Spineless / Keir Starmer will regret approving China's new mega-embassy |
Keir Starmer is poised to give the go-ahead for China’s new mega-embassy near the Tower of London – the biggest diplomatic mission in Europe and a ‘nest of spies’ in the eyes of its opponents. But this will not be the end of the story. A legal challenge seems certain to follow, and the decision will be seen by critics as further evidence of Starmer trying to cosy up to Beijing at the expense of national security. In addition, the timing could not be worse, given the turbulence in geopolitics and strained relations with Trump’s America.
The decision is expected as early as today, with Starmer claiming Britain’s intelligence agencies have raised no formal objections. This is in spite of the embassy’s proximity to sensitive fibre optic cables servicing the City of London and the reported existence of dozens of secret rooms, including an underground chamber in close proximity to the cables.
Starmer’s decision to give permission for the build was supported at the weekend by Ciaran Martin, the respected former head of GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre. He argued that MI5 and GCHQ would have been asked to make highly classified assessments of the risks and would not allow the project to go ahead if the risks were unmanageable. He also played down revelations about the secret rooms, saying all embassies had secure areas for conducting sensitive business.
Ministers have tied themselves in knots over describing China as a threat – even though it evidently is
This may be the case, but this is also an increasingly hostile China, with a proven track record of rampant cyber (and other) espionage and intimidation of overseas opponents. Hong Kong exiles, who were out in force on Saturday at a protest outside Royal Mint Court, where the embassy will be built, are especially concerned that they might be targeted and that secret detention facilities are being prepared in the bowels of the building.
The geopolitical sensitivities surrounding the........