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My letter in the STANDARD: 'Standing by Egypt'

This cross-party letter that I organised appeared in the Evening Standard this Monday 31 Jan. I've been too busy to put it up here - but here it now is:
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To the Editor:

We are concerned about the inclusion of key members of the 'security'/'intelligence' apparatus prominently in the reshuffled Egyptian government, when what is really needed is a swift and clear promise of democracy.


The Cairo protests are being echoed all over the Middle East, and reflect an approaching state of change across the region. We call on our government to exert the strongest possible economic and diplomatic pressure on the Egyptian regime for it to refrain from treating protesters with violence and brutality. and to set a timetable for Mubarak to step aside to allow the holding of free and fair elections. These are the protesters main demands.


It should be made clear to Mr Mubarak that unless he steps aside and allows such elections he will become diplomatically and economically isolated. In this way we can help strengthen the hands of those that seek a swift democratic solution in Egypt.


Unless and until our government takes up a strong stance such as this, then we call on readers to pressurise our government... Readers can make clear their solidarity by signing up to stand by Egypt at https://secure.avaaz.org/en/democracy_for_egypt/?vl and by letting their MPs / the government know how they feel, as we have done.


 Faithfully,

C'llr. Rupert Read (Green),
Jeremy Corbyn MP (Labour),
Linda Jack (LibDem),
Keith Taylor MEP (Green),
Neal Lawson (Chair, Compass),
Prof. Nadje Al-Ali (SOAS),
Dr. Ian Gibson (former Lab MP),
Michael Innes,
Dr. Nicola Pratt,
Dr. Derek Wall (former Principal Speaker, Green Party),
Cat Smith (Chair, Compass Youth),
C'llr. Peter Offord,
C'llr. Martin Whiteside,
Dr. Michael Loughlin,
Dr. Phil Hutchinson,
Dr. Michael McEachrane,
C'llr. Andrew Boswell,
C'llr. Adrian Holmes,
C'llr. Dilys Cluer,
C'llr. Michael Hoy,
Angus Ross,
C'llr. Phil Hardy
Prof. Lyndsey Stonebridge
Howard Temperley
Robert Short
Roger Haywood
Dr. Duncan Richter
Paul Grenville
Denise Smith
Richard Hamilton
Alan Johnson
& Juliette Harkin.

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