How the China spy scandal could bring down Keir Starmer

It’s the fourth anniversary of the murder of Sir David Amess, the Conservative MP who was killed by an Islamic State sympathiser during a surgery in his Southend constituency. At Prime Minister’s Questions this lunchtime, Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute to a “much-loved”, “kind” and “generous” man and talked of the “huge loss” many across the house still feel.Watching on from her home in Los Angeles was Sir David’s daughter, Katie, and she tells Camilla Tominey and Tim Stanley on today’s Daily T of her disgust at hearing the Prime Minister paying such a fulsome tribute when he’d “ignored (her) letters” and had been “so disrespectful” after she’d “pleaded with him to hold an inquiry” into the failings that allowed Sir David’s murderer to slip through the net.Camilla and Tim also reflect on the questions that still need to be answered about the China spying scandal, as well as Sir Keir calling for a calming of the political rhetoric whilst simultaneously accusing Reform of being “Kremlin cronies”.► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorProducers: Georgia Coan and Hugo Verelst-WaySenior Producer: John CadiganVideo Producer: Will WaltersStudio Operator: Meghan SearleExecutive Producer: Charlotte SeligmanSocial Producer: Nada AggourEditor: Camilla Tominey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Government is under huge pressure to explain why the high-profile trial of two men accused of spying for China collapsed just weeks before it was due to begin.Former parliamentary researcher Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry were charged under the Official Secrets Act, accused of gathering sensitive information for Beijing between December 2021 and February 2023. Both men have always maintained their innocence. Now, ministers face mounting criticism after the Crown Prosecution Service said the case failed because key evidence linking China to national security threats was never provided. In today’s episode of The Daily T, Camilla and Jacob Rees-Mogg discuss how a collapsed spy case could spell serious trouble for Starmer’s Government. We’re also joined by Tory MP Tom Tugendhat who points out that his party repeatedly described China as a threat to the country whilst in Government. And should Westminster really be deciding how people discipline their own children? As acting legend Michael Caine and the former England footballer Alan Shearer join calls for Keir Starmer to ban smacking, Camilla and JRM share their own experiences of disciplining their children (and you might be surprised by Jacob’s response).► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorProducers: Georgia CoanSenior Producer: John CadiganVideo Producer: Will WaltersStudio Operator: Meghan SearleExecutive Producer: Charlotte SeligmanSocial Producer: Nada AggourEditor: Camilla Tominey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's Daily T, we bring you an exclusive interview with former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.Boris joined us in the studio on the 100th anniversary of the birth of Margaret Thatcher, and he makes the case for why he was right to follow the science over Covid lockdowns, why Kemi Badenoch is the best person to lead the Conservatives and how the current Prime Minister has "made no difference" over the war in Gaza - comparing his recogntition of a Palestinian state to a "fart in a gale".Camilla and Tim also grill him over the record levels of immigration during his premiership, ask whether the China spy story could bring down "hyprocrite" Starmer and he explains why he's worried by Reform leader Nigel Farage's previous warm words about Vladimir Putin.We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] or find @dailytpodcast on TikTok, Instagram and X► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorProducers: Georgia Coan and Hugo Verelst-WaySenior Producer: John CadiganVideo Producer: Will WaltersStudio Operator: Meghan SearleExecutive Producer: Charlotte SeligmanSocial Producer: Nada AggourEditor: Camilla Tominey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paul Burrell – former servant of the British Royal household and personal butler to Diana, Princess of Wales – joins Camilla and Tim in the Daily T studio to discuss his revealing new book The Royal Insider.Burrell spent over a decade serving Queen Elizabeth II before working for King Charles III and Diana at Highgrove. He opens up about life behind palace walls, including extraordinary private moments with the late Queen and the Princess. He recalls the Queen’s candid private moments, alleged details about her health, and a furious confrontation with Charles over lying to Diana. He also shares what really happened on the night his beloved Diana died and how the monarch helped him avoid prison.We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] or find @dailytpodcast on TikTok, Instagram and X► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorProducers: Lilian Fawcett and Georgia CoanSenior Producer: John