and that's what this guy, this, this, this tom tugendhat , this, this, this tom tugendhat, he was the. he's like the minister of something and he's the same guy who was letting in the same guy who was letting in the chinese communist. suppose deadly spy guy into the house. into the house of parliament. there's that old story , paul. there's that old story, paul. there's that old story, paul. the old joke is to be young and a conservative lviv is to have no heart but to be to be old and left out is to have no brain . do left out is to have no brain. do you know that? do you know that there's an actual. >> first time i heard it, it wasn't quite delivered like that. it delivered someone. >> make it better. >> you make you make it better. steve, mr no, i don't steve, you're mr no, i don't think want to. think i want to. >> quite enjoyed that. but. >> i quite enjoyed that. but. >> i quite enjoyed that. but. >> was basically >> but. but was i basically right thing? >> and you. yes. no, the >> and if you. yes. no, the point think paul made point is it's i think paul made the realism the poin

, and also alessia _ minister tom tugendhat, and also alessia kearns, who chairs the foreign — alessiaursting back out again in public— row bursting back out again in public within the conservative party over what _ public within the conservative party over what is the appropriate relationship to have with china. the foreign— relationship to have with china. the foreign secretaryjames cleverly was in beijing _ foreign secretaryjames cleverly was in beijing in the last couple of weeks — in beijing in the last couple of weeks and his argument is the uk has to be pragmatic in its dealings with china _ to be pragmatic in its dealings with china. there are other senior figures — china. there are other senior figures like iain duncan smith if it's at— figures like iain duncan smith if it's at the — figures like iain duncan smith if it's at the attitude of the uk has to he _ it's at the attitude of the uk has to be much more cautious, much more hawkish _ to be much more cautious, much more hawkish the _ to be much more cautious, much more hawkish. the context of these arrests — hawkish. the c

chair of the foreign affairs select committee, alicia kearns, people like the security minister, tom tugendhathat this contact was before mr tugendhat had that cabinet role of security minister, but it has raised three key concerns i think. one is about the level of scrutiny and vetting that goes on for parliamentary pass—holders. the other is the level of contact that some mps have with researchers who they perhaps do not know a great deal about, and the third, the big debate that i think is starting to reignite today is about the uk government's position on china, because the uk has been having more contact with china in recent weeks than it has for years. the foreign secretary james cleverly was in beijing just a couple of weeks ago. there are a lot of conservative mps who are furious about that frankly and are going to use this situation, this arrest and the allegation that this man has been arrested over spying claims linked to china, they are going to use that to reignite that debate and say we need a much stricter approach when it comes to the regime in beijing. police in chile have cla

the man accused of working with china had access to a number of senior mps, like tom tugendhat.eir contact was before he became security minister. i think this committee would also. the researcher also knew alicia kearns, who chairs the foreign affairs committee. and it's not the first time chinese influence has been alleged at westminster. mi5 previously named this woman, christine lee, as having established links to the chinese communist party. she had donated to politicians, including labour and lib dem mps. this case will be embarrassing for the politicians who are close to the arrested researcher. it also raises questions about whether parliament's vetting systems are up to scratch. but it's also reigniting a debate, particularly within the conservative party, about the uk's relationship with china. some are concerned that ministers are not taking what they see as serious threats seriously enough. the foreign secretary was in beijing just a fortnight ago, the first meeting with senior chinese officials in five years. there are some who think that was a mistake. there is no

the man accused of working with china had access to a number of senior mps, like tom tugendhat.ought their contact was before he became security minister. i think this committee would also... the researcher also knew alicia kearns, who chairs the foreign affairs committee. and it's not the first time chinese influence has been alleged at westminster. m15 previously named this woman, christine lee, as having established links to the chinese communist party. she had donated to politicians, including labour and lib dem mps. this case will be embarrassing for the politicians who are close to the arrested researcher. it also raises questions about whether parliament's vetting systems are up to scratch. but it's also reigniting a debate, particularly within the conservative party, about the uk's relationship with china. some are concerned that ministers are not taking what they see as serious threats seriously enough. the foreign secretary was in beijing just a fortnight ago, the first meeting with senior chinese officials in five years. there are some who think that was a mistake. th

it's tom tugendhat, who is the security minister, alicia kearns, chairs the kearns, who is chairs the foreign select committee foreign affairs select committee . people who are . and these are people who are very hawkish china. very kind of hawkish on china. yeah and the researcher apparently is very close to or was very close to those two mps. now, i think tom tugendhat people have made it clear that actually once he became security minister, there was no contact with this particular researcher i >> -- >> but then you don't know what the researchers managed to pick up out of of the up out of any of the governmental or other files. >> actually, >> indeed. and actually, although researcher >> indeed. and actually, althouin researcher >> indeed. and actually, althouin parliamentsearcher >> indeed. and actually, althouin parliament aren'tar >> indeed. and actually, althouin parliament aren't so based in parliament aren't so they don't have access to government secrets and that kind of thing. it is somebody who will be well placed to pick up all the gossip. yes that's a key thing. and als

