Former British chancellor George Osborne warned on Friday that the collapse of a Chinese spying court case could threaten Prime Minister Keir Starmer's hold on power.
Mr Osborne was chancellor between 2010 and 2016, when he oversaw the country's “golden era” strategy for relations between London and Beijing.
Now he has warned that Mr Starmer's defence of his government's handling of a prosecution request for authoritative testimony remained shaky almost two weeks after the collapse of the legal proceedings.
In particular, the government has stressed that it did not hold meetings with the responsible officials about how to handle criminal charges over two alleged Chinese agents who had worked for MPs.
The case was seen as sensitive as the Labour government attempts to solidify ties with China, while maintaining close links to Washington during their deepening economic rivalry.
A new revelation that meetings did take place would deal a major blow to Mr Starmer, who has told parliament his team played no such role.
“That would be major, but it's hard to believe he would say that to Parliament, that no minister or politically-appointed special adviser was involved, because if it turns out that they were in any way, that is big trouble,” Mr Osborne said on his Political Currency podcast.
The former chancellor presents the show with Labour grandee and husband of the Foreign Secretary, Ed Balls. Mr Balls also sees Mr Starmer's handling of the controversy as filled with potential danger ahead.
“As an example of handling a crisis, this is not a good case study of the way to do it, because they have allowed themselves to always look behind the curve, and therefore they've created the impression that there was something to hide,” he said.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dropped the case against Christopher Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry in September, a month before a trial was due to take place.
Both men, who deny wrongdoing, had been accused of passing secrets to Beijing.
China has condemned the content of the government's submission despite the CPS view that there was no definitive declaration it was an enemy.
“We urge the UK to stop making an issue out of China, stop engaging in anti-China hype, and stop undermining China–UK relations,” a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in London said in a statement published on its website.
New embassy
The UK was rebuked by Beijing on Friday over a postponed decision on approving China’s new embassy in the building that once housed the Royal Mint. The effort to rebuild the central London institution as China's outpost has been plagued by objections, mainly from Conservatives who see the redevelopment as strategic folly for the UK.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said China had shown “utmost sincerity and patience” over the decision. He added the UK lacked “the spirit of contract, credibility and ethics” while “complicating and politicising the matter”.
“That goes entirely against the UK’s commitments and previous remarks about improving China-UK relations,” he said.
“We once again call on the UK to fulfil its obligation and honour its commitments at once, otherwise the consequences arising therefrom shall be borne by the UK side.”
Enemy status
The prosecution case relied on China's profile as an enemy of the UK. The charges were brought under an early 20th century act outlawing spying. Reports have identified Cai Qi, the senior Chinese official who is thought to be the recipient of information in the alleged espionage.
Downing St has pushed back against opposition leader Kemi Badenoch’s claim that Mr Starmer should have intervened to stop the spy trial collapsing as “absurd”.
The chairs of the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy, Home Affairs, Justice and Foreign Affairs committees have heaped pressure on Mr Starmer's government to reveal more of the internal process that surrounded the court case.
The questions include whether evidence was sought from other sources, such as intelligence material or ministers who might have described China as a threat, and what steps he took to inform the government that the case would collapse without further evidence.
The committee chairs also asked whether deputy national security adviser Matt Collins, whose witness statements prosecutors have blamed for the abandonment of the case, was made fully aware of the evidential threshold.
Two parliamentary inquiries will examine his testimony, which was made public this week, as well as query why he was not briefed on the evidentiary threshold before the CPS dropped the case.
Ken McCallum, director general of the UK's MI5 security agency, issued what was seen as a rebuke for the government on Thursday.
He signalled frustration with the collapse of the case. “Of course I am frustrated when opportunities to prosecute national security-threatening activity are not followed through, for whatever reason.”
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
At a glance
Fixtures All matches start at 9.30am, at ICC Academy, Dubai. Admission is free
Thursday UAE v Ireland; Saturday UAE v Ireland; Jan 21 UAE v Scotland; Jan 23 UAE v Scotland
UAE squad Rohan Mustafa (c), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More on Quran memorisation:
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Haltia.ai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Arto%20Bendiken%20and%20Talal%20Thabet%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20AI%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2041%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20About%20%241.7%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self%2C%20family%20and%20friends%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
Profile
Company name: Marefa Digital
Based: Dubai Multi Commodities Centre
Number of employees: seven
Sector: e-learning
Funding stage: Pre-seed funding of Dh1.5m in 2017 and an initial seed round of Dh2m in 2019
Investors: Friends and family
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
