Robert Hanson says turning ‘human rights activist’ Wera Hobhouse away was justified given her inclination to stir up trouble

The government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region was right to deny entry to British Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament (MP) Wera Hobhouse. This was justified for a number of reasons, some of which are obvious while others go much deeper and are yet to be revealed to the public in Hong Kong. It is the deeper reasons that are more significant and which require more attention, because if Hobhouse’s views were to gain traction, the possibility of further rioting would be real.

Hobhouse claimed she was banned from entering Hong Kong to “shut her up” for talking about human rights. However, it seems to me that, for Hobhouse, human rights are more of a political tool used to justify an ill-intended attempt to stir up trouble. If Hobhouse were genuinely concerned about human rights she should reflect on her own record.

Prior to being elected MP for Bath, Hobhouse was a councilor in Rochdale, Greater Manchester between 2004 and 2014. The rising crime rates became a real concern for the community. Rather than taking residents’ complaints seriously, Hobhouse used the term “toxically racist” and muted the discussion over the government’s immigration policies.

Rochdale Council has now identified 111 severe cases of rape and murder in the town from 2004 to 2013, the period when Hobhouse served as a councilor. Greater Manchester Police was reported by the BBC as having said that “it was ‘deeply sorry’ for failing victims” and that “poor service in Rochdale in the early 2000s was a profound regret”.

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I come from the north of England and spent time around the Rochdale area where working class white people were concerned that mass immigration might transform the face of England.  The events in Rochdale during Hobhouse’s tenure demonstrated that she did not care about human rights, although she claims to care about human rights in Hong Kong. There was a suspicion that human rights were being deliberately used to create chaos in the Britain. The situation has deteriorated to such an extent that David Betz, professor of war studies at Kings College London, has warned of a potential civil war in the country.

Hobhouse enlisted the help of Britain’s Minister of State Douglas Alexander to demand an explanation for her denied entry. Alexander, a politician implicated in the 2009 MPs’ expenses scandal, stated that it was “unacceptable for any MP to be denied entry for simply expressing their views”.  

The following week after Hobhouse was denied entry to Hong Kong, writer Renaud Camus, who argues that Europe’s indigenous populations are gradually being displaced by migrants, was blocked from traveling to the United Kingdom. The British Home Office told Camus that his presence in the country would not be “conducive to the public good”. Other people who have been denied entry to the UK include European MPs Geert Wilders and Rasmus Paludan, who are both critics of the immigration policy. The hypocrisy and lies of British politicians should be revealed to Hong Kong people.

The fact is that the HKSAR government does not deny entry to all British MPs. Nigel Farage freely enters Hong Kong on a regular basis to visit his son who lives in the city. It is interesting to note that Hobhouse’s son has been living in Hong Kong since 2019, the year the riots started. The solid facts poured cold water on Hobhouse’s false accusations against Hong Kong.

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Although the MP claimed that she was “only standing up for our values”, Hobhouse certainly does not represent the views of the indigenous English people, especially in her own constituency in Rochdale, Manchester. People from Rochdale responded to her claimed “care about human rights” with suspicion, mocking her with the phrase: “Pull the other one, it’s got bells on.”

It is clear to the HKSAR that it is of paramount importance to protect peace and order in the city and prevent the so-called “human rights activists” from sabotaging this. If a hypocritical politician like Hobhouse and others found their way into the city, they would probably attempt to destroy it from within. What these politicians have done to England is a stark warning to the peace-loving people of Hong Kong.

The author has a Ph.D, LL.M, and MA, and was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1996. He is now a Hong Kong permanent resident.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.