‘Chinese stole secrets’ and ‘Andrew, Epstein and me’
The main headline of the Times is: “Whitehall data breach gave secrets to Chinese”China obtained “large amounts” of classified government information through a compromised network used to transfer data across Whitehall. Dominic Cummings, who served as senior adviser to Boris Johnson, told the newspaper that he and the then-prime minister were “informed of the breach” in 2020 but that there was a “cover-up”. The breach was also confirmed by two other Whitehall sources, the newspaper said. The Cabinet Office said it was “untrue to claim that the systems we use to transfer the most sensitive government information have been compromised”.
The Mail writes that there has been “new pressure” on the prime minister following Cummings’ allegations, with Sir Keir Starmer also fighting allegations that the government played a role in the collapse of the case against two men accused of spying for China. Last month, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) unexpectedly dropped charges against two men, Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry, who both denied the allegations.
TelegramIt also leads on to quotes Cummings saying it was “unclear” whether the current government was informed of the breach when it came to power last year. The paper adds that his claims raise new questions about “why the government has not identified Beijing as a national security threat to the UK”On Wednesday night, the government released government-provided statements about the case “amid growing political pressure,” the report said. A photo of 16-year-old Virginia Giuffre also appears on the front page, ahead of the book Nobody’s Daughter, which will be released next week after Guiffre’s death.
The Daily Express has received comments from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who declared at Prime Minister’s Questions earlier on Wednesday that the collapse of the spy case “smelt of a Chinese cover-up”. Conservatives claimed the government did not provide sufficient evidence because it did not want to damage relations with Beijing. However, the Labor government argued that because the alleged crimes took place under the Conservatives, the investigation could be based solely on their attitude towards China at the time. In response to his comments at PMQs, Sir Keir said the government would publish the evidence presented in the now collapsed case.
The Guardian notes that on Wednesday evening, Downing Street released the testimony of three witnesses in the collapsed case of Britain’s deputy national security adviser. Following Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s speech to the International Monetary Fund’s annual meeting on Wednesday, its main headline was: “Budget will increase taxes on the rich to fix public finances.” The Chancellor told the newspaper there would be “no return to austerity” while “hinting” at tax rises for wealthier Britons, although he had previously ruled out introducing a “wealth tax” in his upcoming Budget.
i Paper leads with an exclusive report on a leaked memo which it claims reveals Labor plans to “lower the affordable homes target” in London. The article says developers may only need to hit the 20% target instead of the current 35%; housing experts warn it is a “massive blow to social housing” with a “ripple effect across the UK”.
According to the Financial Times, financiers are alarmed by the “erosion of credit standards”. The newspaper said credit markets were “shaken” following the collapse of conglomerates First Brands Group and Tricolor, after years of lenders “seeking riskier borrowers”.
Thursday’s issue of Sun magazine marks a year since the death of One Direction star Liam Payne and features “unforgettable” photographs which the newspaper claims were taken hours before the singer’s death.
The Mirror claimed PPE Medpro “was owed £145 million…not a penny has been repaid” on Wednesday, amid reports it failed to meet a deadline to repay damages after it was found to have breached its Covid-19 personal protective equipment contact. The newspaper said Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting had promised to go after the company “with everything we have”.
Metro published a news story about a 42-year-old Polish woman who disappeared “without a trace” 27 years ago and was found “emaciated” in her family’s home. The newspaper states that the investigation continues but no charges have been filed.
The Star reported that media star and model Katie Price claimed she was raped by a “well-known British TV star” whom she named at a stage show on Tuesday evening.
