Markus Andrews

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailTory MP Scott Benton is quitting parliament almost a year after being embroiled in a lobbying sting. The Blackpool South MP has written to Jeremy Hunt with “a heavy heart” tendering his resignation, meaning Rishi Sunak faces another tricky by-election in the seat.His departure comes as a recall petition in his seat was ongoing, Benton having been suspended from the parliament after allegedly being caught offering to lobby ministers on behalf of gambling investors in exchange for money.Scott Benton was caught in a lobbying stingHe was expected to be recalled from parliament by his constituents and face a by-election in the seat, which he would have been likely to lose.Mr Benton won the seat, which had been held since 1997 by Labour, for the Tories under Boris Johnson in 2019. He had a narrow majority of just 3,690, and with the Conservatives currently trailing Labour in the national polls by 22 points, he was expected to lose the seat in a by-election later this year. His immediate resignation, rather than waiting for the recall petition to conclude next month, will bring forward the contest. In his statement, Mr Benton said: “It’s with a heavy heart that I have written to the Chancellor this morning to tender my resignation as your MP.“I have always sought to do what I believed to be in the best interests of Blackpool, and of our country. In 2019, I pledged to be an active, hardworking and relatable MP who would listen to your concerns and views and act upon them.“I’d like to think that I have more than succeeded in that aim.” The chancellor, Mr Hunt, confirmed he had appointed Mr Benton to be Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead under parliament’s arcane rules for MPs who want to quit. It is expected that the Blackpool South contest will take place on the same day as the local elections on 2 May. Scott Benton’s resignation is the latest headache for Rishi Sunak, who has faced a series of devastating by-election losses in the past year In February, Mr Benton was suspended from the House of Commons for 35 days after being found to have breached the rules. The House of Commons committee on standards found the MP had given the impression he was “corrupt” and “for sale” after he was secretly filmed saying he could table parliamentary questions and provide “behind the scenes” information for up to £4,000 a month.Mr Benton was prepared to leak market-sensitive information to an investment fund and ask parliamentary questions on its behalf, in breach of parliamentary lobbying rules, an undercover investigation for The Times found.He was caught on camera telling undercover reporters posing as investors how he was willing to take actions that would break Parliament’s lobbying rules.In a meeting in March 2023, Mr Benton described how he could support a fake investment fund, which he believed was set up by an Indian businessman looking to make investments in the UK betting and gaming sector, by attempting to water down proposed gambling reforms.Mr Benton also offered a “guarantee” to provide a copy of an upcoming gambling white paper to the business at least two days before publication, potentially allowing it to benefit from market-sensitive information.He also said he could table parliamentary written questions and said he had previously done it on behalf of a company.Mr Benton said he could offer “the direct ear of a minister who is actually going to make these decisions” and speak to them outside the Commons voting lobby.The MP agreed with a fee proposed by the reporters in the range of £2,000 to £4,000 a month for two days’ work.The contest in Mr Benton’s seat will be the latest challenge for Mr Sunak, who has faced a slew of brutal by-election defeats in the past year, including in Peter Bone’s former constituency of Wellingborough and Chris Skidmore’s old seat of Kingswood. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailChina state-affiliated cyber actors were behind the “malicious” targeting of parliamentarians and a cyber attack on the Electoral Commission, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has said.The UK’s cyber security agency, which is part of GCHQ, said it believes a China-backed group known as APT31 was responsible for a campaign of online spying against the email accounts of a group of MPs and peers critical of China.APT31 has previously been accused of targeting other government entities and political figures around the world, including attacks on the Finnish parliament and Norwegian government IT systems in recent years, as well as an attack on Microsoft Exchange servers in 2021.The malicious activities we have exposed today are indicative of a wider pattern of unacceptable behaviour we are seeing from China state-affiliated actors against the UK and around the worldPaul Chichester, NCSC The NCSC said it had also attributed the compromise of computer systems at the Electoral Commission between 2021 and 2022 to a Chinese-backed actor in a separate incident.The