Hong Kongers hold key to some seats in U.K. election

New BNO arrivals courted by British politicians as community grows

Over 140,000 Hong Kongers who hold the British National Overseas passport can vote in general elections on July 4. (Source photos by Reuters and Ken Kobayashi)

RHYANNON BARTLETT-IMADEGAWA and ZOE FRECHIN-POLLARD, Nikkei staff writers

June 28, 2024 11:15 JST

LONDON -- When the Conservative government opened the U.K.'s doors to Hong Kongers in 2021, it probably had not calculated that this new community could determine its fate in some seats in a general election just three years later.

"Most Hong Kongers are supporting the Conservative Party because of the BNO policy, that's why we are here," said a woman from Hong Kong, referring to the British National Overseas visa route established by the government after a crackdown on personal freedoms in the city.