Guido has been unable to find a single Tory MP who now expects the decision to involve Huawei in construction of the UK’s 5G network to press ahead as originally planned. There were 38 rebels on the last vote over Huawei’s involvement at the start of March. Newsnight’s Nick Watt last night told viewers that he has heard senior Tory expectations there are now “at least 68 rebels”. More than enough to wipe out the Government’s majority…

Yet Guido hears that changing tack is unlikely to need to come to a formal Parliamentary rebellion. Voices in Government, not just the Tory back benches, are increasingly pushing for a tougher line against China. The Huawei decision was already on rocky ground after the Chinese Communist Party’s Coronavirus cover-up became more widely understood. Now the country has reneged on treaty obligations and effectively annexed Hong Kong, Guido hears voices close to Boris see stepping back from Huawei as the next logical step of de-sinofication…