Opportunities to do useful spying (as opposed to covert PR) in the employ of a backbench MP seem extremely limited. Doing the politicians’ thinking for them, on the other hand…
If Truss is set on rewriting the Integrated Review, she will need bandwidth at the top of govenment to do so effectively, given the awesome scale of the economic challenges facing her.
What is less recognised is the way in which David Cameron’s Government decided, not without risk to the Conservatives’ electoral prospects in some key marginals, to withhold patronage and money from some Muslim organisations that, fitfully, had gained both under Labour.
Universities need heavier scrutiny. Owners must be identified. Media backed by regimes that restrict freedom should be denied broadcast licenses.
The UK and governments across the west have started to act. But we’re still just starting to figure out how to respond.
It’s striking that the countries that did best during Covid are those, like Taiwan and South Korea, which live under threat of annihilation by their neighbours.
There’s a case for empowering our courts to make a genocide ruling over the Uighars. But not for giving them a veto on trade deals in doing so.
We deceived ourselves into thinking that as China grew richer, its political system would become more democratic.
As the great eye of the Conservative Party swivels its gaze towards the Far East, it’s in danger of missing other threats that are closer to home.
It is our third largest market – we must work with it if we are to help resolve global problems from the environment to nuclear proliferation.
Groups of MPs are able to beat their jungle drums into a frenzy. And the powers-that-be have limited capacity to quieten them.
The Chinese Communist Party doesn’t really believe in free or fair markets and has a strategy based on domination, not fair competition.
Our next prime minister must convert tough talk about the CCP and its abuses into sustained, serious action.