APPG News

APPG Chair, Ken Clarke, is quoted in the today's Financial Times on concerns over the lack of challenge by the Foreign Office when signing off possible unlawful action by UK spy agencies overseas. The Financial Times article is in response to the recent annual report published by the Investigatory Powers Commissioner's Office. Ken Clarke said: “ It is extremely important that the secretary of state takes this role seriously and scrutinises adequately and in some detail what he or she is being asked to authorise.  Over successive governments some ministers have acted conscienti…

The APPG today held its AGM and welcomed the following new members: Imran Hussain MP, Richard Graham MP, Dr Matthew Offord MP and Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP. APPG founder Rt Hon Lord Tyrie was appointed as Co-Chair, with Rt Hon Ken Clarke MP remaining as Chair.  Read the AGM minutes here.

APPG Chair Ken Clarke has today criticised the government’s attempt to bury its response to the Intelligence and Security Committee reports into detainee mistreatment and rendition.

Middle East Eye reveals today that British intelligence agencies fed questions to the interrogators of a captured terrorism suspect whom they knew was being seriously mistreated in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, and ministers then relied upon his answers to help justify the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

As covered in today's Financial Times, the APPG has responded to the public consultation on the UK's anti-torture policy, by calling the policy 'unfit for purpose and insufficient to prevent a repeat of UK involvement in rendition and torture.'

APPG Founder, Lord Tyrie, speaking in the House of Lords on the occasion of his maiden speech, has renewed his calls for a judge-led inquiry into UK involvement in extraordinary rendition.