Keir Starmer is abroad again – this time in Estonia for a defence summit. Back in Westminster, the government faces questions over its approach to China amid spying allegations.
Tuesday 17 December 2024 12:34, UK
As we reported a short while ago, the Chinese embassy in London hit out what they called the “twisted mentality” of MPs towards China, and has called on the UK to “stop creating trouble” (more here).
The prime minister’s official spokesman was asked about the statement, and he told journalists: “I am not going to comment on individual intelligence cases, but as the security minister said in the House yesterday, where there are individuals who pose a threat to our national security we are absolutely committed to using the full range of powers available to disrupt them.
“We will always take an approach to these things that is rooted in the national interest and put national security and public safety first.”
Diamonds are forever, and so are Politics Hub bulletins.
This morning we’ve focused on the fallout from the naming of an alleged Chinese spy yesterday, which has put the spotlight on the government’s relationship with Beijing.
Here are the main things you need to know:
That’s all for now – we’ll have more updates for you through the afternoon before the return of Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge at 7pm.
Prince Andrew says he “ceased all contact” with a businessman accused of being a Chinese spy after government advice – and that “nothing of a sensitive nature was ever discussed”.
Court documents revealed the alleged Chinese spy known as Yang Tengbo, who is now banned from the UK, formed links at the heart of the British establishment and previously became close to Andrew.
How was that possible?
Niall is joined by our royal correspondent Rhiannon Mills and our home editor Jason Farrell to explain how the story unfolded, what the wider implications are for the UK and what Prince Andrew’s involvement is.
China has come under vast criticism from MPs over the past few days since it emerged an alleged “spy” was close to Prince Andrew, and also met prime ministers over the years.
Beijing’s embassy in London has issued a fresh statement this morning hitting out at MPs directly, with a spokesperson saying the “anti-China clamours” have “done nothing but fully revealed their twisted mentality towards China, as well as their arrogance and shamelessness”.
“This is a typical case of a thief crying ‘catch thief’,” the spokesperson continued, accusing MPs of trying “to smear China” and “undermine normal personnel exchanges”.
‘Stop creating trouble’
The statement insists the Chinese government wants to “pursue friendship and cooperation” with Britain, with no interference in each other’s internal affairs.
This, China claims, is “what we have been doing”.
“We urge the UK side to immediately stop creating trouble, stop anti-China political manipulations, and stop undermining normal personnel exchanges between China and the UK,” the statement concludes.
Some more news related to China to bring you now.
Lawyer Christine Lee, who MI5 said engaged in “political interference and activities” for a branch of the Chinese Communist Party, has lost a legal challenge against the Security Services at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal.
MI5 warned MPs in January 2022 that a Chinese government agent has been working in parliament “to subvert the processes”.
A letter was sent to MPs by Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle who said MI5 warned him a woman called Christine Lee has been “engaged in political interference activities on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party, engaging with members here at parliament”.
MI5 sent out an “interference alert” warning Ms Lee has “facilitated financial donations to serving and aspiring parliamentarians on behalf of foreign nationals based in Hong Kong and China…done covertly to mask the origins of the payments”.
China denied the allegations, saying it had “no need” to “buy influence” in any foreign parliament.
Labour frontbencher and former minister Barry Gardiner was named as an MP who accepted large donations from the Chinese woman, and he confirmed her son was working for him but resigned today.
The MP admitted to Sky News he did discuss policy with Christine Lee, but insisted she “gained no political advantage for the Chinese state from me”.
By Adele Robinson, business correspondent
The government will offer compensation to Post Office Capture victims – while refusing to rule out blanket exoneration for those convicted.
In an exclusive interview with Sky News, Post Office minister Gareth Thomas said his department is “working at pace” and is committed to providing redress as quickly as possible.
Capture accounting software, which predates the scandal-hit Horizon IT system, was used by sub-postmasters in their branches between 1992 and 1999.
Under Horizon, hundreds of sub-postmasters were wrongly prosecuted between 1999 and 2015.
Earlier this year the government-commissioned Kroll report found there was a “reasonable likelihood” that Capture caused accounting losses and errors, although the report did not make any conclusions about the safety of criminal convictions.
A number of sub-postmasters were convicted of theft and false accounting while using the Capture IT system in the 1990s.
No, we’re not being rude – a literal cow is currently standing in front of parliament with Tory MPs and shadow cabinet ministers.
The stunt has been organised to protest against the government’s changes to inheritance tax for farms, which has sparked outrage from rural communities across Britain.
The MPs and top Tories posed with their petition calling on the government to U-turn – something it has insisted it will not do.
We spoke a short while ago to the Tories’ shadow local government minister, and we started by asking if we should be as cosy with China as we appear to be.
David Simmonds told us that the relationship is “a close one in terms of trade”, but has had its “ups and downs” in recent years, and noted that since David Cameron welcomed a “golden era” of bilateral relations, China has taken actions like removing democracy in Hong Kong, which the UK has had to respond to.
He referenced the Foreign Interest Registration Scheme that the previous government was bringing in, but Rishi Sunak called the election before it could be finalised.
It would require lobbyists with foreign interests to register with the government in order for their activities to be monitored.
Mr Simmonds said the government has “delayed” the scheme and called on them to speed up implementation, claiming the scheme was “ready to go when we left office”.
Sky’s Kay Burley pushed him on why in their 14 years in power, they didn’t manage to bring in such a scheme, and he replied that “over that period the UK’s relationship with China changed in many different ways”.
Polls show that Sir Keir Starmer is historically unpopular for a new prime minister, and we asked Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson about it.
She said: “We’ve had to make some tough choices as a new government to stabilise the economy and to get Britain back on track.
“We don’t resile from those. We know it’s been a challenge.”
She reiterated that there was a £22bn black hole in the public finances that they did not know about, so their aim has been to “stabilise the economy, to get Britain back on track and to invest in our public services”.
She also pointed out that “the next general election is a good while off”, so “within that time we will seek to get on and deliver what the British people voted for, which was change, and we will stand on our record”.
“Polls come and go, they go up and down. That’s just the nature of these things,” she added.
Next with Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, we asked if the scandal around the alleged Chinese spy who was close to Prince Andrew has set back bilateral relation.
She repeated the government’s mantra that they will “cooperate” with China when in our interests, will “compete” in business and trading, and will “challenge” because “our number one priority as a government is Britain’s national interest”.
So defending the government’s policy, she said: “The approach that Keir Starmer has taken [in] his engagement with the president, and David Lammy as foreign secretary, is entirely consistent with a pragmatic, but long term strategic approach to China.”
Pushed by Sky’s Kay Burley on how we can trust them if they’re trying to infiltrate our government and royal family, Ms Phillipson dodged the questions, saying simply that protecting our interests involves “taking action where required against individuals who might present a threat to national security”.
She also refused to say if China is our biggest security threat, as well as discuss the private school that was allegedly helped by this “spy” to expand into China.
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