A British Member of Parliament (MP) was denied entry to Hong Kong and forced onto a flight back home after traveling a long distance to meet her newborn grandson for the first time.
Wera Hobhouse, 65, serves as the representative for Bath from the Liberal Democrats party since 2017. She experienced heartbreak as her joyous visit to see her family was marred by a distressing incident at the airport.
Upon arriving in the former British colony on Thursday with her husband, William, the grandmother was detained by Chinese immigration officials shortly after their flight landed.
Her passport was confiscated, her luggage was searched and swabbed, and she was grilled over her political background and reasons for travelling – before being escorted to a departure gate by four officers and put on a plane back to London five hours later.
Speaking to the Times she said: ‘My son was waiting at the other end at arrivals. I couldn’t even see him and give him a hug and I hadn’t seen him in a year.
‘When I was given the decision my voice was shaking and I was just saying: “Why, please explain to me?” They never gave me an explanation. That was so cruel.’
Mr Hobhouse, a businessman, was allowed into the region – but chose to return to the UK with his wife instead of going ahead with the visit.
Despite multiple pleas for clarity, Hobhouse said the authorities gave her no explanation for why she was being denied entry – but she believes it’s because she is an MP and a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, a group of international politicians who challenge Beijing on issues like human rights.
Wera Hobhouse, 65, who has represented Bath for the Liberal Democrats since 2017, was left devastated after her emotional family trip turned into a humiliating airport ordeal
Liberal Democrat MPs (left to right, back row) Tim Farron, Daisy Cooper, Sarah Olney, Alistair Carmichael, (middle row, left to right) Wendy Chamberlain, Layla Moran, Christine Jardine, Sir Edward Davey, Munira Wilson and Wera Hobhouse, with acting co-party leader (front) Baroness Sal Brinson, at the Houses of Parliament
Although China has previously warned visiting MPs that they are not welcome in Hong Kong – including a 2014 group who were refused entry ahead of a democracy inquiry – Hobhouse is believed to be the first sitting MP physically turned back at the border since the 1997 handover.
She had never visited Hong Kong before and had been ‘incredibly excited’ to spend time with her son, a university lecturer in the city since 2019, and finally meet his baby son.
The dramatic incident has sparked fury in Westminster, with Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey demanding urgent answers from the Foreign Office.
He has written to Foreign Secretary David Lammy, urging him to summon China’s ambassador to explain ‘why a British MP and her family have been treated in such an appalling way’.
He added: ‘The UK cannot allow the Chinese government to attempt to undermine our democracy by intimidating our parliamentarians.’
Mr Lammy branded the incident ‘deeply concerning’ and confirmed officials would raise the matter ‘urgently’ with both Hong Kong and Beijing.
The shocking episode comes just days after Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the UK’s Chief of the Defence Staff, travelled to China for high-level talks – the first such visit since 2015.
Meanwhile, senior trade minister Douglas Alexander was also in Beijing this week for discussions reportedly including Hong Kong.
He has written to Foreign Secretary David Lammy, urging him to summon China’s ambassador to explain ‘why a British MP and her family have been treated in such an appalling way’
From left, Defence Secretary John Healey, the Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves walk during their visit to Wellington Barracks
The incident is now set to raise further questions over Sir Keir Starmer’s softer approach to Beijing, with some MPs warning the Labour leader’s bid to reset relations with China could come at the cost of democratic values and human rights.
Hong Kong, which was handed back to China in 1997 under the Sino-British Joint Declaration, was promised autonomy and civil freedoms under the ‘one country, two systems’ model.
But critics say those promises have been systematically dismantled in recent years, especially after Beijing imposed sweeping national security laws in 2020.
More than 150,000 Hong Kongers have since fled to the UK under a special visa scheme launched by Boris Johnson.
Despite her political links, Hobhouse insists she is not a major critic of the Chinese Communist Party – and deliberately kept her political views out of this trip, which was purely personal.
She said: ‘I’ve said very little about the Uighurs … never have I stuck my head above the parapet. Because I was going to Hong Kong I wanted to absolutely ensure that none of my political things would interfere with my private visit.
‘If I had any sort of guilty conscience I would have been a bit more careful — but I didn’t.’
Describing the ordeal in detail, Hobhouse said she landed at 6pm local time and was taken aside at passport control.
She was later questioned in a back office before being escorted to collect her bags – and finally issued a notice informing her she would not be admitted.
She and her husband were told to board a Cathay Pacific flight at 11:15pm and sit tight until staff could escort them off the aircraft in London. Their passports were only returned once they left the plane.
