London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Ministers demand answers on the alleged Chinese spy with connection to Prince Andrew, alleging the government of being too soft on China and ignoring to protect national security.
A prominent China-sceptic MP has warned that an unknown Chinese spy who built close ties with Prince Andrew is just “the tip of the iceberg” of Beijing’s infiltration attempts in Britain.
Sir Iain Duncan Smith, former Tory leader, criticized Labour as a “weak” government for avoiding criticising China, while shadow foreign minister Priti Patel called for transparency in the alleged spy case, adding, “we cannot turn a blind eye.”
Mr Smith said Sir Starmer’s initiatives to build ties with Beijing reflected Britain “showing a massive amount of weakness to China.”
He is seeking urgent Commons questions to ask ministers about the issue, if Smith’s question is approved by the speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, there is a chance that other MPs, especially from Reform UK, might publicly name the alleged spy, known only as H6 under a UK court order.
A Chinese businessman who spent his time in both China and Britain and became a close confidant of the Duke of York and was expelled in 2023. The Home Office officials accused him of “covert and deceptive activity” for the United Front Work Department (UFWD), linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) state apparatus.
As reported by the Independent, the shadow home secretary, Chris Philp stated, “The spy should be named – I hope the court changes or cancels their anonymity order. There may be other people who have had contact with that person.”
Lord Patten, the final governor of Hong Kong, criticized the UK’s leadership for being “too soft” on China and urged MPs to clarify their stance. Meanwhile, Yvette Cooper, Home Secretary, defended Britain’s approach as “complex,” balancing economic ties with a “very strong approach” to national security.
Reports reveal the Chinese businessman also met Baroness May, a second former prime minister, and displayed pictures of both leaders in his London office.
Prince Andrew’s connection with the alleged spy became another scandal this week, following the man’s expulsion from the UK over national security threats.
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, has stated to the Independent that he might publicly name the business, identified only as H6, on Wednesday if the courts remain unresponsive.
He insisted that his party could use parliamentary privilege, which gives MPs legal authority to disclose the man’s name in the House of Commons.
According to Home Office minister Dame Angela Eagle, the man only known as H6 was considered a threat particularly due to his link with Prince Andrew, which led to his expulsion from Britain.
Ms Eagle stressed that she cannot disclose any details about him due to security and intelligence reasons, as it’s a confidential matter and courts have made decisions on this.
However, she urged the leader of Reform UK to be very careful before using legislative immunity to reveal the man’s name.
Speaking to The Independent, Sir Iain said his urgent question would be, “What do ministers know, and will they take action?”
He also criticized the Home Secretary, for making a very weak statement, suggesting that dealing with China involves risks.
Andy Burnham, Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester, called headlines of Lord Cameron meeting the unknown spy in Number 10 10 as a “major security breach.”
Jemimah Steinfeld, CEO of Index on Censorship and China expert, described the case as a “wake-up call” for the British country.
Local government minister Jim McMahon stated that the judgement to name the unknown spy is “a matter for the courts” and urged MPs not to act prematurely over this issue.
The ruling from the court this month confirmed the businessman’s exclusion from the UK, the judge said he had “gained a significant degree, one could say an unusual degree, of trust from a senior member of the royal family who was ready to enter into business with him.”