UK Politics

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailDavid Cameron faces growing pressure over his attitude to China after the former deputy head of MI6 warned British intelligence is unable to deal with escalating threats from Beijing. Nigel Inkster said MI6 “clearly (has).. difficulties”, while China has “industrial-scale cyber espionage operations directed against advanced Western countries.” And he pointed to the Cameron government’s attempts to develop friendlier relations with China. “In 2015, the British government was talking about a ‘golden era’ of UK-China relations… Given that situation, it’s perhaps unsurprising that the security service isn’t where it might be,” he told the I newspaper. In a bid to develop close economic ties with the Asian superpower, Lord Cameron even hosted a state visit for President Xi Jinping in 2015.The Sunak government has been clear it takes a tougher stance with China. In November the prime minister said Lord Cameron’s return as foreign secretary did not mean the return of his “golden era” approach. Mr Inkster said the UK’s blind spot extends to “all the UK intelligence community”, which includes MI5 and GCHQ.MI6 “clearly does have difficulties, in terms of language expertise and collective general historical and cultural awareness” when it comes to China, he said. He added: “We’re seeing a significant increase in human intelligence collection operations, with the Chinese services essentially seeming to be operating under no political constraints – incentivised to take risks and to do whatever it takes to get the intelligence that is required.”The current head of MI6 Sir Richard Moore told Politico in July that the intelligence agency now has more resources devoted to China than any other mission. This “reflects … the crucial need to understand both the intent and capability of the Chinese government”, he said. David Cameron shakes hands with the then Chinese Prime Minister, Premier Li KeqiangMr Inkster warned that may not be enough to counter Beijing’s capabilities, however.“I know that there is a big effort underway to remedy those deficiencies,” he said. “A lot of resources are now being put into getting the UK intelligence community in a better state… but it does take a certain amount of time.”But he welcomed the new National Security Act, which he said would make it easier to prosecute Chinese spies, replacing “an Official Secrets Act that was derived from the First World War”. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailPolice use of live facial recognition surveillance is being expanded without clear legal grounds, peers have warned.The Lords’ Justice and Home Affairs Committee has called into question the lawfulness of the deployment of the technology by forces across England and Wales.In a letter to Home Secretary James Cleverly published on Saturday, the committee has called for tightened regulation and independent scrutiny of how the equipment is used.Live facial recognition (LFR) cameras are used by police in some areas to analyse the faces of passersby and search for specific people.We are an outlier as a democratic state in the speed at which we are applying this technology. We question why there is such disparity between the approach in England and Wales and other democratic states in the regulation of LFRBaroness HamweeThe committee said it acknowledged the technology may be a valuable tool in catching criminals but that it was “deeply concerned that its use is being expanded without proper scrutiny and accountability”.There are “no rigorous standards or systems of regulation” in place for the deployment of LFR and “no consistency” in approaches to training officers in its use, peers said.Baroness Hamwee, chairwoman of the committee, said: “Does the use of LFR have a basis in law? Is it actually legal? It is essential that the public trusts LFR and how it is used.“It is fundamental that the legal basis is clear. Current regulation is not sufficient. Oversight is inadequate.“Technology is developing so fast that regulation must be future-proofed. Police forces may soon be able to link LFR cameras to trawl large populations, such as Greater London, and not just specific localities.“We are an outlier as a democratic state in the speed at which we are applying this technology. We question why there is such disparity between the approach in England and Wales and other democratic states in the regulation of LFR.”Privacy campaigners and politicians have previously called for police to stop using facial scanning technology, citing concerns over human rights and potential for discrimination.Civil liberties group Big Brother Watch has branded the tool “Orwellian” and suggested that any widening of its use would lack a clear democratic mandate.But the Government last year announced it was considering expanding its use of the surveillance across forces and security agencies.The Home Office argues that the technology frees up officers to spend more time out on the beat and working on complex investigations.A Government spokesperson said: “Facial recognition, including live facial recognition, is a powerful tool that has a sound legal basis, confirmed by the courts. It has already helped the police to catch a large number of serious criminals, including for murder and sexual offences.“The police can only use facial recognition for a policing purpose, where necessary, proportionate and fair, in line with data protection and human rights laws.”The National Police Chiefs’ Council said it welcomed the committee’s scrutiny and would consider its recommendations, but that LFR is always used “proportionately and transparently”.Individual chief constables are also held to account by their police and crime commissioners and mayors who examine operational decisions on LFR, the council added.NPCC lead for facial recognition and the Metropolitan Police’s director of intelligence Lindsey Chiswick said: “The High Court and the Court of Appeal have previously recognised the existing legal basis for the police to use (LFR) technology – namely under common law in the UK.