19 April 2023 , 14:01
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Tory ministers have been accused of failing to act on secret Chinese police stations in the UK where dissidents are told their families are at risk.
A bombshell report in The Times claims that one businessman linked to a "police station" in Croydon has raised money for the Tories and attended events with two former Prime Ministers.
Labour Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper demanded to know whether the Government was staying silent through fear of "political embarrassment".
And former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith questioned why UK authorities haven't acted faster following arrests over similar operations in the US and the Netherlands.
He said opponents of the Chinese government are shown videos of their loved ones and threatened if they do not return to China.
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Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith hit out at the lack of action (AFP via Getty Images)Today The Times reports that a businessman, who was not named in the Commons, had previously attended Chinese Communist Party (CCP) conferences in China.
He is claimed to have served as vice-chairman of a Chinese group which raised cash for the Conservatives and rubbed shoulders with Theresa May and Boris Johnson.
Ms Cooper told MPs: "Other countries have taken visible action, this week two men were arrested by the FBI in New York for suspected operations.
"In the Netherlands similar operations have been shut down. But here in the UK we've heard nothing, no reports of arrests, no reassurance that these operations have been closed down.
"Instead we're told one of the key individuals has been vice chairman of the Chinese group fundraising for the Conservative group association in the City of London and has attended party events attended by two out of the last three Conservative Prime Ministers."
Policing minister Chris Philp said he is unable to comment while the investigation is ongoing (Croydon Advertiser)She demanded to know what links the businessman had with the Conservative Party and the steps taken to close down the "police station".
Ms Cooper said: "The lack of answers will raise grave concerns that the Government isn't addressing the scale of the threat and updating Parliament for fear of party political embarrassment."
And the Labour frontbencher said Home Secretary Suella Braverman - who exited the chamber following Prime Minister's Questions - should have been present to answer questions.
Conservative former leader Iain Duncan Smith voiced his outrage that more wasn't being done to shut down such operations.
He said: "We know that they're bringing Chinese dissidents in. They're confronting them with videos of their families, threatening their families in front of them if they don't co-operate and go to China.
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"We know that,"
He continued: "The question here today is why haven't we acted along with the Americans and the Dutch to kick these people out the country?"
Policing minister Chris Philp told the Commons that he was limited in the answers he could give because it was a live investigation.
He said: "There's a live investigation into this matter, I can't comment on the details of such an investigation while it's still live."
Safeguard Defenders, an organisation highlighting the "police stations" says it has identified around 100 around the world outside China.