Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the written statement of 23 February 2026, HCWS1342, on Media Freedom Coalition, if she will take steps to protect British journalists from being (a) harassed and (b) intimidated by political actors in the United Kingdom.

I refer the Hon Member to the continuing absence of an apology from the leader of his party for her public attacks on the journalist Nadine White in January 2021, which led to extensive online harassment and abuse directed at Ms White, and which was condemned by organisations including the Society of Editors, the National Union of Journalists, the Resource Centre on Media Freedom in Europe, and the Platform to promote the protection of journalism.

By contrast, this Government is committed to upholding media freedom and ensuring journalists are able to operate without fear of threat and harassment, both in the UK and around the world. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office plays a role in the UK National Committee for the Safety of Journalists, which is led jointly at Ministerial level by the Home Office and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, and we are also co-chairing the international Media Freedom Coalition, as set out in my written ministerial statement on 23 February (HCWS1342).