security minister tom tugendhat.mp, alicia kearns, who chairs the foreign affairs select committee. that means that we've got this new row bursting back out again in public within the conservative party over what is an appropriate relationship to have with china. the foreign secretaryjames cleverly was in beijing in the last couple of weeks, his argument is the uk has to be pragmatic in its dealings with china. there are other senior conservative figures — like iain duncan smith, a former party leader — who thinks that the attitude of the uk has to be much more cautious, much more hawkish. and i think the context of these arrests in this report on the sunday times, alongside what we're hearing from the british prime minister in his conversations with the chinese, gives you some sense of the concern at the heart of government about what has happened in recent months. these arrests date back to march. and what it might say about what china is trying to do in terms of interference, in terms of evidence—gathering potenti

the male suspect who's in his late 20s, is understood to have worked alongside security minister tom tugendhat and foreign affairs committee chairwoman alicia kearns . the sunday times is kearns. the sunday times is reporting he was arrested in edinburgh while a second man in his 30s was detained in oxfordshire. both arrests took place the researcher place in march. the researcher worked with mps on international policy , including relations with policy, including relations with china. previously lived china. having previously lived and worked in beijing . and worked in beijing. meanwhile, the police have thanked the for public their role in the recapture of the terror suspect, daniel abed khalif . he was tackled from a khalif. he was tackled from a bicycle on a canal towpath in northolt in west london by a plain clothes officer this morning, having escaped from wandsworth prison on wednesday. police focussed their area on nearby chiswick following a number of reports and sightings. the met's head of counter—terror tourism commander dominic murphy , says the help of the public was vital . was

the male suspect who's in his late 20s, is understood to have worked alongside security minister tom tugendhat and foreign affairs committee chairwoman alicia kearns . the sunday times is kearns. the sunday times is reporting he was arrested in edinburgh while a second man in his 30s was detained in oxfordshire. both arrests took place the researcher place in march. the researcher worked with mps on international policy , including relations with policy, including relations with china. previously lived china. having previously lived and worked in beijing . and worked in beijing. meanwhile, the police have thanked the for public their role in the recapture of the terror suspect, daniel abed khalif . he was tackled from a khalif. he was tackled from a bicycle on a canal towpath in northolt in west london by a plain clothes officer this morning, having escaped from wandsworth prison on wednesday. police focussed their area on nearby chiswick following a number of reports and sightings. the met's head of counter—terror tourism commander dominic murphy , says the help of the public was vital . was

police is the researcher who had links to several senior tory mps, including security minister tom tugendhatreign affairs committee chairwoman alicia kahn. so can we trust the government in vetting its own staff? right. well let's. joining me to discuss senior gb news political commentator nigel nelson and former conservative advisor claire pearsall. i'm going to start with you, claire pearsall straight in there. i mean, you've been advising within what on within these circles what on earth is going on? >> i don't think it's any surprise that the chinese government would want somebody within the uk parliament and i think it's a little bit unfair to blame the government for this one, considering that all of the security checks are done by the security checks are done by the security services . security services. >> that is all handled correctly by those individuals. it does bnng by those individuals. it does bring into question what you're going to look for counter—terrorism . clearance counter—terrorism. clearance will go so far, but not even looking into perhaps somebody's social media hist

you you with tom tugendhat. you you mustn't be naive about about these people. one of the things that has changed in your and my lifetime in politics and in reporting is the influence of the special personal adviser . the special personal adviser. they were just ones or twos here and there in offices when we started off in the 50s and 60s. now it's a culture of its own. do we have that's where the weak point is and something has to be done about it. if we can have a quick answer, is there a problem that we are an open democracy and we welcome people in and this difficulty here this is the difficulty here that we've been to trusting, to sort of open. >> is what it is? know >> is that what it is? we know china's wanted to sort of be a world force, both in technology and finance, that our and finance, is that our problem, esther ? problem, esther? >> be your problem. it's >> it may be your problem. it's my glory. think it's a very, my glory. i think it's a very, very good thing. and i think that without being that this is without being smug, we comfort ourselves. y

