MP Hobhouse Denied Hong Kong Entry; Tensions Rise

Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse was denied entry to Hong Kong, where she intended to visit her son and newborn grandson, without any explanation from authorities. Hobhouse, a critic of China's human rights record and a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, found the experience 'cruel' as she was questioned and deported within hours. The incident marks her as the first MP refused entry since the 1997 handover of Hong Kong to China. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey and party foreign affairs spokesman Calum Miller have urged Foreign Secretary David Lammy to seek an explanation from the Chinese ambassador. The refusal has sparked concerns about China's potential intimidation of UK parliamentarians, echoing a recent similar incident where Labour MPs were refused entry to Israel. Hobhouse's ordeal underscores ongoing tensions in UK-China relations, especially regarding political dissent and human rights advocacy.