Labour points replace after Starmer celebrated ‘extremist’ returning to UK | Politics | News | EUROtoday
Yvette Cooper has ordered an pressing Foreign Office evaluate of “serious information failures” within the consular case of Alaa Abd El-Fattah after the emergence of his “abhorrent” social media posts. The Foreign Secretary stated successive prime ministers weren’t briefed on the tweets relationship again so far as 2010 and that civil servants answerable for the case had been additionally “unaware” of them.
The activist, who was lately launched after years of detention in Egypt, had appeared to name for violence towards Zionists and the police in a sequence of on-line feedback. The Conservatives and Reform UK have each steered he ought to have his British citizenship stripped for the posts. However, it’s understood there are not any present plans for this, and the regulation doesn’t seem to offer grounds to deport him.
In a letter to chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Dame Emily Thornberry, Ms Cooper stated that longstanding procedures and due diligence preparations had been “completely inadequate” within the case.
“In the context of rising antisemitism, and recent horrific attacks against Jewish people in this country and around the world, I am deeply concerned that the unexpected emergence of these historical tweets – coming alongside the social media posts that I and other senior politicians sent on Boxing Day welcoming the conclusion of this long-running case and Mr El Fattah’s reunion with his family – have added to the distress felt by Jewish communities in the UK, and I very much regret that,” she stated.
“I have asked the permanent under secretary as a matter of urgency to review the serious information failures in this case and more broadly the systems that are in place within the department for conducting due diligence on the individual high-profile consular and human-rights cases for which the FCDO is responsible, to ensure that those systems are functioning properly for the future, and that all necessary lessons are learned.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer additionally stated on X: “As @YvetteCooperMP sets out in her letter, the historic tweets by Alaa Abd El-Fattah are absolutely abhorrent.
“With the rise of antisemitism, and up to date horrific assaults, I do know this has added to the misery of many within the Jewish group within the UK.
“We are taking steps to review the information failures in this case.”
Mr Abd El-Fattah was granted UK citizenship in December 2021 underneath former Conservative prime minister Boris Johnson, reportedly by means of his British-born mom.
His imprisonment for prices of spreading false information was branded a breach of worldwide regulation by UN investigators and he was pardoned by Egyptian president Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi in September after years of advocating by Conservative and Labour governments.
He flew to the UK on Boxing Day and was reunited together with his son, who lives in Brighton, after a journey ban was lifted.
Politicians together with Sir Keir Starmer welcomed his return final week however Downing Street stated the Prime Minister had been unaware of the activist’s historic tweets till after he re-entered the nation.
Mr Abd El-Fattah has since has apologised, saying he understands “how shocking and hurtful” his earlier feedback had been.
No 10 defended the Government’s dealing with of the case amid calls from opposition critics for the activist to be deported.
“We welcome the return of a British citizen unfairly detained abroad, as we would in all cases and as we have done in the past,” the Prime Minister’s official spokesman informed reporters.
He continued: “That is central to Britain’s commitment to religious and political freedom.
“That stated, it would not change the truth that we now have condemned the character of those historic tweets and we contemplate them to be abhorrent, and we have been very clear about that.”
Asked whether the Government was considering steps to remove Mr Abd El-Fattah’s citizenship, No 10 said: “Clearly, we do not get into particular person citizenship instances.”
Officials within Government appear to believe there are no grounds for removing Mr Abd El-Fattah’s citizenship, as case law has established this can only be done in circumstances of fraud or against dangerous criminals and terrorists.
In a statement, Mr Abd El-Fattah said: “I unequivocally apologise.
“(The posts) were mostly expressions of a young man’s anger and frustrations in a time of regional crises (the wars on Iraq, on Lebanon and Gaza), and the rise of police brutality against Egyptian youth.
“I significantly remorse some that had been written as a part of on-line insult battles with the entire disregard for a way they learn to different individuals. I ought to have identified higher.”
Downing Street appeared content with Mr Abd El-Fattah’s apology and the Prime Minister’s official spokesman described it as “pretty fulsome”.
He continued: “That’s clearly the correct factor to do.”
Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp labelled his statement an “insincere apology” as he called for Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to strip Mr Abd El-Fattah of his citizenship.
Reform UK, which also called for Mr Abd El-Fattah’s deportation, criticised the Conservatives for not having scrutinised his past social media more when they started diplomatic efforts to bring him to the UK.
A Reform spokesman said: “Alaa Abd El-Fattah was granted British citizenship in 2021 by Boris Johnson’s authorities. Liz Truss and James Cleverly each personally intervened on his case.
“Kemi Badenoch was minister of state for local government, faith and communities when Alaa Abd El-Fattah was granted citizenship.
“The Conservatives can’t be trusted.”
John McDonnell, Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington, raised Mr Abd El-Fattah’s case in Parliament several times during his imprisonment.
In a statement sent to the Press Association, he suggested the activist had been on a “political journey” since he was a “livid younger man”.
He added: “His appalling social media interventions had been the product of that anger and had been uncovered over a decade in the past.
“But that’s the point – Alaa’s journey was from someone who could send these vile tweets to becoming an advocate for dignity, respect and human rights for all, a defender of the oppressed and persecuted no matter what their religion, gender or sexuality.”
Mr McDonnell stated the Foreign Office “must have known” in regards to the posts as effectively.
“I’m sure the Foreign Office, in advising the Prime Minister and other ministers, must have known the history of this and therefore they must have taken the same conclusion as me,” he informed Channel 4 News.
A set of Mr Abd El-Fattah’s writings was revealed in his 2021 ebook, You Have Not Yet Been Defeated.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/2151539/labour-issue-bombshell-update-starmer