“LFR is a tool which helps police to identify wanted individuals and it is always used proportionately and transparently, with communities told when it will be deployed.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster email The British government has called off post-Brexit trade talks with Canada after discussions broke down over disagreements related to the import and export of beef and cheese.The two countries have been negotiating a new trade deal over the past two years since Britain fully left the European Union. Trade between the two has largely continued under the same deal that was originally brokered when Britain was a member of the bloc. In a statement late Thursday, the U.K. government said it “remains open” to restarting talks in the future but that there was no progress so far. Annual trade between the two countries is valued at around 26 billion pounds ($33 billion).Over time as the discussions pushed ahead, Canadian negotiators came under mounting pressure from their beef industry and domestic cheesemakers. The beef industry wanted access to the United Kingdom for its hormone-fed beef while the cheesemakers warned about the economic impact of tariff-free cheese from Britain, primarily cheddar. Tariff-free cheese exports from Britain stopped at the end of 2023 after a time-limited side agreement expired, leaving British producers facing higher duties of 245%.Canada’s trade minister, Mary Ng, said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the Canadian government “will never agree to a deal that isn’t good for our workers, farmers and businesses.”#Minette Batters, president of the Nation Farmers’ Union of England and Wales, praised the British government, especially its apparent refusal to allow hormone-linked beef to be allowed into Britain.“Trade on agricultural products is always the first thing to be discussed and the last thing to be agreed,” she said. “I am pleased the government has stuck to its line and not given way,”One of the main benefits that was being pushed during Britain’s 2016 referendum on its membership of the EU was that it would allow the country to pursue its independent trade policy. However, few new trade deals have been negotiated since Brexit, and any ensuing benefits are widely considered to be modest when put against the impediments to trade that have now been put in place between Britain and the EU. Before Brexit, Britain could trade freely within the bloc.Britain’s Conservative government, which negotiated the post-Brexit trade deal with the EU, sought to downplay the breakdown in the talks with Canada.“It is a benefit of our independent trading status that we are able to insist on the detail of each and every deal to ensure that it works, specifically in the U.K. interests,” said Camilla Marshall, a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.“We are open to restarting talks with Canada in the future where we can build a trading relationship that benefits businesses and consumers on both sides,” she added. “There is no schedule for those.”With the talks breakdown, there are renewed worries British cars could see higher tariffs from April on exports, when another temporary tariff-free agreement — similar to the one involving cheese — is due to expire.The British Chambers of Commerce said the breakdown in the talks was “unwelcome news” and urged the government to help sectors affected.“For our dairy exporters and parts of our manufacturing industry the loss of key trade preferences puts them in a worse position than before 2020,” said William Bain, the chamber’s trade policy chief.Britain’s main opposition Labour Party, which is far ahead of the Conservatives in polls ahead of a general election sometime this year, said the collapse of the talks was another “significant failure” by the government to deliver on its post-Brexit promises. More

Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UKSign up to our Brexit email for the latest insightRishi Sunak’s government has been hit by a new Brexit catastrophe, as talks aimed at reaching a trade deal with Canada collapsed in acrimony.It had been hoped that a free trade agreement with Britain’s close Commonwealth ally would have been among the very easiest to strike after Brexit.The Conservatives had boasted that post-Brexit Britain would be free to sign new economic pacts all over the world after quitting the EU.Then-PM Boris Johnson pledged to sign a “bespoke” trade deal with Justin Trudeau’s government to boost the economy after agreeing temporrary rollover arrangements in 2020.But two years on from the launch of formal talks, the Sunak government has called off negotiations with the Canadians due to a fall-out over beef and cheese quotas.The row erupted over Canada’s pushing for Britain to relax its ban on hormone-treated beef, which its producers say effectively shuts them out of the British market.Canada’s government has been facing pressure from both its beef industry and domestic cheesemakers – also pushing to get better access to the UK market.Canadians have told UK trade secretary Kemi Badenoch they are ‘disappointed’ But a spokeswoman for Canada’s trade minister, Mary Ng, said she was “disappointed” at the talks had now fallen apart – saying as much to trade secretary Kemi Badenoch.Ms Ng’s spokeswoman told the BBC: “Their decision to continue to maintain market access barriers for our agriculture industry and unwillingness to reach a mutual agreement has only stalled negotiations.”Ms Ng added on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the Canadian “government will never agree to a deal that isn’t good for our workers, farmers and businesses”.A UK government source said Canada appeared to have “lost sight of the bigger picture – the British and Canadian businesses who do £26bn worth of trade a year and the people they employ”.The