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Milling flounders on Uyghur debate

Parliament TV

The mood in Westminster has gone somewhat quiet over the past two days, after Christian Wakeford’s defection on Wednesday stopped the momentum of Tory plotters in parliament. But for a few hours yesterday, passions came alive once more – this time on an issue of policy. Foreign Office minister Amanda Milling was dragged to the House to answer questions from seething China hawks over the Commons debate on the Uyghur Tribunal’s verdict of genocide.

The hapless Milling was appointed to her current post as Minister for Asia in September 2021, after being demoted from her role as Chairman of the Conservative party. And, for all its current difficulties, how Milling must have wished she was back at CCHQ yesterday as her own backbenchers tore into her prevarications and evasions on why the government is refusing to label China’s atrocities in Xinjiang as ‘genocide.’

Former minister Nus Ghani declared that ministers were ‘using expensive government lawyers to weasel their way out of acting—a course of action that is truly reprehensible’; Sir Iain Duncan Smith lambasted the Chinese government and its purpose to ‘countermand the idea of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.’ On the other side, Labour’s Janet Daby declared it was ‘astonishing, shocking and an absolute disgrace that our Government did not participate and give evidence’ on the Tribunal while shadow defence minister Stephen Kinnock concluded that ‘the evidence of genocide in Xinjiang is compelling and conclusive.’

Milling was sent out on a thankless task, while her chief Liz Truss is out in Australia. But the rattled minister did not help matters by repeatedly refusing to take interventions from Sir Iain, despite his status as a senior Privy Counsellor and former party leader.

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Steerpike
Written by
Steerpike

Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from Westminster and beyond. Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk or message @MrSteerpike

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