UK

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 has been accused of purging high-quality, Brexit-backing Conservative candidates from the party ahead of a general election.Those on the Tory right believe Downing Street is blocking “true blue” candidates who support low-tax, small-state conservatism from standing in the election so that the party will instead be dominated by centrists.Therefore, if the Conservatives were to lose, with Mr Sunak subsequently resigning, the prime minister would still have prevented the party from moving to the right by packing it with One Nation Tories who would not favour right-wing leadership candidates.Rishi Sunak has been accused of purging high-quality, Brexit-backing Conservative candidates from the party ahead of a general election More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailChina could use the UK’s genetic data to create targeted bioweapons, a Conservative former minister has claimed.Sir Iain Duncan Smith urged the Government to follow moves by the US and act against Chinese bioscience companies, as he drew comparisons with action against telecoms firm Huawei.The Tory former minister’s warning was echoed by Labour’s Fabian Hamilton, who separately warned of the risks of opening UK genomic data to global rivals.Yet again, the UK’s position in this debate is a mess. Last year, the Government admitted BGI was a ‘danger point’ in the UK’s science and technology ecosystem, yet it continues to allow BGI access to our genomics sectorSir Iain Duncan Smith Genomics, the study of DNA as a whole set of data, is a burgeoning area of medical technology, and is being used to predict, diagnose and treat diseases in new ways.Writing in The Telegraph, Sir Iain warned that it could have more sinister uses.“Like other advanced technologies, genomics, when used legitimately, can help create new drugs to fight diseases like cancer,” he wrote, adding: “However, its dual-use potential means it can also be used to create targeted bioweapons or pathogens.”Sir Iain pointed to reports the Chinese state may have used genomic technology to collect data on the country’s ethnic minority groups, such as the Uighur Muslims.MPs including Sir Iain have previously warned that Chinese genomics giant BGI Group could be a danger to the UK’s interests, and the company has been blacklisted in the US due to security concerns.US legislators are currently attempting to restrict access to American genomic data by companies they believe have links to hostile foreign states.BGI, which won Covid-related contracts from the UK Government during the pandemic, denies it has links to the Beijing government.Sir Iain said: “Yet again, the UK’s position in this debate is a mess. Last year, the Government admitted BGI was a ‘danger point’ in the UK’s science and technology ecosystem, yet it continues to allow BGI access to our genomics sector.”He claimed this echoes the “weakness it showed over Huawei and Hikvision, risks repeating previous mistakes if we fail to appreciate the severity of the challenge”.Writing in the i newspaper, Mr Hamilton likened genomics’ progress to artificial intelligence, and claimed it will “very likely form the backbone of medical treatments in the future”.In this light, China’s quest for genomic data is part of an attempt to dominate the world’s life sciences industryFabian Hamilton, Labour MPThe Leeds North East MP, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, praised his own party’s life sciences strategy which aims to support genomics in healthcare.But he added: “The strength of our life sciences sector will depend upon the amount of data available, and how exposed public and private sector organisations – from the NHS to major companies such as Bupa and Oxford Nanopore – are to state and non-state actors.“In this light, China’s quest for genomic data is part of an attempt to dominate the world’s life sciences industry.”Mr Hamilton claimed the Government was “failing to respond to security challenges that are well understood”, and said there were “serious national security implications for a lack of action”.A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We have invested more than £338 million to boost cyber resilience across health and social care.“Our cyber security specialists monitor for new threats 24 hours a day and we continually allocate resources to ensure risks are minimised and patient data is protected.“Building on our cyber security strategy which prioritises patient safety, we are working on a new programme to enhance protection and reduce the risk of an attack across the sector.”BGI was contacted for comment. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailBritain must ramp up its defence and aid spending and bolster its diplomatic and intelligence networks amid “the most dangerous period” since the Cold War, the UK’s formerly top civil servant has warned. Writing in The Independent, former cabinet secretary Sir Mark Sedwill urged the government to nearly double Britain’s defence spending to reach 4 per cent of GDP, and to restore the international aid budget to 0.7 per cent of national income, which was slashed by Boris Johnson in 2021.And warning of the threat should Vladimir Putin prevail in his war on Ukraine, he called for Kyiv’s allies “to “upgrade defence industrial capacity to wartime levels”, “run our own factories 24/7” and buy weaponry and munitions for Ukraine, whether or not Congress funds the US to do so.The former national security adviser also suggested that European militaries should be “modernised and integrated” through the Nato military alliance, and for the formation of a similar economic alliance “to respond collectively to crises or coercion”.