cyber security agency said the attack on the Electoral Commission was likely to have seen email data accessed and exfiltrated for use by the Chinese intelligence services.When the attack was made public last year, it was confirmed that the hackers had been able to access reference copies of the electoral registers, held by the commission for research purposes and to enable permissibility checks on political donations.The registers held at the time of the cyber attack include the name and address of anyone in the UK who was registered to vote between 2014 and 2022, as well as the names of those registered as overseas voters.But they did not include the details of those registered anonymously.The register for each year holds the details of around 40 million individuals, which were accessible to the hostile actors, although this includes people on the open registers, whose information is already in the public domain.The NCSC said it believed it was highly likely this data would be used by the Chinese intelligence services for large-scale espionage campaigns and to repress perceived critics of China in the UK.On the targeting of Members of Parliament, the NCSC said the cyber campaign against email accounts had been identified and successfully mitigated by Parliament’s own security department before any accounts could be compromised.It is vital that organisations and individuals involved in our democratic processes defend themselves in cyberspace and I urge them to follow and implement the NCSC’s advice to stay safe onlinePaul Chichester, NCSC Paul Chichester, NCSC director of operations, said: “The malicious activities we have exposed today are indicative of a wider pattern of unacceptable behaviour we are seeing from China state-affiliated actors against the UK and around the world.“The targeting of our democratic system is unacceptable and the NCSC will continue to call out cyber actors who pose a threat to the institutions and values that underpin our society.“It is vital that organisations and individuals involved in our democratic processes defend themselves in cyberspace and I urge them to follow and implement the NCSC’s advice to stay safe online.”The Electoral Commission said the attack “did not have an impact on the security of UK elections, and resilience has been strengthened since the attack”.As part of the response to the attacks, the NCSC said it had updated its guidance for political organisations with further advice on how to reduce the likelihood of cyber attacks.Al Lakhani, founder and chief executive of cyber security firm IDEE, said the Government needed to be more robust in its cyber security response.When it comes to something as important as national security, relying on outdated cybersecurity solutions that detect attacks, but stop short of preventing them, is nothing short of dangerousAl Lakhani, cyber security firm IDEE“International relations are built on good faith, mutual interests and a fair bit of give and take,” he said.“But these are all completely opposed to good cybersecurity practices, which must be built on zero trust.“The Government is blatantly tiptoeing around the issue, evidently paralysed by the fear of alienating global superpowers, but the result is compromised personal data and undermining confidence in electoral processes.“To avoid these awkward situations, the Government needs to find better ways of protecting its systems and data.“When it comes to something as important as national security, relying on outdated cybersecurity solutions that detect attacks, but stop short of preventing them, is nothing short of dangerous.“A general election is on the horizon, and the threat of international interference is huge.“So, I hope that lessons have been learnt from past breaches, that this marks a turning point in the UK’s cyber security preparedness, and that we move towards a digitally secure future rooted in identity proofing and transitive trust.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailVoters have been required to bring photographic identification for certain elections in the UK since May 2023.This came after parliament passed the Elections Act in April 2022, enacting a recommendation the Electoral Commission first made in 2014.Voter ID is now required at by-elections and recall petitions, general elections, local elections and referendums in England, and Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales.The new rules do not apply to Scottish Parliament, Welsh Senedd, or council elections taking place in Scotland or Wales.The new ID laws have already been in place in many local elections and by-elections since being implemented. But 2024 will be the first year they are in place for a London mayoral election – and possibly a general election.Sadiq Khan has criticised the new voter ID rules ahead of May’s London mayoral election in an article for The Independent.“New rules making it compulsory to have an approved form of ID, a deliberate attempt to reduce turnout, also puts the election on a knife-edge,” the London Mayor writes.