Hong Kong Watch is pleased to announce the appointment of two new Patrons in the UK, **Tom Tugendhat MP** and **Blair McDougall MP**.
Tom Tugendhat has served as the Conservative MP for Tonbridge since 2015. He previously was Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee from 2017 to 2022 and served as the Minister for Security from 2022 to 2024. As Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr Tugendhat backed expanding rights for British National (Overseas) Hong Kongers. He has also been a steadfast supporter of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including those in Hong Kong, which led to him being sanctioned by the People’s Republic of China and receiving an anonymous, threatening letter to his home in the UK from Hong Kong. Mr Tugendhat is widely regarded as one of the UK’s most experienced policymakers on China, national security, and human rights.
Blair McDougall has served as the Labour MP for East Renfrewshire in Scotland since 2024 – the area where he grew up and where he now lives with his family. Prior to being elected Blair had a long career in government and international development. He was a special adviser during the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, including in the then Foreign and Commonwealth Office. He ran the winning campaign in the 2014 referendum when Scotland voted to remain part of the United Kingdom. Blair spent a decade working with human rights defenders, dissidents, and democrats around the world, especially working with those fighting against Putin. He is a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and is the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Groups on both Hong Kong and Uyghurs, making him well-positioned to provide his expertise and support to the people of Hong Kong.
Mr Tugendhat and Mr McDougall join a distinguished group of Hong Kong Watch Patrons in the UK, including Lord Patten of Barnes, the last Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Malcolm Rifkind KC, former Foreign Secretary, Lord Alton of Liverpool, Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws KC, Sir Geoffrey Nice KC, Sarah Champion MP, Alistair Carmichael MP, and Fiona Bruce.