Category: Tom Tugendhat

Who Could Replace Boris Johnson as UK Prime Minister?

Boris Johnson has announced his resignation as leader of the UK’s ruling Conservative Party. There will now begin a leadership contest for a new Conservative leader, who will become Britain’s next prime minister. Here are some of the potential frontrunners to replace Johnson as prime minister. Rishi Sunak Rishi Sunak served as chancellor of the…


UK Lawmakers Slam Government Role in Afghan Withdrawal ‘Disaster’

Britain’s withdrawal from Afghanistan last year was a “disaster” in which British soldiers and their Afghan allies were “utterly let down by deep failures of leadership” in the UK government, a Parliamentary committee has said. In a damning report (pdf) published on May 24, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons said the…


Chinese Takeover of UK Tech Firm Not Probed Despite Prime Minister’s Pledge: Lawmakers

A security review pledged by Prime Minister Boris Johnson into a Chinese takeover of one of Britain’s biggest microchip factories does not appear to have taken place, a UK parliamentary committee has said. Newport Wafer Fab (NWF), based in Wales, specialises in manufacturing the more advanced compound semiconductors, which is the key technology used in…


British–Iranian Mother Arrives Home After 6 Years Detained in Iran

British–Iranian aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was reunited with her family on Thursday morning, six years after she was detained in Iran. She and Anoosheh Ashoori, another British–Iranian detainee, touched down on British soil at RAF Brize Norton at just after 1 a.m. local time. A video shared on social media showed the emotional homecoming as…


UK Pressured to Speed up Russia Sanctions, Seize Oligarchs’ Assets

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was under pressure to go faster in targeting Russian oligarchs and seizing their assets in Britain. Downing Street said on Thursday it would consider possible changes to speed up the process as ministers sought to apply pressure on Russian president Vladimir Putin over his invasion of Ukraine. Senior Tories called…


Putin’s Nuclear Alert Part of Russia’s ‘Battle of Rhetoric’: UK Defence Chief

Russian President Vladimir Putin putting his nuclear forces on high alert is just a part of the Kremlin’s “battle of rhetoric” rather than a real threat, Britain’s Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said. Putin increased the readiness of Russia’s nuclear weapons on Feb. 27, citing “aggressive statements” from NATO and the financial sanctions imposed in…


Chinese Spy Agency Silences UK University Debates: Lawmaker

A Chinese spy agency has managed to silence debates in British universities, a senior Conservative lawmaker has warned. Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, told the House of Commons on Feb. 10 that China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS), the communist regime’s main intelligence agency, has been working to erode freedoms in UK…


UK Universities May Be Helping China Develop Hi-tech Weapons: Report

British universities have drastically increased their collaboration with institutions linked to the Chinese military and could be helping the communist regime develop hi-tech weaponry, the Times of London has revealed. The number of research collaborations between UK scientists and Chinese institutes with deep connections to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has tripled to more than…


Tory Backbencher Hints Intention to Contest for Leadership If Johnson Loses in a Confidence Vote

A British Conservative backbencher who was reportedly floated as a potential candidate to replace Prime Minister Boris Johnson has indicated on Saturday that he’s willing to run if a leadership contest is triggered. Tom Tugendhat, a former soldier who chairs Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, said it would be a “huge privilege” to become prime…


Top UK Private Schools’ China Franchises Closely Linked to Communist Party: Report

The profitable China franchises of several leading British private schools have close ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), The Times of London has revealed. In the past 15 years, 20 UK schools have made an estimated £67 million ($92 million) from international franchises, most of which are based in China. But according to a…