Human Rights. (HL Paper 152 HC 230 of 4^th August 2009).

In your written statement to the House of Commons of 18^th March on allegations of UK complicity in the torture of detainees overseas, you said that “if any cases of potential criminal wrongdoing come to light, the Government will refer them to the Attorney-General to consider whether there is a basis for inviting the police to conduct a criminal investigation.” (18 Mar 2009 : Column 55WS)

I understand that since March this year the Metropolitan police have been investigating the allegations about one such detainee, Mr Binyam Mohamed, at the behest of the Attorney General. (26 Mar 2009 : Column WS51).

I write to request that you clarify as a matter of urgency whether you intend to instruct the Attorney General to consider any additional allegations of UK complicity in the light of the Joint Committee report, which documents allegations of UK complicity in torture in respect of detainees held in Pakistan, Egypt, and Guantanamo Bay, and in the case of Uzbekistan, raises concerns about the receipt of information which may have been obtained through torture?

Can you confirm whether any of these allegations are already being examined by the Attorney General?

The Attorney General has declined in the past to clarify whether she is considering any additional cases, replying to my colleague Baroness Neville Jones that she “do[es] not propose to give a running commentary on consideration of the matter.” (7 May 2009 : Column WA139)

However does the public not have a right to know whether the Attorney General is considering any additional allegations? Is this clarity not important to reassure the public that these issues are being fully investigated in a wide-ranging fashion?

Therefore I hope that in response to this letter you will urgently clarify whether you intend to refer any of the allegations of complicity in torture contained in the Joint Committee report to the Attorney General, as well as how many such cases the Attorney General is currently considering.

Hague calls on Labour to clear up Afghanistan confusion

William Hague has called for greater clarity from Ministers about Britain's mission in Afghanistan.

The Shadow Foreign Secretary was speaking following the publication of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee's report on Afghanistan, which states that the Government's strategy has suffered from significant "mission creep".

William said the report confirmed the Conservatives' view that Britain's objectives in Afghanistan should be "realistic, tightly-defined and subjected to regular formal assessment."

He warned that the report should serve as "a wake-up call to the Government", who must clear up the "confusion" about what we are trying to achieve in Afghanistan, adding:

"We need to know that the right strategy is in place, that Whitehall is working properly to deliver it, and that British troops have all they need to do their part."

This is not the Iraq inquiry the nation wanted to see

William Hague has warned that the inquiry into the Iraq War announced today by Sir John Chilcot will not be the “the inquiry that the nation wanted to see”.

The Shadow Foreign Secretary condemned the “worrying new caveat” that sessions will be held in private not just when national security is concerned but also when there is a need for candour.

And he stressed, “If there are difficult truths to be told they should be told in the light of day, not behind closed doors. It would be unacceptable if sessions are held in private simply because Ministers or former Ministers, including Tony Blair, want to avoid embarrassment.”

William also said it was “disappointing” that the membership of the Inquiry still lacks cabinet or military experience:

“Drawing on outside military experts is not the same as having a heavyweight Committee member who has high level military experience. And it still remains the case that no one on the Inquiry has had experience of cabinet.”

He stressed, “Despite Sir John’s best efforts this is still not the Inquiry that the nation wanted to see, and it is a classic illustration of Gordon Brown’s lack of openness in Government that it has been announced too late to report before the General Election.”

Hague takes part in Social Action in Srebrenica

William Hague has visited Srebrenica in Bosnia-Herzegovina to take part in a Social Action project in the town.

A group of 30 Conservative Party volunteers are helping to build a house for a refugee family, construct a football pitch for the local community, and refurbish an IT classroom in a local secondary school.

In addition to taking part in ‘Project Maja’, William also met survivors of the Srebrenica massacre and heard first-hand accounts of the appalling violence.

The Shadow Foreign Secretary described the project as “extremely moving and positive”:

“Fourteen years have passed since the horrific violence which took the lives of 8,000 men and boys in Srebrenica, but the work of rebuilding homes, lives and a way of life in Srebrenica is still not complete. I’m proud of the small contribution that the Conservative Party has been able to make towards that goal through Project Maja.”

He stressed that it is vital that the international community does not abandon Bosnia before it is firmly on the track to lasting stability and membership of the European Union:

“Entrenching stability in Bosnia and setting it irreversibly on the path to EU membership is a major test of what the EU can accomplish in foreign affairs; a test it cannot afford to fail.”

We need a comprehensive strategy in Afghanistan

William Hague has stressed a “comprehensive strategy” must be put in place to bring about a stable Afghanistan.

He said there was “nothing new” about David Miliband’s suggestion that moderate elements of the Taliban are included in talks in Afghanistan.

And he made clear that this must be only one element of our approach:

“(Our) strategy must include clear, tightly drawn, realistic objectives that are regularly reviewed, more rapid development of the Afghan security forces, and ensuring that the gains won by British forces on the battlefield are swiftly followed by reconstruction.”

“Above all, the British Government must ensure that our troops are properly equipped for the crucial operations they are involved in, including the earliest possible increase in the number of helicopters and armoured vehicles.”

Labour's backing of Blair for EU President disregards democracy

William Hague has criticised the Government’s decision to support Tony Blair for the proposed new post of President of the EU Council.

