Latest news with #DeclassifiedUK
The National
6 days ago
- Business
- The National
Foreign Office met with pro-Israel lobbyist to discuss arms sales
The meeting between British multi-millionaire Trevor Chinn and Christian Turner, the political director at the Foreign Office, took place in October last year. Chinn made his money in the motor industry and has donated to Keir Starmer and David Lammy. The purpose of the meeting, first reported by Declassified UK, was initially described by the Foreign Office as being 'to discuss geopolitics with businessman'. But disclosures to the investigative outlet under Freedom of Information laws showed that Chinn was given the chance to discuss Britain's arms trade with Israel with the Government. READ MORE: Labour MPs visit Israel on lobbying trip in middle of Gaza genocide Emails showed that the conversation focused on 'the 2 September IHL decision', referring to Labour's decision on that date to suspend some arms sales. A significant carve out was given in the form of an exemption for parts of F-35 bomber planes, which have been instrumental in Israel's devastation of Palestine. Chinn offered 'recommendations' on the issue of weapon sales, while the Foreign Office official asked whether other British diplomats might also try 'reaching out' to him and 'hearing' his views. A Foreign Office spokesperson said: 'It is the political director's job to engage with a range of voices across multiple issues to ensure informed policy making'. Declassified UK said that the Foreign Office refused to release any more details on the meeting, claiming it would harm 'the effective conduct of our bilateral relationship with Israel' which 'depends upon maintaining trust and confidence between governments'. The National has contacted the Foreign Office for further comment. READ MORE: Keir Starmer confronted over UK claim 'no genocide in Gaza' Chinn failed to respond to comment when approached by Declassified. He is a long-running funder of both Labour Friends of Israel and Conservative Friends of Israel and has also been involved with the Britain-Israel Communications and Research Centre, a leading lobbying group. In declassified files from the early 1990s, Chinn was described by one Foreign Office official as being 'by no means a dove' in terms of his support for Israel. 'My own feeling is that he is not very subtly tuned into the Israeli political scene, although he meets a number of leaders through his fund-raising activities', the diplomat continued.
Telegraph
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Gaza immigration judge's father is ex-Guardian journalist who campaigns against Israel online
The immigration judge who made the controversial decision to grant a Palestinian family On Tuesday, The judge's father, Richard Norton-Taylor, who spent years writing for Last March, the 80-year-old journalist, who now writes for the Declassified UK website, endorsed a petition on X calling for Haringey council, in north London, to 'stop supporting Two months later, he urged his followers on X to write to their MPs demanding that the Government ' In December, he reposted a video of a huge banner covering Parliament Square by Led By Donkeys, the campaign group, Meanwhile, in a video for BBC Two's Daily Politics show in January 2016, he had argued that Britain should return The decision to grant the Gazan family of six permission to live in Britain is not the first controversial judgement made by Hugo Norton-Taylor. Last November, he granted an Albanian man the right to stay in the UK because of his 'very close bond' with his Portuguese wife's children, despite them being from her previous marriage to a Romanian. Ramazan Morina, 27, had smuggled himself into Britain when he was 16, but failed in an attempt to claim asylum in 2014 and again five years later, MailOnline reported. The He had developed a 'very close bond' with Soraia Dias's children, a social worker told the tribunal, meaning separation would cause them emotional harm despite the biological father still playing an 'active' part in their lives. The judge told the hearing he placed 'significant weight' on the social worker's conclusion that sending Mr Morina back to Home Office lawyers argued that there was no reason why Ms Dias and her children could not move to Albania with Mr Morina, but the hearing was told that she wanted to remain in the UK in order to be close to her ex-husband's extended family. The judge concluded that it was in the 'best interests' of the children to have 'both biological parents' in their lives along with Mr Morina. Richard Norton-Taylor has been contacted for comment.
