The previous Tory chief mentioned the Yang Tengbo spying row proves that features of nationwide safety had been ignored and the UK is now paying the value.
Politics newest: Beijing dismisses ‘groundless hypothesis’
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Sir Iain Duncan Smith served in Lord Cameron’s authorities Pic: PA
Requested if Lord Cameron and Mr Osborne’s courting of China was responsible for among the issues of nationwide safety the UK is going through now, he mentioned: “It was an enormous mistake.
“I made that pretty clear at the time. I was in government at the time, I was very uneasy about what they were doing. I didn’t think this would work. It turns out that it didn’t work.
“I assumed it was an enormous mistake as a result of President Xi is sensible sufficient to know that we’re coming to court docket him. Effectively, we have now to pay a worth for that. And the value we pay is to miss features of nationwide safety.”
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Who’s alleged Chinese language spy, Yang Tengbo?
Sir Iain additionally mentioned he believes Sir Keir Starmer’s authorities is now bowing to stress from MPs to usher in a international affect registration scheme (FIRS), initially proposed by the Conservatives earlier than the election.
“It wasn’t so long ago when the prime minister refused to answer a question, only about two or three months ago, as to whether or not they would do anything with it,” Sir Iain mentioned.
“Now at least he’s moved, being pushed by us, I think, to actually do something about it. The one outstanding question is will China go into the upper tier of the registration scheme, which would make them the single biggest threat?”
Referring to safety minister Dan Jarvis, who answered his pressing query, Sir Iain mentioned: “I think the minister wants to do it. I don’t question his desire to do it, nor the security forces who will want to do it.
“What I query is that companies and banks and a few authorities departments, as I perceive it, had been all pressurising the safety equipment to not introduce FIRS as a result of they had been nervous it might upset the Chinese language.
“Only now, after this spying case and our pressure over that on all sides, I think the government’s now stepping in again to redo it. It looks like it will come in even if it’s late.”