, who >> and also tom tugendhat, who is who was a front is a minister who was a front runner the newt to grant shapps. who it went to grant shapps. who knows defence. knows nothing about defence. toucan was linked to this toucan heart was linked to this alleged spy in china through no fault of his own because he would have employed him because he thought he was an expert on the subject. so maybe. the subject. right. so maybe. maybe tugendhat maybe that's why tugendhat didn't the didn't get the job, because the prime minister have known prime minister would have known about of this person about the arrest of this person in march. so it's a very murky story with lots more to unravel. >> and that will be unravelling at half past nine. well, andrew with bev turner, thank you very much . much. >> now, so many of you have been getting in touch after our debate about dangerous dogs. so we'll be showing you some of you've all been so good today . you've all been so good today. >> and one item that we've been discussing in particular has caught your attention and that is dangerous dogs. and w

a the allegation of there being a chinese spy within parliament, having access to mps such as tom tugendhatlegation? tim i'm not sure whether tim can hear us. can you hear us? tim no, we've lost him. i think we've lost him. we're going to try and i think he's there. >> tim, are you there? >> tim, are you there? >> i'm here. i can hear you. can you hear me? yeah. >> bev was just saying. yeah. how seriously should we take this in the this allegation? right in the heart government working heart of government working closely kearns as closely with alicia kearns as the foreign the chairman of the foreign affairs select committee linked to tugendhat, of to tom tugendhat, who, of course, is a great hawk on china , as are you. , as are you. >> , as are you. >> this is really this is really serious. well i don't think i'm a great hawk on china. i was sanctioned, contrary to what you said earlier, andrew, because i got up with a number of colleagues and called out the human rights abuses on a massive scale that china has been committing. and called for changes to legislation to reflect that. if that

his access to tom tugendhat, the security minister, was severed last september when tugendhat ran forthe though he got too close to any tory fact ministers. but the though he got too close to any tory fact it�*ninisters. but the though he got too close to any tory fact it happened3ut the though he got too close to any tory fact it happened does|e very fact it happened does suggest that it could happen again. it sounds as though this man has has been in his job for quite a long and did go quite a long time and it did go on notice. so perhaps this time we shouldn't be too worried. but next time, who knows? >> olivia utley superb as ever. okay, what my panel okay, let's see what my panel make of of course i'm make of this. of course i'm still joined by the co—founder at media, aaron bastani at novara media, aaron bastani and former brexit party mep ben habib . let's start with you, habib. let's start with you, aaron, on this one. should we be concerned about the chinese getting their claws into westminster ? westminster? >> well, concern a is a big >> well, concern is a is a big word. i

he is completely innocent — he has links with at least two senior tories — now security minster tom tugendhatbefore last to meet senior chinese officials. nick's here. quite a number of people, including senior tories, say the uk should designate china as a threat. what does it mean?— designate china as a threat. what does it mean? ~ ., , . ., does it mean? what difference would it make? that — does it mean? what difference would it make? that is _ does it mean? what difference would it make? that is a _ does it mean? what difference would it make? that is a question _ does it mean? what difference would it make? that is a question liz - it make? that is a question liz truss put to the deputy prime minister oliver dowden in the commons this afternoon and she said, do you agree china is the largest threat to the world and the uk on freedom and democracy? oliver dowden praised herfor her work in freedom and democracy? oliver dowden praised her for her work in this area as prime minister but then gave area as prime minister but then gave a bit of a noncommittal answer, he said we will continue t

several tory mps, including foreign affairs committee chairwoman alicia kearns and security minister tom tugendhat . both mps denied any contact with the researcher . the prime with the researcher. the prime minister says if this is true, it's totally unacceptable . it's totally unacceptable. >> all right, approach is to engage with people , but to raise engage with people, but to raise the concerns that we have. that's what our allies do and our strategy is completely augned our strategy is completely aligned with our closest allies, whether that's america, canada , whether that's america, canada, australia, japan, you know, all these countries engage with china, raise is areas of disagreement. as i did today on a different a range of different topics, but in particular to register my very strong concern about any interference with parliamentary democracy, which is obviously unacceptable . is obviously unacceptable. >> all the justice secretary says around 40 inmates have been moved out from wandsworth prison amid an investigation into daniel khalife escape . the daniel khalife escape. the former

tory mps not to name the suspected china spy in the commons amid backlash at security minister tom tugendhat senior mp alicia kearns over links. so a lot of people have reacted to this and saying it's an affront democracy and they shouldn't be told what they do. >> i mean, obviously this is still alleged. we don't know what's actually going on. the person named was arrested back in march, but has said that they are innocent. so we've certainly seen that name. >> this that name is not now being mentioned in the copy, certainly on the front page. but we saw a person identified a couple of days ago. i won't say who it was. i can't even remember who it was. there remember who it was. but there was photograph and was definitely a photograph and a so on. a name given and so on. so they're kind of ing from that. >> yeah, they're kind of going back on themselves. it doesn't really much sense, but this really make much sense, but this is tack that they're is now the tack that they're taking that are not to taking that you are not to mention but funnily mention it, but funnily enough, he's said to tor

links to a number senior tory links to a number of senior tory mps, including security minister tom tugendhatth another man on the 13th of march. the researcher worked with mps on international policy , including relations with policy, including relations with china . having previously lived china. having previously lived and worked in beijing . the and worked in beijing. the police have thanked the public for their role