“At the last London mayoral election, in 2021, I was less than 5 per cent ahead after the first round of voting. These are the finer margins we’ll now be dealing with.”Here’s everything you need to know about voter ID ahead of upcoming elections:What ID do I need to vote?There are many different forms of ID that will be accepted at the polling station. It must be photographic ID – meaning a bank card is not valid, for instance.Accepted forms of ID include:Passport issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, a British Overseas Territory, an EEA state, or a Commonwealth countryA photo driving licence issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or an EEA state (including a provisional driving licence)A Blue BadgeOlder Person’s Bus PassDisabled Person’s Bus PassFreedom PassIdentity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card)Biometric immigration documentMinistry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)National identity card issued by an EEA stateAnonymous Elector’s DocumentYou can use an out-of-date photo ID provided it still looks like you. A full list of accepted forms of ID can be found on the Electoral Commission website.What if I don’t have voter ID?If you do not have any of the accepted forms of photo ID, you are able to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate. It’s free to apply for, and will be accepted at the polling station when you want to vote.You can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate on the Electoral Commission website. It is free and they do not expire, although it is recommended you reapply every 10 years to ensure your likeness remains similar to the ID.If you don’t bring an accepted form of photo ID to the polling station, you will be turned away.The London mayoral elections take place on 2 May 2024. For this election, the deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate is 5pm on 24 April 2024.What are the issues around voter ID?The government sought to pass the new voter ID laws to crack down on election fraud, specifically ‘personation’. This is a criminal offence, where a person votes at an election pretending to be someone they’re not.Writing after they were passed, then-levelling up minister Kemi Badenoch said the new law “means we can eliminate election fraud and make elections more inclusive, ensuring that everyone eligible to vote will continue to have the opportunity to do so.”However, critics of the voter ID rules have pointed out that cases of electoral fraud are rare in the UK, and personation even more so. Latest data from the Electoral Commission shows that, between 2018 and 2022, only 11 of the 1,386 alleged cases of electoral fraud resulted in convictions.There are also concerns that voter ID laws can disproportionately affect marginalised communities’ ability to vote. In 2021, government-commissioned research found that those with limiting disabilities, the unemployed, people without qualifications, and those who had never voted before were among the least likely to hold a valid form of photo ID.Further research presented to the House of Commons found that the changes may result in 1.1 million fewer people voting in the next general election.“As there is no justification for this threat to the right to vote, it feels like an opportunistic attack on the rights of some of the most marginalised people in society,” said a spokesperson for the Liberty human rights advocacy group in 2021.“A classic example of ruling through division and distrust.”The government’s choice to accept forms of local travel photo ID for older people, but not younger people, has also come under scrutiny. Neither the 16-25 or 26-30 railcard are accepted.Labour MP Nadia Whittome said: “The new voter ID requirement will stop many young people from voting – and it seems that is by design, not by accident.“The government has given older voters, who are more likely to vote Conservative, a large range of acceptable forms of ID, while providing very few options for young people.Levelling up minister Dehenna Davison has defended the decision, saying: “Young person’s railcards are generally offered in both digital and hard copy formats.“The government did not specifically include digital format documents for the roll-out of the policy, in order to support its effective delivery.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailWatch live as Grant Shapps and Oliver Dowden address the alleged China cybersecurity threat in Parliament on Monday, 25 March.It comes after Rishi Sunak said Britain is taking measures to protect itself from an “increasingly assertive” China after it was accused of a “malign” cyberattack on the UK.The prime minister described China as “also the greatest state-based threat to our economic security”, and the UK is preparing to sanction those believed to be involved in the state-backed interference.The government is expected to say Beijing-linked hackers were behind a cyber attack on the Electoral Commission which exposed the personal data of 40 million voters, as well as 43 individuals including MPs and peers.Registers held at the time of the cyber attack include the name and address of anyone in the UK who was registered to vote between 2014 and 2022, as well as the names of those registered as overseas voters. More

