MI5 chief Ken McCallum has been giving his annual speech on threats to the UK, in which he said state actors including China are an increasing problem. He added that MI5 foiled a threat from China within the last week alone…
McCallum said the country has to “defend itself resolutely” against China:
“The UK-China relationship is, by its nature, complex, but MI5’s role is not: we detect and deal, robustly, with activity threatening national security. When it comes to China, the UK needs to defend itself resolutely against threats and seize the opportunities that demonstrably serve our nation.“
McCallum said China engages in “cyber espionage,” “clandestine technology transfer,” efforts to “interfere covertly in UK public life,” and the “harassment and intimidation of opponents.” He said China, Russia, and Iran are “fast-rising state threats” which are responsible for a 35% increase in threats from state actors in a year…
Asked about the spy case’s collapse, he said: “Of course I am frustrated when opportunities to prosecute national security- threatening activity are not followed through, for whatever reason. I would invite everyone to not miss the fact that this was a strong disruption in the interest of the UK’s national security.” These are not the comments of someone in agreement with Downing Street…
Downing Street is tying itself in knots over Deputy National Security Adviser Matthew Collins’ witness statements -the latest of which conveniently echoed Labour’s own manifesto language and the party’s “three Cs” approach to China. At Lobby briefing, Starmer’s spokesman failed to adequately explain why Labour manifesto wording entered the DNSA’s written submission entirely of his own accord. He said:
“This was to provide the current government’s position as context. Civil servants reflect the current government policy in their daily work. The key fact in this case is that you can only try people on the basis of the situation as it was at the time.”
The spokesman insisted he “does not accept” the obvious argument that the insertion of a new government’s manifesto language into new submissions means you can’t blame the old government’s position. The claim that Collins never discussed the evidence with ministers or advisers isn’t washing…
Just 43% of BBC viewers believe the broadcaster is effective in being ‘independent from the government of the day’, according to the BBC’s own data. Of the 872,701 viewers polled, 91% believe that independence should be important. A whopping 48 point gap…
There’s also a significant gap between the importance of reflecting different parts of the UK, and the broadcaster’s current effectiveness in doing so. Hilariously, the BBC says it will “discuss [the results] with government, which will ultimately take the decision on the overall future focus and funding of the BBC, after consulting with the public.” The licence fee exodus is forcing the BBC to make changes already. New media is changing the game…
First Tugendhat, now this. Jeremy Wright has just hit the bullseye with his question in the Commons to Cabinet Office minister Chris Ward:
“Why did the Deputy National Security Adviser [include] in his statement reference to economic opportunity, when he knew that wasn’t the question he was being asked, or the relevant question?”
Apparently it was to provide ‘broader context’. It’s really not Chris Ward’s day…
Former Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has insisted he will take legal action against the government over its changes to the Legacy Act. He’s fuming over new changes to the NI Troubles Bill that block him and 500 other IRA suspects from suing the taxpayer for compensation – a U-turn forced on Labour by the Tories. Here we go…
In a Sinn Féin press release, Adams said:
“I have instructed my legal team that it is my intention to pursue legal action against Keir Starmer’s decision to retrospectively change a law which a Conservative government broke over 50 years ago. In January Keir Starmer made it clear that he would look at ‘every conceivable way’ to ensure that I and others impacted by this did not receive compensation. Yesterday the British government produced legislation which upholds the quashing of the convictions but denies compensation. This is clearly discriminatory. Once again the British state changes the rules to protect its security personnel while denying others equality of treatment.”
Shadow Armed Forces Minister Mark Francois tells Guido:
“The Government’s Northern Ireland Legacy strategy is rapidly unravelling, within 48 hours of being announced. After months of intense opposition from the Conservatives, they finally dropped their bonkers proposals to help Gerry Adams sue the Government – and now he’s suing them anyway! His case would ultimately be resisted by the Attorney General, Lord Hermer, who prior to the election was, er,… Gerry Adams’s personal lawyer, in trying to sue the Government!”
Couldn’t make it up…
Read his statement in full below:
Continue reading “Gerry Adams Taking Legal Action Against Government Over Legacy Act Changes”
Tom Tugendhat has just interrupted Cabinet Office minister Chris Ward at the despatch box over the ongoing China spy case farce. “Stop playing politics, you petty little man…”
Starmer loyalist and Housing Secretary Steve Reed told Sky News that Starmer should not be replaced:
“We saw what the Tories did. They were in power for 14 years, and after 2016, I think we had nine education secretaries, seven chancellors, and five Prime Ministers. Doomscrolling through Prime Ministers doesn’t resolve the problem.”
