“Britain and the United States have accused China of launching a “prolific” global campaign of cyberattacks targeting the personal information of politicians, journalists, academics and millions of voters. In an unprecedented joint operation to expose Chinese espionage, London and Washington revealed details of a decade-long campaign by Beijing to “repress critics, compromise government institutions, and steal trade secrets”. In the UK ministers revealed that China had successfully gained access to a “treasure trove” of personal information in a cyberattack on Britain’s election watchdog and had attempted to spy on MPs critical of Beijing.” – The Times
“Three years ago, I, alongside seven of my colleagues and our families, were sanctioned by the Chinese government. We have faced harassment, attempted hacking and impersonation by China. We were sanctioned as members of the Inter Parliamentary Alliance on China, (IPAC), set up by me and others to focus attention on the threat that China poses to the free world as well as those living in China. IPAC had released Chinese government papers and personal testimony, which showed that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was committing genocide in Xinjiang. There is a Chinese government drive to eradicate the Uyghurs, a Turkic, Muslim people living in the western reaches of China. They have been subjected to slave labour, forced sterilisation and the “re-education” of children.” – Daily Telegraph
“Labour has warned China that it will respond to any interference in UK democracy after the government announced fresh sanctions against hackers linked to Beijing. The warning came at the party’s first public meeting with the Chinese government since Keir Starmer became Labour leader. Catherine West, the shadow Asia minister, travelled to Beijing last week as part of a delegation of British MPs for meetings with senior Chinese government figures and businesses. West told the Guardian she had raised Labour’s concerns about Chinese interference in British democracy and national security, underlining that “this is something we will act on in government”. – The Guardian
“The Government faced a backlash from Tory MPs last night after Britain helped pass the first UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza conflict. Lord Cameron, the Foreign Secretary, was challenged by four Conservative MPs behind closed doors at a 1922 committee meeting, The Telegraph understands. Some of those who spoke up questioned why the UK had been among the 14 out of 15 members on the UN Security Council to vote for the motion. The US had abstained. Theresa Villiers, the former Northern Ireland secretary, said she was “alarmed” at Britain’s new position and asked if ceasefire calls were still conditional on the release of hostages”. – Daily Telegraph
“A former Tory MP exposed by The Times for offering to lobby ministers in exchange for money has resigned his seat, triggering a fresh by-election headache for Rishi Sunak. Scott Benton was facing the prospect of losing his Blackpool South seat when the results of a recall petition were due next month, but instead announced that he would quit with immediate effect. The ex-Conservative MP was filmed during a meeting last year with undercover Times reporters posing as gambling industry investors offering to break lobbying rules. He had the Tory whip removed and was subsequently suspended from the Commons for 35 days after MPs on the standards committee criticised his “very serious” breach of parliamentary rules and said he had appeared to be “corrupt and for sale”. – The Times
“Johnny Mercer has been given 10 days to name Special Forces whistleblowers who raised concerns about the alleged executions of Afghans or face a possible jail sentence or a fine. A senior judge has accused the Cabinet minister of withholding evidence with “significant relevance” to his investigation into claims of atrocities committed by the SAS in Afghanistan more than a decade ago. Sir Charles Haddon-Cave, who chairs the Afghanistan public inquiry, has issued Mr Mercer, the minister for veterans’ affairs, with a section 21 notice compelling him to reveal the identities of his sources. The inquiry has given Mr Mercer until April 5 to provide the information.” – Daily Telegraph
“James Heappey has called for 2.5 per cent of GDP to be “urgently” spent on defence. The outgoing Armed Forces minister made the comments when asked in the Commons whether Labour’s “failure” to commit to spending more than two per cent of GDP on defence presented a bigger risk to the UK’s security than a Conservative government. Mr Heappey, who resigned earlier this month amid growing concerns about the strength of the British military, told MPs: “Absolutely. We should urgently achieve 2.5 per cent of GDP. “The fiscal situation is improving, and the Conservative Party has made that commitment.” He pointed to previous comments by Grant Shapps, the Defence Secretary”. – Daily Telegraph
“I must put my hand up in the furore over women’s pensions, the campaign of the Waspi women (Women Against State Pension Inequality), and last week’s opinion from the ombudsman that compensation of up to £10.5 billion should be awarded to some women who were affected. It was I who created the original scheme — although not the more controversial decisions that came later, I hasten to add — and it was I who gave more notice of a change in people’s financial circumstances than any minister has ever given, probably in the whole history of ministers, governments or pensions.” – The Times
“Michael Gove has promised to overhaul Whitehall to tackle a new form of harassment that an official review found was corroding the social fabric and threatening democracy. Dame Sara Khan, the prime minister’s independent adviser on social cohesion, highlighted on Monday the “shockingly widespread nature” of threats and intimidation, finding that three quarters of people were self-censoring for fear of what she termed “freedom-restricting harassment”. She warned that such intimidation was “poisoning the lifeblood” of British institutions and “creating a pervasively censorious culture antithetical to our democratic way of life”. – The Times
“Michael Gove breached standards rules by failing to register hospitality he enjoyed with a Conservative donor whose company was awarded personal protective equipment contracts during the Covid pandemic, parliament’s sleaze watchdog has found. The housing secretary was placed under investigation last month after the Guardian reported that he failed to register hospitality he received at a Queens Park Rangers football match in August 2021 alongside David Meller, a donor whose firm he had referred to the PPE contracts “VIP lane” for companies with political connections. Meller’s company, Meller Designs, was awarded six PPE contracts worth £164m.” – The Guardian
“Tomorrow the Government is launching its Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill, a legislative attack on the system of leaseholds, in the House of Lords. Why? This is the second wave of an attack which the Conservatives first mounted in 1993, when they allowed leaseholds to be enfranchised. Behind both moves is the claim that leaseholds are “feudal”. Conservatives should be wary of tossing that word about. The feudal system was unequal, but it was at least a network of legal rights and obligations. If the Government is going to wade in, it needs to understand how the existing property rights work and how they might be disrupted by hasty reform.” – Daily Telegraph
“The Conservatives have deleted an online video that used scenes of a panicked crowd at a New York subway station to criticise Sadiq Khan’s record on crime in London. The attack ad, posted on X in support of Susan Hall – Khan’s rival for the London mayoralty, showed people panicking and rushing through New York’s Penn station after false reports of gunfire in 2017. The caption on the video claimed “London under Labour has become a crime capital of the world”, and showed an emoji of a red rose – the symbol of the Labour party – wilting and shedding its petals.” – The Guardian
“A former Tory councillor admitted using hidden cameras to film 28 different women during private moments, a court heard. Robert Holden, 51, installed recording equipment at a property for his own sexual gratification and recorded one victim more than 400 times, a court heard. He secretly filmed his victims showering, bathing, undressing, using the lavatory and engaging in sexual activity. His offending covered 15 years from 2004 until 2020. He will be sentenced in July.” – Daily Telegraph