Related video: Xi Jinping’s minister says ‘decoupling from China’ will only backfire on US and urges Antony Blinken to lift sanctionsSign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak has said China presents an “epoch-defining challenge” after Beijing was accused of cyberattacks in the UK.The prime minister reiterated the government’s position on China while visiting an engineering firm in Barrow where he unveiled a £200m package of investment to secure the future of the UK’s nuclear industry and boost jobs.“We’ve been very clear that the situation now is that China is behaving in an increasingly assertive way abroad, authoritarian at home and it represents an epoch-defining challenge, and also the greatest state-based threat to our economic security,” he said.“So, it’s right that we take measures to protect ourselves, which is what we are doing.”Oliver Dowden is expected to announce sanctions on individuals linked to China after Beijing was accused of carrying out “malign” cyberattacks on UK democracy.The deputy prime minister will tell parliament that China is behind a wave of cyberattacks on the Electoral Commission as well as against 43 MPs and peers, in a major hack that is reported to have begun in August 2021 but was not identified until October 2022.Show latest update 1711378231Watch: Grant Shapps and Oliver Dowden address alleged China cybersecurity threatMatt Mathers25 March 2024 14:501711377333Half of 2019 Tory voters won’t back party in next election – pollMore than half of 2019 Conservative voters won’t back the party again at the next general election, according to a poll.The Helm/Detapoll Monitor survey found 49 per cent of the cohort plan to stick with the party at the next national vote, which must take place by January 2025.It is a 5 per cent drop since the Budget and the lowest level of support ever recorded by the firm.Matt Mathers25 March 2024 14:351711376443No 10: UK worked ‘closely’ with allies to identify Electoral Commission attackThe UK has worked “closely” with its allies to identify the state behind a 2021 cyber attack on the Electoral Commission, Downing Street has said.Asked about the length of time between the attack, which came to light in 2022, and the announcement expected later today, the prime minister’s official spokesman said: “The investigation) was obviously complex and sensitive and we have been working closely with international partners over a period of time to identify those responsible and hold them to account.”Matt Mathers25 March 2024 14:201711375843IDS: China must be classified as a ‘threat’ not ‘challenge’Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith urged the government to take tougher action against China.He said: “We must now enter a new era of relations with China, dealing with the contemporary Chinese Communist Party as it really is, not as we would wish it to be.“Today’s announcement should mark a watershed moment where the UK takes a stand for values of human rights and the international rules-based system on which we all depend.”He called for China to be labelled as a “threat” by the government, rather than an “epoch-defining systemic challenge”.China should also be in the “enhanced” tier under the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, sanctions should be imposed on those responsible for human rights abuses in China, and support should be given to MPs and others targeted by Beijing in the UK, Sir Iain added.Matt Mathers25 March 2024 14:101711375309 Sir Iain Duncan Smith: We won’t be bullied into silence by BeijingFormer Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, a prominent critic of the Chinese government, said MPs would not be “bullied into silence by Beijing”.He told a press conference in Westminster: “We have been subjected to harassment, impersonation and attempted hacking from China for some time.”While that was “extremely unwelcome”, Sir Iain said “our discomfort pales in comparison to Chinese dissidents who risk their lives to oppose the Chinese Communist Party”.Matt Mathers25 March 2024 14:011711374119UK’s eyes ‘wide open’ to China threat – No 10The UK has its “eyes wide open when it comes to China”, Downing Street has said as the government is expected to blame Beijing for cyber attacks on the Electoral Commission and parliamentarians.The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “We have our eyes wide open when it comes to China.“The Integrated Review Refresh set out that the UK regards China under the Chinese Communist Party as an epoch-defining challenge and as the biggest state-based threat to our economic security.”He added: “In relation to specific examples, we’ve used our new national security investment powers to block investment from China into sensitive technology sectors like semiconductors.