Latest Sunday Times story on collapsed China spy trial here:

Central question govt still refuses to answer is why deputy national security advisor Matthew Collins refused to give CPS what they wanted - a statement that China is a “current” threat”.thetimes.com/uk/politics/ar… The claim that Collins’ failure to provide such a statement was because it was not the previous (Tory) government’s position has been thoroughly debunked by legal experts. One retired Supreme Court judge told me it was “absolute rubbish” and “baseless in law”.

Exclusive: Arron Banks, the multimillionaire businessman who helped fund the Brexit campaign, is unable to attend his own £150,000 party celebrating Donald Trump’s return to the White House after he was denied entry to the United States.

thetimes.com/uk/article/arr… The tycoon, 59, who is close to Nigel Farage and donated more than £8 million to the Leave campaign in 2016, was due to host 300 guests at the lavish “Stars and Stripes and Union Jack Party” on the ­rooftop of the historic Hay-Adams Hotel in Washington this Friday night.

THREAD: This is a response to claims by @lucyfrazermp that the government must wait for the final report by the Infected Blood Inquiry to be published next year before setting out a compensation framework. 1.Sir Brian Langstaff, the chair of the inquiry, has already published his final recommendations on compensation. He said a compensation scheme should be established immediately and begin its work this year.

BREAKING: Jeremy Hunt has been caught in a secret recording during a private meeting with Tory activists suggesting that Sunak will call a general election once inflation has fallen below three per cent - giving the strongest hint yet that a poll will be held next autumn. Hunt said: “I'm not wanting to give away anything about the date of the next election - not that I know -  but the Bank of England says this time next year it will be three per cent. So I think the electorate will have a very strong sense of a party that has taken…

BREAKING: A British parliamentary researcher has been arrested on suspicion of spying for China in what is alleged to be one of the most damaging breaches of security involving a hostile state at Westminster. W @HarryYorke1 @DipeshGadher @ShippersUnbound

thetimes.co.uk/article/britis… The male suspect, who is in his late 20s, is understood to be linked to a number of senior Tory MPs, including several who are privy to classified or highly sensitive information.

BREAKING:

Downing Street figures lobbied Sue Gray to dilute her report on the parties scandal and anonymise some of the key players.

thetimes.co.uk/article/muzzle… On the eve of Wednesday’s publication, three civil servants tried to persuade her not to ID some partygoers at illicit gatherings in No 10 and elsewhere in Whitehall.

Simon Case, the cabinet secretary, Samantha Jones, the permanent secretary at No 10, and…

BREAKING – Nusrat Ghani responds to Downing Street statement re Islamaphobia at top of Conservative Party.

“When I told PM in June 2020 what had been said to me in the Government Whips’ Office I urged him to take it seriously as a Government matter and instigate an inquiry… /1 “He wrote to me that he could not get involved and suggested I use the internal Conservative Party complaint process. This, as I had already pointed out, was very clearly not appropriate for something that happened on Government business…” /2

Breaking: Investigation by @thesundaytimes exposes drug culture in Parliament as cocaine discovered across the estate. Sniffer dogs could be deployed under a new crackdown. Priti Patel says: “There is no place in our society for drugs and certainly not in our parliament”. Patel added: “Those who have have the privilege to work at the heart of our democracy who are involved in drug use or distribution are utterly divorced from the heartless pain and suffering of the drug trade they are fuelling.”@pritipatel

THREAD on Downing Street involvement in European Super League, from multiple sources.

Man Utd boss Ed Woodward met Dan Rosenfield, No10 chief of staff, on Wed of last week. Rosenfield also MU fan. No10 claim meeting was to discuss safe return of fans and Covid certification.../1 Rosenfield understood to have told Woodward that Downing Street wd not stand in way of SL plan. It is alleged this was done without consulting PM. No10 claim ESL not raised at the meeting - surprising given clubs preparing plans, under instruction from CEOs, from April 13... /2