Government has quietly delayed new security law
seen by MI5 as key to tackling overseas threats may have been taken due to “institutional resistance” in Whitehall against being too tough on China,The new Labour Government on Monday delayed the scheme – which would force individuals working at the direction of foreign powers to register with the security services – to next year at the earliest.
But the new Labour Government has not committed to placing China in the so-called “enhanced” tier of the scheme, which would mean the toughest checks apply. Current Government sources have denied suggestions of Cabinet or Whitehall splits over the scheme, insisting that it has only been delayed due to the election and that the scheme has not yet reached “write round” stage, when concerns would be formally raised by other departments.
They also said the election was not an excuse for a delay as the scheme had been slated by the previous government for launching in September and October, with regulations only taking six weeks of parliamentary time.meanwhile understands that that senior China watchers within Labour are seeing the delay as part of the party’s more pragmatic approach to Beijing, outlined by Foreign Secretary David Lammy in his article on “progressive realism” for Foreign Affairs magazine earlier this year.
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