The government is facing an urgent question in the House of Commons about a Chinese spying group, with Reform MP Richard Tice said to be prepared to use parliamentary privilege to name an alleged agent with links to Prince Andrew.
Monday 16 December 2024 13:07, UK
The government will this afternoon answer questions from MPs about a Chinese spying group.
Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader, has been granted an urgent question on the United Front Work Department.
The question’s wording reads: “To ask the Home Secretary if she will make a statement on the extent of United Front Work Department operations within the UK.”
This, notably, does not mention the royal family.
The UFWD is the group that H6 – a Chinese spy with alleged links to Prince Andrew – is said to belong to.
Reform UK’s Richard Tice is understood to be planning to name H6 under parliamentary privilege, as this makes him immune to prosecution for breaching the anonymity order.
The earliest this question could be held is 3.30pm – however timings in the Commons are fluid.
Nigel Farage is not happy with the sentence handed to a woman who threw milkshake at him during the election campaign.
Victoria Thomas Bowen, 25, admitted assault by beating following the incident back on 4 June, which happened as the Reform leader left a Clacton pub.
Today she’s been given a 13-week prison sentence, suspended for a year.
Mr Farage said “we now live in a country” where you can assault an MP “and not go to prison”.
He said it was an “example of two-tier justice”.
There’s a new twist in the tale of the Chinese spy – known only as H6 – who is allegedly linked to Prince Andrew.
A hearing has been scheduled at the Royal Courts of Justice today.
There are very few details, but what we do know is the case will be held before Mr Justice Chamberlain.
It will take place no earlier than 2pm in courtroom 76.
The details on the court listing only say it is an application notice, and is in the case of “The King (on the application of H6) v Special Immigration Appeals Commission”.
We’ll bring you more when we find out what is going on.
This means it could take place before any statement or questions in the House of Commons, which does not start sitting until 2.30pm.
From the Politics Hub with love, allegations of spying and espionage have dominated our coverage this morning.
Here are the main things you need to know:
We’ll bring you any updates on the case of H6 should it be brought up in the Commons, as well as Angela Rayner’s plans for councils.
Away from parliament, the spying case will also have a hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice from 2pm – we’ll bring you any news from that regarding the potential lifting of his anonymity.
Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge is back tonight from 7pm – not too many more programmes now until the Christmas break!
Stay with us for more news and analysis until then.
A suspected Chinese spy – described as a “close confidant” of Prince Andrew – has been barred from the UK because of concerns he posed a threat to national security.
The alleged spy, known as H6, was first excluded from entering Britain in 2023 after the Home Office said he was considered to have engaged in “covert and deceptive activity” for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The case has been thrust back into the limelight after H6 argued his exclusion from the UK was unlawful and appealed, but it was upheld.
MPs have since expressed concern about the level of access allegedly gained by the businessman, after reports suggest he also met former prime ministers Lord David Cameron and Baroness Theresa May.
Who is H6?
H6 is a 50-year-old Chinese national who worked as a civil servant in China before coming to the UK as a student in 2002.
In Britain, described as his “second home”, he set up a business advising UK-based companies on how to operate in China.
He is alleged to have been working on behalf of the CCP and United Front Work Department – an arm of the CCP which critics say is used to influence foreign entities.
Officials warned the Home Office he had been in a position to generate relationships between prominent UK figures and Chinese officials “that could be leveraged for political interference purposes”.
According to judges on the Special Immigration Appeals Commission, H6 also downplayed his relationship with China which, combined with his relationship with Andrew, represented a threat to national security.
Royal relationship
It is not known precisely when the duke and H6 met, but a statement released by Andrew said the pair met through “official channels”.
It is believed they grew so close that H6 was invited to the royal’s birthday party in 2020, visited Buckingham Palace twice, and also entered St James’s Palace and Windsor Castle at his invitation.
He was also told by Andrew’s aide Dominic Hampshire that H6 could act on the duke’s behalf when dealing with potential investors in China.
Sky News has also seen photos of the alleged spy with former Conservative Party leaders Lord Cameron and Baroness May.
There is no suggestion either of them were aware of his reported links to the Chinese state, and it is not known when the images were taken.
The possible naming of a Chinese spy with alleged links to Prince Andrew has cast a spotlight back on the tricky issue of how the UK deals with Beijing, says our political correspondent Rob Powell.
Sir Keir Starmer has been keen to talk up the benefits of a strong relationship with China to deal with things like climate change, while challenging the regime on human rights and trade.
Essentially, “better to challenge through engagement than try to challenge by pulling away and not talking to China”, says Rob.
