Foreign spies make 10,000 attempts to target British members of public, reveals MI5 chief Kim Sengupta © PA
MI5 chief Ken McCallum pictured at the Counter-Terrorism Operations Centre (CTOC) in West Brompton, London in June. - PA
Foreign spies are not only targeting the government but also the British public, the head of MI5 has warned, with more than 10,000 attempts tracked by the agency.
Individuals with no links to official institutions “are not immune to the tentacles of hostile activity” and need to be concerned about the covert activities of some foreign states which will affect them, according to directory-general of the agency, Ken McCallum.
'You don't have to be scared, but be switched on': Britons being targeted by foreign spies, MI5 warns
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First phase of new state-of-the-art counter terror centre opens in London
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The UK is set to shift its focus from Europe to the Indo-Pacific region as part of a planned revamp of its foreign, trade and defence policy announced on Tuesday (16 March), which made scarce references to a future EU-UK security relationship.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson told UK lawmakers on Tuesday that the country needed to “relearn the art of competing against states with opposing values” and described the UK’s new Integrated Review, which encompasses defence, foreign affairs, trade and development policy, as the most comprehensive since the Cold War.
However, despite the shift towards South-East Asia, which will involve the UK applying to join the Trans-Pacific free trade agreement this year, the review – entitled “Global Britain in a Competitive Age”- states that China represents the biggest state-based threat to the UK, labelling it a “systemic competitor”.
Published on: Wednesday, March 17, 2021
By: AFP
Johnson
LONDON: Britain on Tuesday was to unveil what the government says is its biggest overhaul of security, defence and foreign policy since the end of the Cold War, as it seeks greater opportunities beyond the European Union post-Brexit.
The conclusions of the Integrated Review will include recommendations on how best to deal with new and emerging threats, including from Russia and China.
It was also to notably announce an increase to the country’s nuclear arsenal, according to reports which have enraged disarmament campaigners.
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The Guardian and The Sun newspapers said Britain was looking to raise the number of warheads from 180 to 260 by the middle of the decade.