Sunday, September 17, 2023
Have the Chinese infiltrated the Tory Party?
The fuss over a Parliamentary researcher, who has been accused of spying for the Chinese and subsequently arrested, has taken an interesting turn, with the Mirror reporting that the Tories were forced to drop two would-be election candidates after MI5 warned they could be Chinese spies.
Health Minister Maria Caulfield insisted the party acted "swiftly" after receiving intelligence the potential candidates to be MPs could be working covertly for China. "I think whichever party is in government, there will always be those who are trying to target it, either to get information or to influence,” she told Times Radio. “The candidates who the Conservative Party were warned about - swift action was taken and they were removed from the list. They are not standing for election.”
Ms Caulfield said the latest revelations, which come after a parliamentary researcher and Conservative aide was arrested over allegations he was spying for Beijing, show “there are other nations always wanting to infiltrate governments of all parties”. The Security Service warned the Conservatives about two people in 2021 and last year - and advised they should not be on the central list of candidates approved by party headquarters.
MI5 is said to have raised concerns that the pair had links to China's United Front Work Department, a body charged with influencing global opinion, according to The Times. It cited an unnamed source as saying it was made "very clear" to the Conservatives that the candidates "posed a risk". "They were subsequently blocked from the candidates list. They weren't told why," added the insider.
A Conservative Party spokesman said: "When we receive credible information regarding security concerns over potential candidates we act upon them." The claims will fuel debates about the UK's relationship with China following the arrest of the 28-year-old parliamentary researcher - who maintains he is completely innocent - under the Official Secrets Act.
This is of course a twist on the 1950s and 1960s, when a number of Labour MPs were suspected of spying for Russia. Today the threat appears to be China, with another article in the Mirror stating that China’s espionage against the UK is immense and has increased in the past 20 years, with its spies penetrating much of our society.
Health Minister Maria Caulfield insisted the party acted "swiftly" after receiving intelligence the potential candidates to be MPs could be working covertly for China. "I think whichever party is in government, there will always be those who are trying to target it, either to get information or to influence,” she told Times Radio. “The candidates who the Conservative Party were warned about - swift action was taken and they were removed from the list. They are not standing for election.”
Ms Caulfield said the latest revelations, which come after a parliamentary researcher and Conservative aide was arrested over allegations he was spying for Beijing, show “there are other nations always wanting to infiltrate governments of all parties”. The Security Service warned the Conservatives about two people in 2021 and last year - and advised they should not be on the central list of candidates approved by party headquarters.
MI5 is said to have raised concerns that the pair had links to China's United Front Work Department, a body charged with influencing global opinion, according to The Times. It cited an unnamed source as saying it was made "very clear" to the Conservatives that the candidates "posed a risk". "They were subsequently blocked from the candidates list. They weren't told why," added the insider.
A Conservative Party spokesman said: "When we receive credible information regarding security concerns over potential candidates we act upon them." The claims will fuel debates about the UK's relationship with China following the arrest of the 28-year-old parliamentary researcher - who maintains he is completely innocent - under the Official Secrets Act.
This is of course a twist on the 1950s and 1960s, when a number of Labour MPs were suspected of spying for Russia. Today the threat appears to be China, with another article in the Mirror stating that China’s espionage against the UK is immense and has increased in the past 20 years, with its spies penetrating much of our society.
That article says that there may be hundreds in the UK, plus tens of thousands of cyber spooks based in China who are working against the West:
They try to exert influence in China’s favour, find out about individuals and steal scientific and industrial research, as Beijing tries to elbow its way to the top of the world’s pecking order.
One former UK intelligence officer told me: “We have allowed this to happen over the years. We took our eyes off that region, concentrating on the war on terror, but it may not be too late.”
Has the Tory Party been infiltrated? What about the other parties? Maybe we should be told if others have had similar warnings from MI5.
They try to exert influence in China’s favour, find out about individuals and steal scientific and industrial research, as Beijing tries to elbow its way to the top of the world’s pecking order.
One former UK intelligence officer told me: “We have allowed this to happen over the years. We took our eyes off that region, concentrating on the war on terror, but it may not be too late.”
Has the Tory Party been infiltrated? What about the other parties? Maybe we should be told if others have had similar warnings from MI5.