source added: “If Canada come back to table with a serious offer and desire to make progress we’re all ears, but in the meantime we’re going to focus on other trade deals that deliver for UK businesses.”The two nations have been negotiating for the last two years, with trade continuing under the arrangements brokered when the UK was a member of the EU.Negotiations began on a new agreement in March 2022. The previous agreement had allowed the UK to continue to sell cars and cheese in the North American nation without Canada charging import tax.Boris Johnson said post-Brexit deal with Canada’s Justin Trudeau would boost economyIn November 2020, then-PM Mr Johnson claimed a new, post-Brexit deal with Canada would “go even further in meeting the needs of our economy”.Hopes were raised a deal could finally be done this year when Ms Badenoch worked closely with her Canadian counterpart in talks which saw the UK join its ally in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).However, Minette Batters, president of the Nation Farmers’ Union (NFU) of England and Wales, praised the Sunak government for having “stuck to its line and not given way”.She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme it was essential that hormone-treated beef is not allowed into the country.“It is a relief for farmers. This has been going on for a long time and it is about enhancing the trading relationship between the UK and Canada.”The farming leader said agricultural products tended to be “the first thing to be discussed and the last thing to be agreed – I am pleased the government has stuck to its line and not given way”.Ms Batters added: “Canada has played hardball for a long time. It was always going to come to a crunch point as to who was going to capitulate.”The fresh Brexit blow comes after a top group of MPs wanted that Britons heading to Europe could face waits of 14 hours or more at border control because of looming travel rule changes.And business chiefs have warned that a fresh wave of Brexit red tape coming at the end of January and April is already creating an “existential” crisis for Britain’s fresh food and flower firms.A UK government spokesperson on the collapse of talks with Canada: “We reserve the right to pause negotiations with any country if progress is not being made.”They added: “We remain open to restarting talks with Canada in the future to build a stronger trading relationship that benefits businesses and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailKeir Starmer has called for an inquiry into failings that led to a series of fatal stabbings in Nottingham, saying it is the “least these families are owed”. The Labour leader said the deaths of Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber, both 19, and Ian Coates, 65, who were stabbed by Valdo Calocane last June were “absolutely awful”.The police have been accused of having “blood on their hands” after a series of failures meant the killer was able to carry out the attacks. Barnaby’s mother, Emma, said “true justice has not been served” after Calocane was handed a hospital order and not jailed. And she told Nottinghamshire Police assistant chief Rob Griffin: “If you had just done your job properly, there’s a very good chance my beautiful boy would be alive today.” But Downing Street said it was “important” that as “the first action the relevant agencies look back and ensure that all the proper processes were followed and that reasonable steps that could have been taken were taken, to ensure that where there are lessons to be learned we do so.”The Attorney General is also considering whether judges should review the sentence to decide if it is unduly lenient.The 32-year-old has paranoid schizophrenia and his pleas of manslaughter by diminished responsibility were accepted earlier this week.But the families of those killed reacted angrily to the sentencing and accused prosecutors of a “fait accompli” in not pursuing a murder verdict.Sir Keir, who in a previous job was the top prosecutor for England and Wales, told ITV’s This Morning programme: “As far as the sentence is concerned, obviously there are mental health issues in this particular case, and the Attorney General has got the power to review it and I think that probably makes sense and have it double checked by the Court of Appeal.”But I think alongside the sentence, I am very worried by what appear to be a number of points at which action could have been taken that would have prevented this happening.”The family are saying that needs to be an inquiry into that. I think they’re right about that. I think somebody outside of this independent needs to look at exactly what happened, what were the points of which there could have been an intervention and why it didn’t happen. That is the least that these families are owed.”Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has backed calls for an inquiry into the Nottingham attacks (Stefan Rousseau/PA)Rishi Sunak has so far resisted ordering an inquiry. A Number 10 spokeswoman said: “We believe that it’s important that as the first action, that the relevant agencies look back and ensure that all the proper processes were followed and that reasonable steps that could have been taken were taken, to ensure that where there are lessons to be learned we do so.”That is the first thing that needs to happen.”Judge Mr Justice Turner said Calocane would “very probably” be detained in a high-security hospital for the rest of his life as he sentenced him for the “atrocious” killings, as well as the attempted murder of three others.Speaking on the steps outside Nottingham Crown Court after the sentencing, Mrs Webber said: “We were presented with a fait accompli that the decision had been made to accept manslaughter charges.”At no point during the previous five-and-a-half-months were we given any indication that this could conclude in anything other than murder.”We trusted in our system, foolishly as it turns out.” More