. >> he worked, we know, with tom tugendhat, who's now the security minister, was seen potentially asdefence secretary. one wonders now if that's why he didn't get the job, because this bloke was arrested in march. astonishing. it didn't come out before. he also with kearns, also worked with alicia kearns, the the foreign affairs the head of the foreign affairs select committee. these are powerful, people . powerful, influential people. could they potentially have given him classified information i >>i -- >> i don't know what information he had access to, and i wouldn't want to speculate . but i have want to speculate. but i have a very high regard for both tom tugendhat and alicia kearns who've been really leading voices in pointing out for a long time both the threat that china poses to our freedoms and indeed speaking out on the human rights crisis in china, including hong kong . so i'm including hong kong. so i'm quite certain that they will as soon as they realise there was a problem, they would have been very robust in in in rooting out the source of that problem. and i wouldn't

links to a number senior tory links to a number of senior tory mps, including security minister tom tugendhat and foreign affairs committee chairwoman alicia kearns. he was arrested along with another man on the 13th of march. the researcher worked with mps on international policy , including relations with policy, including relations with china . having previously lived china. having previously lived and worked in beijing . the and worked in beijing. the police have thanked the public for their role in the recapture of terror suspect daniel calef. he was tackled from a bicycle on a canal towpath in northolt, west london, by a plainclothes officer earlier today. having escaped from wandsworth prison on wednesday, police focussed their search on nearby chiswick following a number of reports and sightings. following a number of reports and sightings . as the met's head and sightings. as the met's head of counter—terrorism commander dominic murphy, said as the help of the public was vital. >> we've had a significant number of counter—terrorism detectives working on this and officers and staff fr

and this man, it said, had access to senior conservative mps, including tom tugendhat, before he became. just last year m15 had a warning about the influence of a lawyer linked to china. i think this will prompt broader questions about uk policy towards china. james cleverly, the foreign secretary, justin beijing last week in a very controversial visit for some tory mps. last week in a very controversial visit for some tory mp5. i think they are likely to be pretty vocal about what that means and what it should mean for uk policy towards beijing. should mean for uk policy towards bei'inu. . ~ should mean for uk policy towards bei'inu. ., ~' ,, should mean for uk policy towards bei'inu. ., ,, i. ., , beijing. thank you, tony. after a glorious _ beijing. thank you, tony. after a glorious weekend | beijing. thank you, tony. l after a glorious weekend of beijing. thank you, tony. _ after a glorious weekend of sunshine in many parts of the uk, will it continue? sarah has the details. how is it looking?— how is it looking? well, it is not lookin: how is it looking? well, it is not looking too

got close to only security close to not only the security minister, tugendhat , but minister, tom tugendhatwhat actual jobs they were doiiresearch will have >> research hours and will have been able to access a complete a host of information? >> i think what's interesting about minister making about the prime minister making the point so before he did this clip, his spokesman made it clear those the plane, clear to those on the plane, including chris and others, including chris hope and others, that, you know, the that, oh, yes, you know, the prime taken up prime minister has taken this up with li, who is with the premier li, who is obviously of obviously xi jinping's kind of right hand man. that's interesting. in itself because i think the prime minister has sort of tried to rescue this trip. look, it's some trip. look, it's provided some great . he's there great photographs. he's there with wife, but he hasn't with his wife, but he hasn't come with a trade deal, not come back with a trade deal, not much has happened. but if much news has happened. but if he china and he looks he takes on

we were talking about penny mordaunt, tom tugendhat, even at one point. even johnny mercer at one pointi think people have written him off before. i work grant him off before. i work for grant very a long time ago and very briefly a long time ago and he think he always bounces back. i think he's surprise people on he's going to surprise people on the has laid the upside. ben wallace has laid a foundation and not to be a great foundation and not to be too much of a suck up, i think he's going a great job and he's going to do a great job and people a chance. he's going to do a great job and peookay. a chance. >> okay. >> okay. >> james price, thank you >> well, james price, thank you very much for talking us through. remarkable we through. and it's remarkable. we booked , obviously, booked james price, obviously, before we knew what the big stories of today would be. and he just slotted all his he just slotted all of his previous jobs government just he just slotted all of his prepreciselys governmentjust he just slotted all of his preprecisely . government just he just slotted all of his