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Education secretary Gillian Keegan refused to say if China is a threat to national security a day after two individuals and a company linked to the Chinese state were sanctioned over attacks on the Electoral Commission between 2021 and 2022.The same company also carried out “reconnaissance” activity against UK parliamentary accounts in a separate campaign in 2021, Oliver Dowden told the House of Commons on Monday.British intelligence services believe Chinese spies are likely to use details stolen by hacking the elections watchdog to target dissidents and critics of Xi Jinping’s government in the UK.”I don’t want you to put words into my mouth… I’m not a diplomatic expert,” Ms Keegan told Nick Ferrari on LBC. More

Rishi Sunak laughed off a reference to Liz Truss’s “deep state” comments during a grilling by the Commons Liaison Committee on Tuesday, 26 March.During a speech at a CPAC, a conservative conference in the US, the prime minister’s predecessor blamed the “deep state” for “sabotaging” her controversial tax-cutting plans from Kwasi Kwarteng’s disastrous mini-budget.When asked if there is a “deep state” and if he is part of it, Mr Sunak joked: “Probably a question for [Ms Truss].“But I probably wouldn’t tell you if I was Will, would I? And we wouldn’t tell anyone else either, would we?” he added. More

A Labour MP who bet £10 with Kay Burley that there would be a May general election called Rishi Sunak a “chicken” as he paid up.Jonathan Ashworth returned to Sky News less than three weeks after making the wager, presenting Ms Burley a cheque after the prime minister ruled out an early vote.“Rishi Sunak chickened out, he’s running scared of the British people,” the shadow paymaster general said.“We still need that election, he should name the date but I am going to have to pay up.”Mr Ashworth laughed off “doubling down” on a June election at the end of the interview. More

Farmers on tractors converged on Westminster on Monday, 25 March, in a protest against “substandard imports and dishonest labelling” they warn threatens food security.Campaigners from Save British Farming and Fairness for Farmers of Kent assembled for a “go-slow” convoy and drive around Westminster.Organisers anticipated 50 to 100 tractors as well as other farm vehicles to show up as the group raised concerns over the increasing difficulties faced by the British farming industry which they say are leaving the nation’s food security at risk. More

Two individuals and a company linked to the Chinese state have been sanctioned over attacks on the Electoral Commission between 2021 and 2022, Oliver Dowden told the House of Commons on Monday, 25 March.The same company also carried out “reconnaissance” activity against UK parliamentary accounts in a separate campaign in 2021, the deputy prime minister added.British intelligence services believe Chinese spies are likely to use details stolen by hacking the elections watchdog to target dissidents and critics of Xi Jinping’s government in the UK. More

Tory deputy chair James Daly dismissed Sir Chris Bryant’s criticism of the Conservative Party’s biggest-ever donor Frank Hester as the shadow minister “tried to get Jeremy Corbyn elected as prime minister.”Mr Hester is alleged to have made incendiary comments about Diane Abbott including that she “should be shot” and made him “want to hate all Black women”.As Sir Chris criticised the Tories’ accepting of millions in donations from Mr Hester, Mr Daly said: “Your party had certain views which I think the whole country called into question.“Talking from an alleged moral high point on this is not really where the Labour Party needs to be.” More

Labour MP Chris Bryant compared Owen Jones leaving the political party to Elton John announcing he was gay.Mr Jones quit the party in a video message on Thursday (21 March) with a somewhat personal attack on leader Keir Starmer claiming “the party’s over”.Mr Bryant discussed Mr Jones’s decision to stand down when he appeared on Politics Live on Monday (25 March).The MP said: “You could have blown me over with a feather when Owen Jones left the Labour Party. It was almost as shocking as when Elton John announced that he was gay.” More

Rishi Sunak has refused to comment on the police investigation into alleged racist comments made by Conservative Party donor Frank Hester.The prime minister was asked on Friday 22 March if it was time to hand back the money donated to the party by Mr Hester, and to refuse any future donations.West Yorkshire Police are investigating comments made by Mr Hester about Diane Abbott at a meeting that took pace in Horsforth, Leeds, in 2019.“It wouldn’t be right for me to comment on police matters, but as I’ve said previously, what he’s said was wrong and racist, and he rightfully has apologised for it,” Mr Sunak responded. More