Labour’s Europe minister, Glenys Kinnock, today announced that Tony Blair will receive the Government’s full backing.

But William, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, stressed the former Prime Minister should be let “nowhere near the job”:

“The creation of a new EU President could be enormously damaging for Europe. Any holder is likely to try to centralise power for themselves in Brussels and dominate national foreign policies. In the hands of an operator as ambitious as Tony Blair, that is a near certainty.”

William pointed out that because Gordon Brown has refused to hold a referendum on the renamed EU Constitution, the British people have not actually been asked whether Europe should have a new President at all.

He stressed, “Rather than secret stitch-ups by unelected politicians for unelected politicians voters should have their say on the future of Europe. Appointing Tony Blair as a President in Europe would be the perfect symbol of this stale Labour Government’s arrogant disregard for democracy.”

Davey: Conservatives must face the nasty truth about their friends in Europe

Wed, 03 Jun 2009

Edward Davey, has written to William Hague detailing some of the widespread charges of racism, homophobia and climate change denial made against the Conservatives’ allies, the Polish Law and Justice Party and its European Parliament candidates.

The Conservatives are courting the PiS in the hope that they will join them in a new group in the European Parliament.

Edward Davey challenged Mr Hague to make clear whether the Conservatives still intend to join with the PiS in light of these revelations - and to tell voters where they stand in advance of Thursday's elections.

Edward Davey said; "The Tories have been at pains to portray themselves as modern, ‘liberal Conservatives'. How do they square this with the views expressed by the PiS?"

The Liberal Democrat Shadow Foreign Secretary went on to say; "Do they agree that homophobia, racism, sexism and climate change denial have no place in twenty first century European politics? If so, are they still prepared to strike a deal with these people for the sake of political convenience? Don't the voters have a right to know?"

Gordon Brown should use our Referendum Bill to give people a say

William Hague has called on Labour to keep their promise to hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty – and has released a draft Referendum Bill for consultation.

The Bill sets out plans to ask the public, in a referendum, “Should the United Kingdom approve the Lisbon Treaty?” The answer will be a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

If the public vote ‘no’, the European Union Amendment Act 2008 (by which the Lisbon Treaty was approved) will be suspended and repealed.

William, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, said, “Gordon Brown promised the British people a referendum on the EU Constitution. The Lisbon Treaty is in effect the EU Constitution under another name, so Brown’s attempt to deny his referendum promise amounts to a calculated act of political dishonesty.”

Ahead of the European elections on 4^th June, the Conservatives are campaigning to make Labour honour their referendum promise – and William stressed:

“Every vote for the Conservatives on Thursday is a vote to increase the pres

sure on Gordon Brown to honour his word and grant the British people their rightful say on this Treaty. The voters deserve the right to decide their own future before it is decided by others.”

Our draft Referendum Bill is similar to the referendum provisions of the European Union Bill drafted by the Government in 2005, following their original promise to give a referendum on the EU Constitution.

Hague says Lib Dems' European vision "belongs in the past"

William Hague warned the Liberal Democrats “will not stand up for Britain in Europe” after the launch of the Party's European election campaign.

The Shadow Foreign Secretary stressed the Lib Dems’ “centralised, undemocratic vision of Europe belongs to the past”.

And he outlined three facts that tell people “all they need to know about what a vote for Lib Dem Euro-MPs means”:

1. The Lib Dems broke their election promise of a referendum on the renamed EU Constitution
2. They want Britain to scrap the Pound and join the Euro
3. They want to scrap the British rebate from the EU budget, a move which will cost British taxpayers billions of pounds a year

William said, “We need a modern, flexible Europe that lets European countries deliver real benefits by working together and listens to people’s views. That is the vision of Europe the Conservative Party believes in."

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Hague urges Miliband to bring the Binyam Mohamed case to an end

William Hague has called on David Miliband to "do the right thing" and ask the Obama Administration for the right to release information on Binyam Mohamed's treatment.

This follows a ruling from the High Court giving the Foreign Secretary one final opportunity to present evidence to the Court on Mr Mohamed's treatment. The Court will then reconsider whether it will publish those details.

William has said that David Miliband must "stop prevaricating and bring this saga to an end", adding:

"The Foreign Secretary's refusal to take this simple step is baffling and does nothing to dispel allegations of Britain's complicity in torture or the Government's attempt to cover it up."

And he stressed, "There is a need for clarity and a need to draw a line under this case."

Hague calls for immediate ceasefire in Sri Lanka

William Hague said he is "deeply concerned" about the humanitarian crisis in northern Sri Lanka and has called for an immediate ceasefire between the Government and the LTTE (the Tamil Tigers).

He warned that innocent civilians have been trapped by the fighting, and stressed that both parties must act to prevent further suffering.

"We call for an immediate ceasefire on both sides to allow the civilians to leave the conflict area, to be monitored by international observers including the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross."

William called on the Sri Lankan Government to help alleviate the humanitarian situation by allowing aid to reach those who so need it and ensuring international humanitarian standards are fully respected in the camps for displaced people.

And he stressed, "The only way forward is a negotiated settlement that satisfies the concerns and legitimate aspirations of all Sri Lankans and preserves democracy in the country."