Starmer on brink of Labour revolt over shocking China betrayal | Politics | News
Sir Keir Starmer could face civil war in the Labor Party over his “act of self-sabotage” to approve China’s super embassy, a Conservative MP has suggested. Ministers this week gave the green light to Beijing’s application to transform the former Royal Mint building near the Tower of London into a sprawling 22,000 square meter embassy despite security concerns.
Appearing in the latest episode of the Daily Expresso podcast, Conservative MP Esther McVey criticized the Government for approving the plan and said many Labor Party members had reservations. He told host JJ Anisiobi: “All sections of the House were unhappy. In fact, a lot of the Labor Party people were talking about the rights of people like Uyghurs, Tibetans, people who had fled Hong Kong to come here because the Chinese government was spying on them, sort of going after them.”
He added: “So they [Labour MPs] “It was as if we were trying to protect the rights of these people.”
Last week, a group of nine Labor MPs wrote a letter urging the Government to reject China’s mega embassy plan, citing security concerns.
They said they had “significant and unresolved” concerns about the proposal.
Campaigners and MPs from across the political spectrum have expressed fears that the central London site could be used by Beijing as a base for espionage and security measures.
Residents living near the future embassy have vowed to continue to challenge the Government’s approval of the plans.
Critics have raised concerns about the secret rooms proposed for the site, as well as its proximity to communications cables essential for the UK’s financial sector.
Security minister Dan Jarvis said he was “assured that UK national security is protected” and that the risks posed by the new embassy were “appropriately managed”, while the heads of MI5 and GCHQ said the intelligence agencies were putting together a “national security mitigation package”.
Security services are reportedly preparing plans to move important internet cables away from the Royal Mint Court.
Ms McVey said the embassy’s confirmation was a factor in why this week had been “one of the most shameful weeks in British politics”.
Ms McVey said: “This was the week Labor voted to weaken our nation by dismantling our national security, and they voted to attack our veterans, our Army veterans, through the front door, through the back door and at the same time.”
The Conservative MP likened the Chinese embassy to a “Trojan horse” and accused the Prime Minister of “tearing apart” the UK.
“We’re weakened in every way. We’re financially weakened, and now we’re weakened because we’re taking money from what could be our national threat, and they’re going to take us from the inside.”
You can listen to Daily Expresso on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.
