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Home / Shakeup at Foreign Office 'opportunity to reset priorities abroad'

Shakeup at Foreign Office 'opportunity to reset priorities abroad'

By agency reporter
June 15, 2017

Theresa May’s decision to shake up the ministerial team at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is an opportunity to reset the UK’s priorities abroad, says the human rights organistion Reprieve.

The organisation sees rhe appointment of Mark Field as a foreign office minister and Rory Stewart and Alistair Burt as ministers working across the Foreign Office and DFID, as a chance for a fresh start and defines four areas where these new ministers can help change British foreign policy for the better:

  • Stop spending UK taxpayers’ money on foreign police and criminal justice institutions involved in torture and the death penalty.
  • Do what it takes to bring home innocent British citizens facing human rights abuses abroad, like Andy Tsege in Ethiopia and Kris Maharaj in the U.S.
  • Stand up to dictators, including so-called allies in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, who execute protestors and juveniles.
  • Withdraw the UK’s unconditional support for Trump’s secret and illegal drone wars around the world.

Bella Sankey, Deputy Director at Reprieve, said: “Reprieve congratulates Mark Field, Rory Stewart and Alistair Burt on their appointments to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. These new ministers will add some much-needed independence and insight to the FCO’s team. We hope they will urgently review UK funding for human rights violators overseas and work to bring home British citizens facing grave abuses like Andy Tsege and Kris Maharaj”.

* Reprieve http://www.reprieve.org.uk/

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