Greenland: Proposed US Tariffs
Debate between Baroness McIntosh of Pickering and Baroness Chapman of Darlington
Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)
It is called diplomacy. Our aim is to de-escalate the situation and not take measures which would inevitably cause this to escalate and become more damaging for our manufacturers and for people’s jobs and livelihoods in the United Kingdom.
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con)
My Lords, I remind the House of my interests. I congratulate the Government on the line that they are taking. If the US were to ask nicely then it could have all the military bases and all the military personnel it would wish for. It chose to withdraw the personnel after the Cold War. My understanding is that China has negotiated contracts to extract minerals in Greenland. If the US were to barge in, in an aggressive way, what does the Minister think would happen to the Chinese rights to mine which have already been negotiated?
Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)
I appreciate that the noble Baroness takes a strong personal interest, for reasons that I understand, in what happens in Denmark and Greenland. I do not think it helps anybody to speculate about what we would do if certain things were to happen. I must also thank, as I should have done in my initial remarks, the leader of the Opposition, Kemi Badenoch, for the support that she has given to the Government in regard to the position we have taken this morning.
Greenland
Debate between Baroness McIntosh of Pickering and Baroness Chapman of Darlington
Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)
We keep in constant and close contact with our friends and allies in the United States, on this and many other issues. Noble Lords will be aware of the phone call that took place between the Prime Minister and President Trump last night, where these issues were discussed. Obviously, I am not going to respond to what may be several hypothetical positions that get put to me today, but I note what the noble Lord says, and I interpret it broadly as support for the very clear position that the United Kingdom is taking on the need for the people of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark to be the people who decide what happens to Greenland.
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con)
My Lords, I declare my interest as being half-Danish and having studied at the University of Aarhus. Since 1951, it has been perfectly open to the United States to establish more military bases and a bigger military presence in Greenland. If the issue is not military but to extract minerals, it is perfectly possible for the United States to negotiate agreements to mine the minerals, as Chinese companies have done. Is the Minister aware of the position of Members of Congress? Are they likely to support this very aggressive stance taken by the US President?
Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)
I should imagine that, as in this Parliament, there will be a range of views on any issue on any given day. The key principle and guiding point that will shape the UK’s position on that question, and on any others concerning the territory of Greenland, is that those decisions should be taken by Greenlanders and, on the issue of sovereignty, by the Kingdom of Denmark together with the people of Greenland.