Lord Alton has been unreserved in his support for the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests. In reaction to pro-Beijing lawmaker Junius Ho's attacks on women and the LGBT+ community, as well as Ho's alleged support of the Yuen Long attackers, Alton worked with Luke de Pulford to pressure Anglia Ruskin University into rescinding the honorary doctoral degree it had conferred on Ho. The degree was withdrawn on 29 October of that year.