Why MPs want to name alleged spy
On the matter of the spy, the PM’s keen not to be drawn on the matter but has revealed an “update” will be forthcoming on a scheme that will give ministers more power to police individuals believed to be trying to exert influence on behalf of a foreign state.
It was being worked on by the previous government, Rob explains.
In the meantime, MPs have been talking about using parliamentary privilege to name the individual in this case.
Rob explains those are “the legal protections granted to MPs to discuss things in the chamber they wouldn’t be able to discuss outside”.
The argument is it may help people who’ve unknowingly met the spy recognise them and possible past attempts at influence.
And with the name already pretty freely available online, including in China, Rob says some feel it’s pretty odd that court orders prevent them from being named here.
A woman who threw a milkshake at Nigel Farage has been handed a 13-week prison sentence – suspended for a year.
Victoria Thomas Bowen, 25, admitted assault by beating following the incident during the general election campaign.
Thomas Bowen launched the missile, hitting the Reform UK leader as he left the Moon and Starfish Wetherspoon pub in Clacton-on-Sea, on 4 June.
The OnlyFans model pleaded guilty to assault and criminal damage in October.
The second charge was due to £17.50 of damage done to a jacket belonging to Mr Farage’s security.
In a witness statement, Mr Farage said he was not injured but “this incident caused me concern as I have only been going about my job” and that he tries to “have as much public engagement as possible”.
“I’m saddened that this has happened at a public campaign,” he added.
Thomas Bowen told police she “does not agree with [Mr Farage’s] political views” while being interviewed.
Sir Keir Starmer is in Norway today to sign an agreement on green energy.
He and his Norwegian counterpart have been answering questions following an official ceremony.
The pair take questions from the media – and unsurprisingly, the Chinese spy with alleged links to Prince Andrew comes up.
Sir Keir says he will not get into what has happened with the royal family – as it is convention for the government not to talk about them.
He then adds: “Of course, we are concerned, about the challenge that China poses.”
The PM says the UK’s position is to engage with China on areas like climate change, challenge on areas like human rights, and compete on areas like trade.
Sir Keir goes on to say that an “update” will be coming shortly on the foreign influence registration scheme the Tories introduced before leaving government.
As we reported earlier, the government has agreed in principle for Royal Mail to be sold.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has been answering questions on the deal in the past few minutes.
He is pushed on whether the universal service obligation – the deal meaning Royal Mail delivers the post every day bar Sunday – will stay in place.
The minister says this is for the regulator Ofcom, but very much does not rule out changes.
He says that “all parties are pragmatic and understand that the letter market has declined a lot” in recent years.
Mr Reynolds says the service has to “reflect the current market demand for that product”.
And notably, he says “a” universal service obligation is part of the deal – rather than saying the current one.
He says “nearly every country” has adjusted to changes in the way letters are sent.
A “process” is under way to decide how the UK USO should be updated, Mr Reynolds adds, but it is not part of the agreement announced today?
As part of the buyout agreement, the purchasing company, EP Group, needs to meet Ofcom targets before it can take profits out of Royal Mail.
We’ve had some data out today examining the state of the UK market – specifically around hiring and jobs.
It makes grim reading for the government.
The S&P Global flash UK composite purchasing managers’ index (PMI) shows that, while the private sector’s economic activity grew ever so slightly in the first week of December, jobs are being axed.
Data from the start of this month indicated a third month in a row of job losses in the private sector, at the fastest rate in four years.
If COVID is excluded, it’s the fastest rate since 2009.
This largely appears to be firms not hiring replacements for leaving staff, known as attrition, in response to rising employment costs.
Some economists have blamed inflation, transport costs, raw materials, weather and wars as reasons behind the struggling economy.
Chris Williamson, the chief business economist of S&P Global Market Intelligence, laid the blame at Labour’s increase in national insurance for employers and greater workplace regulations on staffing.
He said: “Businesses are reporting a triple whammy of gloomy news as 2024 comes to a close, with economic growth stalled, employment slumping and inflation back on the rise.
“Economic growth momentum has been lost since the robust expansion seen earlier in the year, as businesses and households have responded negatively to the new Labour government’s downbeat rhetoric and policies.
“Firms are responding to the increase in national insurance contributions and new regulations around staffing with a marked pull-back in hiring, causing employment to fall in December at the fastest rate since the global financial crisis in 2009 if the pandemic is excluded.
“While the December PMI is indicative of the economy more or less stalled in the fourth quarter, the loss of confidence and increased culling of jobs hints at worse to come as we head into the new year.”
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