“Our National Security Act and others means we can take any steps that we need to, for example removing Huawei from our telecoms network.”Matt Mathers25 March 2024 13:411711373443Foreign affairs committee MP says UK/China relationship is ‘still too one-sided’Conservative MP Bob Seely has criticised the government’s policy on China and called for a “more robust and consistent” approach, Zoe Grunewald reports.Posting on social media site X, Mr Seely said the Electoral Commission hack is “more evidence today, on top of all the wealth of evidence, that we need a robust and consistent approach to China”.He added: “China’s community leaders seek to dominate the West, not live on harmony with it.  They make no secret of it. Freedom anywhere is a threat to dictators everywhere.”We need to engage with #China, but let’s do so whilst doing more to protect our interests. The relationship is still too one-sided.”Matt Mathers25 March 2024 13:301711372843ICYMI: Labour and Conservatives both refuse to commit to compensating Waspi womenFull report: Matt Mathers25 March 2024 13:201711371643ICYMI: Kate Middleton conspiracy theories ‘fuelled by China, Russia and Iran’ after cancer diagnosisThe government is reportedly concerned that Britain’s adversaries are deliberately fuelling disinformation about the Princess of Wales to “destabilise the nation”.Full report: Matt Mathers25 March 2024 13:001711370443Senior Tory MP: ‘We cannot be naive on China’Senior Conservative MP Henry Smith, a member of the Inter Parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac), told The Independent the government should not be “naive” and should recognise China is a “threat”, Archie Mitchell reports.Responding to the news of China’s hacks targeting British MPs and the electoral system, he said it was “no surprise, sadly”.Mr Smith added: “I think we need to get a lot more serious when it comes to China. We have this dichotomy of them being a huge part of global markets, and they can’t be ignored, but at the same time, the way they don’t play by the international rules based system is something we need to get real about and take defensive measures against quite frankly.“Whether it’s hacking MPs in the UK, whether it’s abusing the Uyghurs or democracy campaigners in Hong Kong, or threatening Taiwan, we need a much more robust response.”Mr Smith said: “Clearly they are a threat by their actions, what more do they need to be doing before people acknowledge that?“Now, it’s difficult because  they’re a key part of the global economy, but I take the view of Anthony Blinken and the US administration on that, of not being naive in terms of our relationship with China, both in terms of being a trading partner but also the threat that they pose to the international world order and democratic values.”Matt Mathers25 March 2024 12:40 More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster email A major European Union plan to fight climate change and better protect nature in the 27-nation bloc has been indefinitely postponed Monday, underscoring how farmers’ protests sweeping the continent influence politics ahead of the June EU parliamentary elections.The member states were supposed to give final approval to the bill on Monday following months of proceedings through the EU’s institutional maze. But what was supposed to be a mere rubber stamp has now been possibly shelved forever. “(The plan) is in a very difficult position at the moment and with the upcoming European elections, it won’t be easy to get out of this position,” said Dutch climate minister Rob Jetten. The Nature Restoration plan is a key part of the EU’s European Green Deal that seeks to establish the world’s most ambitious climate and biodiversity targets and make the bloc the global point of reference on all climate issues.The bill aims for Europe to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, demanding short-term changes and sacrifices from all parts of society to reap the benefits in a generation. “If you want to reach climate neutrality, you also have to look in the broader perspective of protecting biodiversity, strengthening the nature in Europe,” Jetten said, stressing that such initiatives were necessary. Even if the plan had a rough ride through the EU’s complicated approval process, the watered-down version was supposed to sail through the final vote.Under the EU’s voting rules, whereby a qualified majority representing 15 of the 27 member states and 65 per cent of the population was needed, it was long thought that threshold was safe, until Monday. “It seems that we don’t have a qualified majority any more because … Hungary has changed its vote. We have to understand why they do that,” said Alain Maron, a Belgian regional climate minister, who chaired the meeting of the EU environment ministers.The change of heart follows weeks of relentless protests from farmers across the bloc who have argued that reams of environmental laws governing the way they work are driving them toward bankruptcy at a time when food security and self-sufficiency are becoming essential again as the Russian war on Ukraine war rages on.