Kerry McCarthy MP, Labour’s Shadow Foreign Office Minister, commenting on the growing concern over David Cameron’s attendance at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka, said:

“When it was first proposed in 2009, the Labour Government successfully campaigned for Sri Lanka to be denied the honour of hosting the Commonwealth summit in 2011.

"Since then David Cameron’s own report has classed Sri Lanka as a "country of concern” for its approach to human rights, yet he has consistently failed to pressure the Rajapaksa government publicly.

“In 2011 Colombo was confirmed as the venue for this year’s summit, and we have since been urging David Cameron to use the issue of his attendance at the summit as leverage to encourage President Rajapaksa to address human rights concern.

"Instead, the Prime Minister simply chose to hand away his influence six months ahead of the summit even taking place by confirming that he and William Hague would attend.

"The British Government’s handling of this issue has been characterised by misjudgements and missed opportunities, and they have regrettably missed an opportunity to exercise leverage over the last six months, which is why a change of approach in the next few days is so crucial.”