The UK has a new special envoy for British citizens detained overseas, and in his first public outing, Alistair Burt - former Conservative Middle East minister - did not exactly project the aura of a diplomatic superhero. Speaking in Westminster after his appointment on Monday evening, Burt candidly outlined the limits of his own role, which is appointed by the Foreign Office but, charmingly, not paid for by it.

"I don't make policy. I'm not a minister. I don't have that authority," Burt told the audience, clarifying that actual decisions rest with the foreign secretary and the prime minister. "The best thing I can do is not disguise from you the difficulties of the role." Refreshing honesty, if not exactly a rallying cry.

The appointment follows years of mounting criticism over how the Foreign Office handled cases of Britons detained abroad. Burt, who was tipped for the post more than a year ago, plans to meet new foreign secretary Ed Miliband later this week, and has already started meeting families of complex cases. He said there was "much to be gained" from stronger international condemnation, and expressed openness to broader cooperation with European leaders, with plans to meet US and Canadian counterparts in the coming weeks. There is a widely held view that the US special presidential envoy for hostages has secured more success and clout inside the diplomatic system, using more innovative techniques to negotiate releases.

Also speaking at the parliamentary event was Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a dual national arbitrarily detained in Iran for six years before her release in 2022. A documentary played showing her family's ordeal, as well as that of Anoosheh Ashoori, for whom a historic £400m debt was paid to Iran. "I recognised the payment of the debt and I let my foreign secretary know repeatedly," Burt said of Nazanin's case, adding, "I got that one right." He admitted the same could not be said for Matthew Hedges, a British academic sitting beside him who was accused of spying for the UK government in the UAE and was arrested and tortured. "Other cases I didn't handle as well as I would have liked," Burt said. "I'm very grateful that Matthew has seen me since to talk about his experiences."

Zaghari-Ratcliffe welcomed the appointment but feared quiet diplomacy could become an "excuse" for government inaction. Lawyers and campaigners at the event raised concerns over the envoy's limited mandate, calling for the position to be independent of the Foreign Office and for the UK to be bolder in its diplomacy.

In attendance was Laila Soueif, who went on hunger strike for her son, British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah, released from an Egyptian jail in 2025 after serving six years. Also present were Naomi Connell, a friend of Lindsay Foreman and Craig Foreman, campaigning for the couple's release from Iran's Evin prison, and Heather Cornelius, whose husband Ryan has been arbitrarily imprisoned in Dubai for more than 18 years. Cornelius said the family discussed their case with Burt when he was a minister in 2018 and expressed scepticism over whether the 18-month envoy role will do anything beyond liaising with and reassuring families. "He's not going in there saying: 'Yes, I know I can make a difference, I know I can help these people.' He's not saying that. He's just saying: 'Well, it's very difficult,'" she said, after delivering a letter to Andy Burnham earlier on Monday asking the prime minister to help secure her husband's release. "They're relying on other countries being involved, and of course that's good, but Britain can do something, and they can do more."