Foreign Secretary James Cleverly: We must be careful when listening to the voices of the ‘powerless’
Comedian Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse. Brand denies the allegations against him and said his relationships have all been consensual. The BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg asked Cleverly if he thought there were ‘wider questions the industry must answer’. Cleverly agreed, and suggested that abuse was particularly challenging in places where there are ‘acute differentials in power’.
On Libya:
After devastating floods hit Libyan city Derna, Cleverly said that the UK was doing what it could to help, but pointed out that the lack of an effective government in the area meant providing aid was extremely difficult.
Laura Kuenssberg asked him if the UK had a particular responsibility to help, given its role in Libya’s political past. She also asked him if cuts to the UK’s foreign aid budget has had negative consequences for those in need of aid.
Cleverly admitted that budget cuts always have an impact, but claimed the foreign aid budget must always reflect the state of the UK’s economy, and that the country is still one of the world’s biggest aid donors.
On the Westminster ‘spy’ story:
Relations between the UK and China are a topic of debate after a parliamentary researcher was arrested on suspicion of spying for Beijing. Cleverly recently made a visit to Beijing, but he repeatedly refused to answer Kuenssberg when she asked him if he raised the recent case of the arrest with Chinese officials.
Cleverly also would not tell Sky’s Trevor Phillips whether he knew about the arrest before travelling. He did say however that direct relations were essential, and that suggestions we should disengage from China were ‘not credible’.
Keir Starmer: People smugglers should be ‘in the same category as terrorists’
Trevor Phillips challenged the Labour leader on his migrant crackdown, asking him if he would use powers the government has when it comes to terrorists, and detain smugglers without charge. Starmer avoided answering this question directly, but said operations to deal with people smuggling gangs would be more effective if they used the kind of international intelligence sharing found in counter-terrorism operations.
Labour’s Pat McFadden: ‘We’re not going to take part in an EU wide scheme’
Laura Kuenssberg asked Labour’s shadow cabinet office minister Pat McFadden if the UK might have to accept a certain number of asylum seekers as part of any proposed migrant deal, and if Labour would set a limit on that number. McFadden claimed that the deal would not involve specific numbers, and would be focussed on issues like family reunions among asylum seekers.
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