Conservative peer Lord Naseby has issued a media release about the UK general election, addressing the confusion in the Conservative Party’s Manifesto where Sri Lanka is mentioned. This release also comments on the Labour Party’s position on Sri Lanka.
Background: A significant controversy has arisen during the British general election campaign over the Conservative Party’s manifesto and its mentioning of a ‘two-state solution’ in association with Sri Lanka. In this regard, Conservative peer, the Rt Hon Lord Naseby PC has issued a statement. This trusted and long-standing friend of Sri Lanka is critical of the Conservatives for creating such confusion and fully understands the concerns that this error has caused amongst Sri Lankans everywhere.
Commenting on how British Sri Lankans should be voting in the British general election, Lord Naseby is concerned that if Jeremy Corbyn becomes UK Prime Minister, that it would be disastrous as Labour would threaten Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and its very existence as one unitary nation. Corbyn’s allegiances to supporters of the LTTE, as well as other proscribed terrorist groups, makes him unfit to become UK Prime Minister. Lord Naseby makes it clear that the Conservatives offer the best opportunity to develop a balanced relationship with the UK – where all communities may unite to live together as one country.
Below we present the full media release from Lord Naseby:
Conservative Party Manifesto Page 53 reference to Sri Lanka
“Following interventions from a great many Sri Lankan organisations, including the Conservative Friends of Sri Lanka and myself, the Conservative Party has clarified the confusion of the wording on page 53 by stating and I quote from the Party’s Deputy Chairman: “To be absolutely clear, the two-state line was intended to refer only to the Israel–Palestine situation in the Middle East. The commitment on Sri Lanka was simply about continuing efforts to support peace and reconciliation.”
This was further clarified by the Foreign Secretary Rt Hon Dominic Raab who has confirmed that the Conservative policy towards Sri Lanka has not changed.
I accept the reassurances given. Nevertheless, this issue should never have arisen in the first place. It is particularly poor that whoever wrote and checked the Foreign Policy part of the manifesto failed so badly to see the implications of the Manifesto as published. The leadership of the Conservative Party should understand that it is not the least bit surprising that the Sri Lanka High Commission as well as the Sri Lanka Government & British Sri Lankans were deeply concerned about this manifesto error. This has been compounded by sections of the Tamil Diaspora stating to their followers that the Conservatives were considering a two-state solution.
I am now asking the Party Chairman to issue to the world at large that ‘The Party does NOT have or seek a two-state solution for Sri Lanka’. On top of this I shall, once Parliament is opened by Her Majesty the Queen on December 19thimmediately put down a written Question seeking confirmation of the statements made so that The High Commissioner for Sri Lanka, The Government of Sri Lanka and all the people of Sri Lanka will see in writing that there is absolutely no policy for a two state solution. Furthermore, I expect to speak in the Debate of the Queen’s speech which will quickly follow the Opening and will ‘ram home’ to Her Majesty’s Government the need to reassure Sri Lanka that there is no two-state policy for Sri Lanka.
Having said all this, British Sri Lankans of all ethnicities should be under no illusion that a vote for Labour is a vote that does threaten Sri Lanka as a single sovereign independent country.
For a united unitary Sri Lanka where all communities may live together in peace and harmony in one nation – VOTE CONSERVATIVE.
The Rt Hon The Lord Naseby PC President of the All Party British Sri Lanka Group.
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