Help stop the UK doing trade with countries that are guilty of genocide

Hi everyone - I wanted to let you know that the UK Government came up with a compromise on this that meant they had enough votes to pass the Trade Bill without including what we wanted on deals with countries complicit in genocide.

The Brighton and Hove MPs and plenty of others continued to oppose the Government but were outnumbered.
The compromise falls far short but even that wouldn't have happened without the pressure we helped create - so thank you for backing this petition.

I will keep fighting for support from the UK to combat states committing genocide.

Today British MPs voted to pass a motion declaring that China is committing genocide against the Uyghur people in Xinjiang province.
Speaking in the debate, MP Nus Ghani said genocide meant intent to "destroy in whole or in part" a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, and "All five criteria of genocide are evidenced as taking place in Xinjiang". Ms Ghani said detainees were subject to "brutal torture methods, including beatings with metal prods, electric shocks and whips".
However, the government opposed the motion arguing that deeming an event to be a genocide was a matter for "competent national and international courts after consideration of all the available evidence".
The UK government needs to pressure on China more severely on the genocide that’s happening in Xinjiang and other parts of China.

Today China has announced travel bans and asset freezes on nine people, including Sir Ian Duncan Smith, Tory MP Neil O'Brien, Lord David Alton, Conservative MPs Tim Loughton and Nusrat Ghani, Labour's Baroness Helena Kennedy, barrister Geoffrey Nice, Joanne Nicola Smith Finley, and chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Tom Tugendhat.

It comes after UK imposed sanctions on senior Chinese officials following reported human rights abuses against Uighur Muslims such as torture and forced labour.

China has detained Uighurs at camps in the north-west region of Xinjiang, where allegations of torture, forced labour and sexual abuse have emerged.

It is time for UK to stand up for human rights on the global stage and not try to trade with any nation guilty of genocide.

MPs have voted on the latest proposal for preventing trade deals with countries that are responsible for genocide. The majority (318 to 300) voted against Parliament being allowed to determine whether genocide was taking place and block trade deals as a result. This is deeply disappointing. The House of Lords will now have to decide whether to stick with its principled stand - or let the Government strike trade deals with countries that are guilty of genocide.

The Foreign Secretary has also announced new sanctions against some of the actors responsible for human rights abuses against the Uyghurs and these are very welcome. There is now acknowledgement too from the Government of the principle that genocide and trade are linked. However, these achievements are not a replacement for a trade deal framework that better respects human rights, and I am going to continue campaigning on this for as long as the Trade Bill is still being debated by Parliament.