Tory rebels vow to continue opposing Chinese involvement in 5G network
Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has narrowly avoided defeat over the Huawei deal in the first Tory rebellion since last December’s general election.
The rebellion by a group of Tory MPs was led by former Conservative party leader, Iain Duncan Smith.
Firms classified as "high-risk vendors" by the National Cyber Security Centre should be removed entirely from the UK's digital infrastructure #Huawei https://t.co/6OHWOGpKvt
— Iain Duncan Smith MP (@MPIainDS) March 10, 2020
The rebels put forward an amendment to the Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill to try to prevent Huawei’s involvement in Britain’s 5G network on national security grounds.
The proposed amendment would have obliged the government to ban foreign firms classified as “high-risk vendors” by the GCHQ-linked National Cyber Security Centre, from any participation in the country’s 5G network by December 31, 2022.
In the end the rebels were narrowly defeated in the House of Commons by 306 votes to 282.
The government’s close shave illustrates the intense controversy generated by the Chinese technology giant’s involvement in the UK’s 5G network.
In late January, Johnson decided to allow Huawei to participate in the development of the national 5G network, albeit with tight restrictions.
As part of these severe restrictions, the Chinese technology giant was banned from the core of the network and allowed to supply only 35 percent of the equipment to the network’s periphery.
In addition, Huawei was banned from operating in areas close to critical national infrastructure, including military bases and nuclear sites.
The PM’s decision was not only controversial within the Tory party but it also attracted international opposition, notably from the US which has banned Huawei from operating in America.
Despite their defeat today, the Tory rebels are not expected to give up. Leading British defence and national security experts are claiming that just five more rebellious Tories are needed to torpedo government legislation in this area next summer.
💥 Wow... just five (!!) more Tories needed (plus all oppo MPs) to defeat the government on Huawei in 5G. 💥
— Lucy Fisher (@LOS_Fisher) March 10, 2020
A majority of 80 no longer looks insurmountable...
Gvt's concessions - which did not include a firm timetable on Huawei ban - clearly did not pass muster with rebels. https://t.co/A1akDYuLBE
To that end, leading Tory rebel, Tom Tugendhat, has tweeted his determination to continue to oppose the PM’s decision to involve the Chinese in Britain’s 5G network.
I’m opposed to the government’s decision on Huawei’s involvement in our telecoms. There are alternatives as Australia, France, Czech Republic and even Vietnam show. There’s no point in taking back control from Brussels only to hand it over to Beijing. pic.twitter.com/FjcpMI0ZTS
— Tom Tugendhat (@TomTugendhat) March 10, 2020
The determination of the Tory rebels means that this issue has become a war of nerves between national security hawks and doves in the Tory party.
PM Johnson will find it increasingly hard to strike a balance between these rival ideological camps.
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