Boris Johnson backs ban on MPs working as paid consultants as it happened – The Guardian

Tulip Siddiq told MPs she was becoming increasingly frustrated with the government as they ignored the elephant in the room that the debt had become linked to Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffes detention in Iran, and needed to be paid to secure her release.

During a packed Westminster Hall debate which saw MPs of all parties vying for space in the room, Siddiq also read out a letter from Zaghari-Ratcliffes husband Richard, in which he revealed the prime minister passed him one day during his 21-day hunger strike outside the Foreign Office.

Siddiq said: In six years of dealing with our government I am getting increasingly frustrated with the fact that when I deal with ministers from government they ignore the elephant in the room which is the fact that this case is now linked to the 400m that we as a country owe Iran.

She added: We have seen that it is not a coincidence that any time there is movement on the IMS (International Military Services) court hearing, we see some movement on Nazanins case. When the IMS court hearing was delayed earlier this year, Nazanin received a call to say Come to court because we need to speak to you.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative leader, said other countries had managed to secure the release of their citizens from Iran, asking: How is it the United States, Australia, France and Germany have all successfully now negotiated their citizens arbitrarily detained in Iran and yet we have made no progress?

Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson Layla Moran said the UK should call the bluff of the Iranians, adding: If the Iranian government said the debt removes the barrier and then if they still do not release these hostages we show the Iranian government for the wicked regime it is. I do not see the downside.

Foreign Office minister James Cleverly told MPs that the government shared the frustration they felt about the detention of Zaghari-Ratcliffe and other British nationals in Iran.

He added: A number of members have raised the issue of the International Military Services debt. As I have said to the House of a number of occasions the UK government recognises we have a duty legally to repay this debt and we continue to explore all legal options to resolve this 40-year-old case.

But we have always been clear that we do not accept British dual nationals being used as diplomatic leverage.

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Boris Johnson backs ban on MPs working as paid consultants as it happened - The Guardian