Wes Streeting has shifted the government’s position on China by declaring it a “threat.” Something Starmer and his ministers refused to do about a million times…
In an interview with the Times the Defence Secretary said China is a country he would “put in the threat space”, which is an advanced position on the “strategic challenge” wording taken up by the Starmer administration. Starmer’s National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell is still in post – but for how long?
In September Foreign Office ministers said:
“This Government fully recognises that China poses a series of threats to UK national security, from cyber-attacks, foreign interference and espionage targeting our domestic institutions to the transnational repression of Hongkongers. Yet China, as the world’s second largest economy and the UK’s third largest trading partner, presents the UK with opportunities—not engaging is no choice at all. Our approach to China is consistent: we will co-operate where we can and challenge where we must.”
Streeting may claim he was speaking within those parameters. What actually is the strategy behind the language…
Krishnan Guru-Murthy asked John Healey: “Just finally, I mean Andy Burnham has been very clear he wants Britain back in the European Union in his lifetime. Do you?”
The Chancellor replied: “I’m older than Andy Burnham. I don’t expect to see that.”