Move afoot in Bahrain to stop F1 race

A cross party campaign calling for a halt to this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix because of Government crackdowns has been launched in Parliament.

Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North) has won support for an early day motion from Tory Peter Bottomley (Worthing West) and Liberal Democrat Bob Russell (Colchester).

The motion comes as the 12 Formula One teams arrive in the Gulf state to prepare for the weekend's event.

Formula One is due to race in the Kingdom despite daily disruption in the capital Manama and pledges from opponents to the governing regime to stage protests at the Sakhir circuit.

Mr Corbyn's motion said: "This House is astonished that the Bahrain Formula One race is going ahead despite huge concerns over abuse of human rights expressed by Amnesty International and others.

"It notes that a trial is continuing of 52 medical professionals who tried to help victims of the suppression of protests.

"It believes that the Formula One race will be used by the Bahrain government as an endorsement of its policies of suppression of dissent.

"And it accordingly calls for its cancellation."

Five MPs have so far signed the motion, which was tabled on Tuesday.

Shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander has called for the race to be cancelled.

He said: "F1 bosses should call off the scheduled Bahrain Grand Prix.

"To go ahead at present risks sending the wrong signal at a time when the authorities in Bahrain should be focused on delivering real reform." Sporting Life

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