“It is very important to keep flexibility for member states,” said Aniko Raisz, Hungary’s environmental minister, on Monday. When asked if her country could change its position again, Raisz said she “can’t promise anything,” while stressing the importance of the agricultural sector across Europe. “We have to be realistic and we have to keep in mind all these sectors,” she said. Monday’s postponement was the EU’s latest concession in reaction to protests that have affected the daily lives of tens of millions of EU citizens and cost businesses tens of millions of euros due to transportation delays. Others have included shelving legislation on tighter pesticide rules, loosening checks and controls on farms, and requirements to let some land lie fallow.Under the plan, member states would have to meet restoration targets for specific habitats and species, to cover at least 20% of the region’s land and sea areas by 2030. But quarrels over exemptions and flexibility clauses allowing members to skirt the rules plagued negotiations.Last month, the bill was adopted in Parliament by a 329-275 vote with 24 abstentions after the center-right Christian Democratic European People’s Party decided to vote against it. Environmentalists and the Greens group were in rapture, thinking it was the last stumbling block.Despite the droughts, floods and heat waves that have swept through many areas in Europe, the postponement of any vote signals a possible pause on such environmental actions to protect economic competitiveness. ___Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak will declare a “critical national endeavour” as he unveils a £200m package of investment aimed at securing the future of the UK’s nuclear industry and boosting jobs. The prime minister will introduce a new fund backed by £20m a year in public money for the next decade to support growth in Barrow-in-Furness, the Cumbrian town that is home to Britain’s Astute class submarines and forthcoming Dreadnought programme.Downing Street says the money will provide grants to local organisations and improvements to transport and health projects in the area.The nuclear industry is expected to require 50 per cent more skilled workers in the next decade as it becomes more central to UK energy and national security.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced the nuclear investment amid concerns about the government’s defence spending The move comes amid concerns about the UK’s level of defence spending as two serving ministers have urged Mr Sunak to increase defence spending to at least 2.5 per cent of GDP in the face of escalating Russian aggression and concerns about stability in the Middle East.There was no uplift for defence spending in the spring budget as chancellor Jeremy Hunt told MPs, “Our spending will rise to 2.5 per cent [of GDP] as soon as economic conditions allow,” without detailing how that would happen.Defence secretary Grant Shapps has also conceded that he’d like to see a “bigger budget” from the current level of just over 2 per cent, and called for military spending to be increased to 3 per cent of GDP.Mr Sunak has said the government has already announced the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War and “recently topped up with billions of pounds to strengthen our nuclear enterprise and rebuild stockpiles.”Today’s announcement also includes a significant injection of cash from industry leaders including BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, EDF and Babcock, who will be investing £763m between them in skills, jobs and education.Ahead of a visit to Barrow-in-Furness on Monday, the prime minister said: “Safeguarding the future of our nuclear deterrent and nuclear energy industry is a critical national endeavour.“In a more dangerous and contested world, the UK’s continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent is more vital than ever. And nuclear delivers cheaper, cleaner homegrown energy for consumers.Barrow-in-Furness is home to Britain’s Astute class submarines and Dreadnought programmeHe added: “That’s why we are investing in Barrow, the home of UK submarines, and in the jobs and skills of the future in the thriving British nuclear industry.“Today we usher in the next generation of our nuclear enterprise, which will keep us safe, keep our energy secure, and keep our bills down for good.”Industry leaders have warmly welcomed the plans. Charles Woodburn, BAE Systems chief executive, said: “Barrow is at the heart of the UK’s submarine enterprise and as the custodian of our submarine design and build capability, we’re incredibly proud of the role we play in the Astute, Dreadnought and now SSN-AUKUS programmes.”David Lockwood, CEO of Babcock International, said the measures were a “fantastic opportunity for the UK to deliver a stronger nuclear industry that will contribute to the resilience of the UK’s independent deterrent and will support the UK’s energy security ambitions and net zero targets.” More