Confusion and delay still at heart of Labour’s China strategy Politics We don’t have long to wait before Andy Burnham reveals his Ten-Year Plan. Early reports suggest it will be broken into three themes: growing up, getting on and growing old. I wish I was making that up, but it seems the PM really is putting the finishing touches to a ‘cradle to the grave’ strategy [...]
‘Expect to be spied on’: MI5 chief warns UK tech startups over foreign threats Tech British tech startups should expect to be targeted by foreign spies, the head of MI5 has warned, as the security service ramps up efforts to tackle cyberattacks and the growing national security risks posed by AI. Sir Ken McCallum, director general of MI5, has urged British businesses to strengthen their cyber defences, warning that hostile [...]
The unhelpful nationalism of ‘Buy British’ in defence Opinion Hyperfixating on where a defence company happens to be registered will leave Britain on the back foot, writes Paul Jenkinson.
Iranian hackers behind UK energy plant attack August 23, 2026 An attack on an energy facility which was shut down for four days last month was carried out by hackers linked to the Iranian regime. The cyberattack, which is believed to be the first time Iranian-affiliated hackers have successfully infiltrated a UK energy facility, shutting it down. A government spokesperson for the Department for Energy [...]
Trump ban on AI access to foreign users forces Anthropic to suspend models June 13, 2026 President Trump has banned non-American nationals from accessing Anthropic’s newest AI model, forcing the company to suspend the model for all users. Anthropic, which is the maker of Claude, said the US government cited national security for its banning order before it pulled Fable 5 and Mythos 5 from use. The decision has raised concern [...]
No prosperity without national security January 5, 2026 National security is the cornerstone on which all successful economies are built. It is the protective layer around both our society and our economy, and it is what enables economic activity to thrive, says Brandon Lewis The UK is facing the greatest threat to its national security in the past 30 years. There are Russian [...]
Why are we even considering China’s ‘super-embassy’? October 27, 2025 One day the story of China’s “super-embassy”, whether it is built or not, will be the subject of book-length investigative reporting that wins prizes, writes Eliot Wilson.
Jonathan Powell urged to answer questions on Chinese spy case in public October 13, 2025 National security adviser Jonathan Powell has been urged to answer questions on the collapse of a Chinese spy case in public, with the government doubling down on its defence that it did not subvert the trial to maintain diplomatic ties with Beijing. Powell is set to appear before a private committee in parliament to answer [...]
China’s London mega-embassy plan in limbo amid site security fears October 12, 2025 China’s plans for a new mega-embassy in central London have been thrown into doubt amid mounting national security concerns that the proposed site sits directly above critical fibre-optic cables linked to the UK’s financial networks. The £750m project at Royal Mint Court, the former home of Britain’s coin-maker, located next to the Tower of London, [...]
Contradiction at the heart of National Security Strategy June 25, 2025 The situation in the Middle East reminds us that these are volatile times and as the war in Ukraine grinds on, an unpredictable US President heads to the Hague for a crucial Nato summit where the security of Europe is on the table. At home, the government has published its National Security Strategy which concludes [...]