MPs tackle Boris over ambassador's Libya comments

However, the UK government said yesterday that comments attributed to the ambassador were “inaccurate”, and that the UK remains committed to securing a “just solution” for victims of such terror.

The UK government has persistently refused to press Libya for compensation for UK IRA victims injured by Semtex supplied by the late Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi, despite German, American and French governments all securing compensation.

But last week UUP peer Lord Empey said the most positive meeting yet with Foreign Secretary Mr Johnson had ended with assurances that the government would announce a new “declaration of government intent and proposals” in the next month.

However the ‘Libya Observer’ reported on Wednesday that the UK’s ambassador to Libya Frank Baker told Libyan authorities that only a few MPs – mainly from Northern Ireland – had been calling for £10bn of Col Gaddafi-linked assets frozen in the UK to be used to compensate IRA victims.

The ‘Libya Observer’ on Wednesday reported Mr Baker as saying: “Those MPs are few and it is difficult for such a decision to pass at the House of Commons.”

He was also said to have told the news outlet that the UK did not decide upon this matter, and that rumours on the UK’s stance were false.

Lord Empey, whose private member’s bill aiming to tap the assets is gathering strong cross party support in Parliament, said MPs immediately wrote to Mr Johnson to demand an explanation.

“Firstly, the majority of the parliamentary support group for IRA victims does not come from Northern Ireland nor from one party,” he said. “Secondly, we fully understand that the UN froze the assets and they cannot be reached without UN support.

“But equally – and the Libyans better get this – those assets cannot be unfrozen without UK support because of our veto at the UN security council.”

Lawyer Matt Jury of McCue & Partners, representing the victims, said the remarks attributed to the ambassador were “belittling” to parliamentarians, saying: “Who is he to tell Libya that Parliament won’t pass the Frozen Asset Bill?”

However a Foreign Office spokeswoman firmly rejected the comments attributed to Mr Baker.

“The ambassador did not speak to the Libyan Observer, and the comments attributed to him are inaccurate and misleading,” she said.

“The UK Government remains committed to finding a just solution for victims of Qadhafi-sponsored IRA terrorism and continues to raise this at the highest levels with the Libyan authorities.”

Andrew Rosindell MP, who chairs the Parliamentary Action Group for Libya-IRA victims, said the comments were “deeply unhelpful” and weaken the UK’s position considerably in any negotiation with the Libyan.

“If the reports are true, the condescending tone to the parliamentary members of this group is absolutely demoralising to the victims,” he said.

“I do hope the Ambassador’s comments do not reflect the views of Her Majesty’s Government. The Ambassador is supposed to represent the UK’s interests, and forgetting to mention the thousands of UK victims who were denied compensation despite the US/Libya Settlement Agreement is a serious let-down.

“We must make firm demands. It is vital that we do not miss the opportunity finally to bring this matter to a close and come to an agreement with any future Government in Tripoli. The British victims of Libyan-sponsored IRA terrorism must never be forgotten, and we must not discard the one bargaining tool we have—frozen assets—to ensure that justice is served.”

Jonathan Ganesh, president of the London-based Dockland’s Victims Association, said he was “very concerned” about the comments.

“The UK Ambassador must express to Libya that this matter needs to be resolved as a matter of urgency as victims are in desperate need,” he said. “Some have sadly committed suicide waiting for help.”