“As autocrats advance, delay is a luxury we cannot afford,” the crossbench peer wrote following the 75th anniversary of the founding of Nato – as he urged European governments to “tackle the fraying of the western alliance”, and for Britain to “lead by example” in this effort.Contrasting the “vigour” of US president John F Kennedy’s inaugural 1961 pledge to “pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe”, with “the weariness of his modern successors”, Sir Mark pointed to America’s “disorderly” retreat from post-9/11 wars, the “uncertain” response to previous Russian aggressions in Georgia and Ukraine, “creeping protectionism” against allies, and the dilution of Nato’s guarantee of collective defence.In the face of “the most dangerous period since the end of the Cold War”, Sir Mark questioned whether – 75 years after its foundation – Nato can meet the test rediscovering “Kennedy’s confidence, commitment and courage when he positively welcomed ‘the responsibility to defend freedom in its hour of maximum danger’”.Urging Britain and European nations to increase their defence budgets, he wrote: “When Kennedy spoke, most Nato allies made considerable sacrifices to invest in collective security. Trump puts it crudely, but, today, even the most Atlanticist Americans warn that their taxpayers cannot be expected to subsidise a European social model they do not enjoy themselves.”The price of ramping up European military industrial capability is ‘a fraction of the cost we will face if Putin prevails’, said Sir Mark More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailA senior Conservative MP who admitted his role in a honeytrap sexting scandal will escape immediate punishment as senior colleague Jeremy Hunt moved to publicly back him.William Wragg is unlikely to lose his seat or be forced to sit as an independent MP, sources say, at least while the party investigates his role. On Friday night, the Metropolitan police confirmed they had launched a probe into a “number” of unsolicited messages sent to MPs.Mr Wragg, MP for Hazel Grove, admitted he had leaked the personal phone numbers of his colleagues to an individual he met on Grindr, after sending them intimate pictures of himself and becoming concerned about the power the recipient had over him as a result. He told The Times: “They had compromising things on me.”Mr Hunt, the chancellor, has now backed Mr Wragg, praising him for his “courageous and fulsome” apology after the MP also told The Times he was sorry for the “hurt” that he had caused. Treasury minister Gareth Davies said that Mr Wragg had “rightly apologised” and that he would maintain the party whip.William Wragg has apologised for his ‘weakness’ after admitting leaking his colleagues’ phone numbers 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 insightMichael Gove has admitted to “moral cowardice” during the Brexit campaign after not telling then-prime minister David Cameron about his prominent role in the Leave campaign.The levelling-up secretary said he was persuaded to take up a bigger job by Vote Leave campaign coordinator and former Boris Johnson aide Dominic Cummings.He made the comments to former chancellor George Osborne on the Political Currency podcast, which is also hosted by former Labour shadow chancellor Ed Balls.Mr Osborne, a steadfast Remainer, said that Mr Gove had promised Lord Cameron he would not take up a “prominent role” in the campaign, but ended up one of the most visible members of the Vote Leave group.The former chancellor asked Mr Gove: “Did you deceive David? He certainly felt, at the time, betrayed.”Mr Gove denied that be betrayed Lord Cameron, but added: “As I mentioned, I do think that I could have been clearer earlier. “And I think that was an example of, on the one hand, cowardice on my part, moral cowardice, on the other hand, a recognition that perhaps there’s this feeling in politics, perhaps something will turn up, perhaps this moment won’t come when we have to make that decision.“But I think David, entirely fairly, should have expected me to have been more upfront earlier.”Michael Gove and David Cameron during a meeting on education in 2012 More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailExplosive revelations that a senior Conservative MP leaked colleagues’ phone numbers to a man he had met on the gay dating app Grindr are “very serious”, a minister has warned, amid questions over whether the MP will face sanctions.Vice chairman of the 1922 committee William Wragg admitted he sent the numbers after becoming concerned about the power the recipient had over him since he had sent intimate pictures of himself.Treasury minister Gareth Davies said the situation was “incredibly troubling and very serious” but maintained that Mr Wragg would keep the party whip while the incident is being investigated. Talking to Sky News, Mr Davies said Mr Wragg has “rightly apologised for the action that he took” and urged anyone who felt that they were being blackmailed to “go to the police immediately”.On Times Radio Mr Davies added that Mr Wragg “is continuing as a Conservative MP, and it’s right that there’s investigation into what happened. He’s rightly apologised, and, as I say, that’s a matter for Will Wragg and the party generally.”The Metropolitan Police have now announced it is looking into the incident with parliamentary security and Leicestershire Police, who said it had received a complaint of “malicious communications” against a parliamentarian after a number of unsolicited messages were sent to a Leicestershire MP last month.Westminster has been rocked by the new revelations after Politico revealed that staff across the house, which include MPs, members of their staff, and a political journalist, were later sent unsolicited flirtatious texts from senders calling themselves “Charlie” or “Abi” in a suspected spear phishing attack. Spear phishing is a type of targeted online sting.Speaking to The Times, the vice-chairman of the 1922 committee said he provided the contact details to the unknown number after he feared the man had “compromising things on me”.William Wragg has admitted his involvement in a honeytrap scheme targeting Westminster politicians More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster email A pro-Western career diplomat and a close ally of Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico are facing each other in a presidential runoff on Saturday to determine who will be the next head of state.Former Foreign Minister Ivan Korčok is up against Peter Pellegrini, who heads a coalition party in Fico’s government, in the vote for the largely ceremonial post as president of the nation of 5.4 million.A victory for Pellegrini, who currently serves as Parliament speaker, would cement Fico’s power by giving him and his allies control of major strategic posts. It would also deprive Slovakia and the European Union of a key pro-Ukrainian voice. The current president, Zuzana Čaputová, a staunch backer of Slovakia’s neighbor Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s two-year invasion, did not stand for a second term.A former liberal environmental activist, she has repeatedly come under attack from Fico, who won Sept. 30 parliamentary elections on a pro-Russian and anti-American platform and has accused Čaputová of being a U.S. agent. The latest public polls predict a tight race. The winner will become the country’s sixth head of state since Slovakia gained independence in 1993 after Czechoslovakia split in two. THE RUNOFF As none of the nine candidates won a majority in the March 23 first round, the two top vote-getters advanced to the runoff. Korčok won the first round with 42.5% of the votes, with Pellegrini trailing on 37%. A former justice minister and judge, Štefan Harabin, who has openly sided with Russia in its war with Ukraine, finished a distant third with 11.7%. IVAN KORČOK The 60-year-old is not affiliated with any political party but agreed to become the foreign minister in 2020 when he was the ambassador to the United States. During the coronavirus pandemic, Korčok opposed a secret deal to acquire Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine orchestrated by Prime Minister Igor Matovič, calling the vaccine a tool in Russia’s hybrid war against the West. Korčok represented the pro-business Freedom and Solidarity party in the post till 2022. Previously, he also served as the ambassador to Germany and was the country’s envoy to NATO and the European Union. He’s married, a father of two who firmly supports Slovakia’s EU and NATO memberships. PETER PELLEGRINI Pellegrini, 48, who favors a strong role for the state, heads the left-wing Hlas (Voice) party that finished third in last year’s vote. His party joined a ruling coalition with Fico’s leftist Smer (Direction) party and the ultranationalist Slovak National Party. Critics worry Slovakia under Fico will abandon its pro-Western course and follow the direction of Hungary under populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Thousands have repeatedly taken to the streets across Slovakia recently to rally against Fico’s pro-Russian and other policies that they fear undermine the rule of law while voicing their support for Korčok. Pellegrini, who was Fico’s former deputy in Smer, became prime minister in 2018, after Fico was forced to resign following major anti-government street protests over the killing of journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancee. Pellegrini had temporarily parted ways with Fico after the scandal-tainted Smer lost the previous election in 2020. A CAMPAIGN SHAPED BY WAR The war in neighboring Ukraine was a core campaign issue. Pellegrini’s candidacy is supported by Fico’s coalition that immediately stopped any military aid to Ukraine, saying the conflict has no military solution. Pellegrini accused Korčok of being a warmonger ready to draw his country into the war by sending troops to Ukraine. Korčok dismissed that. In Slovakia, the government and parliament, but not the president, can approve Slovak troops’ deployment abroad. Pellegrini also suggested that Slovakia would not be able to send its troops to other NATO members if they were attacked, a principle of NATO’s collective defense. He claimed the Slovak military is not armed well enough to do so. PRESIDENTIAL POWERS Elected for a five-year term, the president picks the prime minister after parliamentary elections, swears in the new government and appoints Constitutional Court judges. The president can also veto laws, though Parliament can override the veto with a simple majority, and challenge them at the Constitutional Court. The head of state also has the right to pardon convicts. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailThe Government should hold an inquiry into “dangerous” content which young people are able to access on their smartphones, the leader of the largest education union in the UK has said.Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), warned of a “real problem” with sexism and misogyny in schools which has been fuelled by exposure to harmful content online.Mr Kebede called on the Government to “take on” big technology companies as he said the problem is “too widespread” to be left to schools and parents.He added that students are easily able to access social media influencers like Andrew Tate, as well as “aggressive hardcore pornography” which is affecting young boys’ views of women and relationships.His comments came ahead of a debate on online misogyny and sexism at the NEU’s annual conference in Bournemouth.I think there needs to be a real inquiry into this from Government which makes some recommendations on some significant reformsDaniel Kebede, National Education UnionA motion, due to be debated on Friday, says the “continued rise” in online sexism and misogyny through social media and online influencers presents a “real challenge” to those promoting gender equality.It suggests the union’s resources to promote anti-sexism are “not being used as widely as they should” in schools and colleges.Speaking to the media ahead of the debate, Mr Kebede said he has worked with young girls who have been victims of “significant acts of misogyny” and who have experienced abuse, violence and sexual assault.He said: “That is being fuelled by a culture of misogyny and sexism that is in turn being fuelled by what young boys and young men can access on their smartphones. It’s really widespread.”The Everyone’s Invited movement – a campaign on sexual harassment and abuse launched in 2021 – saw some pupils accuse their schools of failing to tackle a “rape culture”.Asked whether the problem has got worse since the campaign, Mr Kebede said: “I don’t think anybody at the moment can view what’s happening in society and think the issue of sexism and misogyny – and what young people can access on their phones – has particularly improved. It hasn’t.”It is very fair to say that there is a real problem with sexism and misogyny within schools. There is a real problem with what young people can access via their smartphone with real ease. It’s a problem that I think that Government have completely failed to intervene inDaniel Kebede, National Education Union He added: “It is very fair to say that there is a real problem with sexism and misogyny within schools. There is a real problem with what young people can access via their smartphone with real ease.“It’s a problem that I think that Government have completely failed to intervene in. There has been no real regulation and it is causing a huge issue in our schools.”Asked what the Government should do, the NEU chief said: “They need to actually take on big tech, if we are being honest.“Big tech have to take some responsibility and be regulated and accept regulation and ensure that young people can’t access really aggressive, dangerous things on their phones.“It’s not enough to just allow schools to police it, or parents indeed. It’s just far too widespread.“I think there needs to be a real inquiry into this from Government which makes some recommendations on some significant reforms essentially.”In February, schools in England were given non-statutory Government guidance intended to stop the use of mobile phones during school hours.Last month, schools minister Damian Hinds told the Education Select Committee that getting a mobile phone between primary and secondary school has become a “rite of passage” for nearly all children.Esther Ghey, the mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey, is campaigning for an age limit for smartphone usage and stricter controls on access to social media apps.Asked whether parents could do more to restrict the content which their children are being exposed to online, Mr Kebede said: “Children and young people are very good at working out technology and how to use it and how to get around any filters and restrictions that are in place.“We can’t individualise the issue and put it down to problem parenting, failure of parenting. It’s very difficult when every other child has access to a smartphone to be that parent who says no.“There has to be regulation on this from Government, who in turn supports families in making those decisions.”A Government spokesperson said: “All children deserve to grow up in a safe environment, and we expect schools to take immediate action against sexual misconduct or harassment.“Through our world-leading Online Safety Act, social media firms will be required to protect children from being exposed to harmful material online, and the Education Secretary recently took robust action by prohibiting the use of mobile phones in schools.“We are also reviewing the statutory guidance on relationships, sex and health education and as a part of this, we are considering how our guidance and support to schools on this issue can be strengthened.” More