Michael Ancram

Ministers are "walking by on the other side" as Robert Mugabe prepares for another unfair election in Zimbabwe, Michael Ancram has said.

The shadow foreign secretary told MPs that there had been a "deafening silence" from the government on the issue.

Speaking during Foreign Office questions, Africa minister Chris Mullin said the Tories were playing into president Mugabe's hands.

However, he conceded that there was no sign that the forthcoming election would be free and fair.

Mullin said he had held "robust" discussions with Zimbabwe's ambassador to the UK at the end of last month.

"I made clear that we wanted to see free and fair elections," the minister added.

'Deafening silence'

Ancram said there had been a "deafening silence" from the government on Zimbabwe.

"With opposition candidates being beaten up, newspapers being banned, with politicians rather than judges imprisoning political opponents... quiet diplomacy and quiet words with the high commissioner from Zimbabwe are simply not enough," he said.

"What actually is the government going to do to protect the democratic rights of the people of Zimbabwe from Mugabe's tyranny?

"Or is the government once again, for the third time under this government's watch, going to be allowed to laugh in the face of democracy while this government walks by on the other side?"

Mullin said the government was "always in the market for constructive suggestions" but said it was rare to get any from the Conservatives.

"What we hear is a great deal of huffing and puffing," he said.

"And huffing and puffing frankly won't make the slightest difference.

"Indeed, it plays straight into Mr Mugabe's hands because one of the planks of his electoral platform is that the opposition in Zimbabwe are British stooges.

"That is not the case of course, but every time [Conservatives] start making their mouths go, it does rather give that impression."

'No invasion'

Earlier, Conservative MP Michael Jack said there was no sign that forthcoming elections in the country would be fair.

"Given the resources that were mobilised in Iraq to ensure that the democratic voice of those people were heard, what similar force is going to be deployed to ensure that all those in Zimbabwe are going to have their say at their general election?" he asked.

Mullin responded: "We are not going to invade Zimbabwe."

But he conceded there was "no sign at all that Zimbabwe is preparing for a fair election".

"We are watching closely and we shall not hesitate to share... with the wider world what we find."

Labour's Hugh Bayley said the UK should work with other African countries "instead of appearing as the old colonial power acting on its own".

Mullin backed the advice and said Britain has persuaded the EU to continue its sanctions against Zimbabwe.