Labour will speak out on abuse by socialist governments, says Emily Thornberry
Labour will not tolerate human rights abuses committed by “governments who call themselves socialist”, Emily Thornberry will say in an apparent reference to the crisis in Venezuela.
The shadow foreign secretary’s comments come after Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn hit out at interference in the country’s politics following Western pressure on president Nicolas Maduro to quit.
Ms Thornberry will say a Labour government’s foreign policy would put respect for human rights and international law above other considerations.
She will add: “Under a Labour Foreign Office, I can also guarantee there will be no indulgence of human rights abuses because they are committed by less powerful countries, or by governments who call themselves ‘socialist’ but who, by their actions, betray every socialist ideal.”
The future of Venezuela is a matter for Venezuelans. @Jeremy_Hunt's call for more sanctions on Venezuela is wrong. We oppose outside interference in Venezuela, whether from the US or anywhere else.
There needs to be dialogue and a negotiated settlement to overcome the crisis.
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) February 1, 2019
Ms Thornberry will say that the Tories, and Tony Blair’s Labour aligning with the US over Iraq, had put trade and security links above protecting human rights and international law.
She will say that Theresa May “doesn’t even have the misguided fixation that Tony Blair had on reshaping the Middle East, just an instinctive panicked reaction to Brexit which says this is not the time to lose friends elsewhere, no matter who those friends are”.
In a speech in London she will say: “For too long, and this was as true of the past Labour government as it is true of this Conservative one, there has been a grave tendency to patronise and punish those nations with whom our trade links and strategic alliances are less important, because their human rights abuses are safe to criticise and their breaches of international law are easy to support UN resolutions against, while the stronger countries have had their own abuses and crimes ignored and indulged.
“Well, kick-down and kiss-up has never been my personal style, and it would not be my policy as foreign secretary.
“But nor will we ever lurch in the other direction: the point is not to turn the tables, but to treat both sides the same.”
The UK, along with other European powers, have announced they are recognising opposition leader Juan Guaido as the interim president of Venezuela.
Nicolas Maduro has not called Presidential elections within 8 day limit we have set. So UK alongside European allies now recognises @jguaido as interim constitutional president until credible elections can be held. Let’s hope this takes us closer to ending humanitarian crisis
— Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) February 4, 2019
The move follows the failure of the embattled incumbent Mr Maduro to call new presidential elections as demanded by the Europeans and other foreign countries.
Mr Corbyn was an admirer of Mr Maduro’s socialist predecessor Hugo Chavez and has condemned interference in Venezuelan politics.
In response to Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt’s call for sanctions earlier this month Mr Corbyn said: “We oppose outside interference in Venezuela, whether from the US or anywhere else.
“There needs to be dialogue and a negotiated settlement to overcome the crisis.”
In her speech on Wednesday Ms Thornberry will promise that Labour would help the Foreign Office rediscover its purpose while insisting that “our values will never again be sacrificed on the altar of our commercial interests”.