CadiganVideo Producer: Will WaltersStudio Operator: Meghan SearleExecutive Producer: Charlotte SeligmanSocial Producer: Nada AggourEditor: Camilla Tominey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was an astonishing moment in the White House last night, as Donald Trump was interrupted by his secretary of state Marco Rubio during a press conference discussing radical ‘Antifa’ groups with some major news - a peace deal in Gaza was close to being struck.If Trump can pull off peace in the region, then calls for him to win the Nobel Peace Prize, which happens to be announced on Friday, will only grow louder.On today’s Daily T podcast, we speak to Gili Roman, whose sister Yarden was amongst the first hostages to be released by Hamas in November 2023, Israeli deputy foreign minister Sharren Haskel, and Trump’s great friend Piers Morgan who all agree on one thing - the President must win it.► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorWe want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] or follow @dailytpodcast on Instagram, TikTok and XProducers: Lilian Fawcett and Hugo Verelst-WaySenior Producer: John CadiganVideo Producer: Will WaltersStudio Operator: Meghan SearleExecutive Producer: Charlotte SeligmanSocial Producer: Nada AggourEditor: Camilla Tominey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the final day of Conservative conference, Kemi Badenoch has pulled out a speech that could well save the Tories.Camilla and Tim say the performance secured Badenoch's job (at least for now), issued a clear message to Robert Jenrick to "get back in his box" and dropped a "big Conservative policy bomb" in the shape of a pledge to scrap stamp duty.They also spoke to Tory members as they left the hall after the speech as well as shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith who said Badenoch's performance showed the Conservatives are "on the side of people who aspire".► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorWe want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] or follow @dailytpodcast on Instagram, TikTok and XProducer: Lilian Fawcett and Georgia CoanSenior Producer: John CadiganVideo Producer: Will WaltersCamera Operator: Andy MackenzieExecutive Producer: Charlotte SeligmanSocial Producer: Nada AggourEditor: Camilla Tominey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick joined the Daily T for an exclusive live in-conversation event at the Conservative party conference earlier today, which you can listen to in full on today’s edition of the podcast.Speaking to Camilla and Tim on day three of the conference in Manchester, he defended footage leaked to The Guardian in which he says he “didn’t see another white face” whilst filming in the Birmingham suburb of Handsworth.In a wide-ranging conversation, Jenrick also explained why Kemi Badenoch is “the right person to lead the party”, why “activist” judges who’ve espoused political opinions “have no place in our legal system”, and why he would “ban the Muslim Brotherhood tomorrow”.► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorWe want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] or follow @dailytpodcast on Instagram, TikTok and XProducer: Lilian FawcettSenior Producer: John CadiganVideo Producer: Will WaltersCamera Operator: Andy MackenzieExecutive Producer: Charlotte SeligmanSocial Producer: Nada AggourEditor: Camilla Tominey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride gave the keynote speech on day two of the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, and painted the Tories as the only party trying to save the high street, as he promised to scrap business rates for 250,000 pubs, restaurants and other small businesses.Joining the Daily T after his speech, Sir Mel told Camilla Tominey and Tim Stanley that he’s comfortable cutting international aid to 0.1pc of GDP in order to pay for the cut, why he believes leaving the ECHR is the right thing to do and whether he thinks Liz Truss should be expelled from the party.Camilla and Tim also caught up with the shadow home secretary Chris Philp, who explained how the Tories pledge to remove 150,000 illegal immigrants will work, as well as speaking to Katie Lam, shadow home office minister and a widely-touted future Conservative leader.► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorWe want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] or follow @dailytpodcast on Instagram, TikTok and XProducers: Lilian Fawcett and Georgia CoanSenior Producer: John CadiganVideo Producer: Will WaltersCamera Operator: Andy MackenzieExecutive Producer: Charlotte SeligmanSocial Producer: Nada AggourProduction assistance from Hugo Verelst-WayEditor: Camilla Tominey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following the deadly attack on a synagogue in Manchester, the Home Secretary has called for pro-Palestinian protests to be cancelled this weekend and condemned those that went ahead on Thursday.Camilla and Tim speak to the chief executive of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, Gideon Falter, who says he doesn’t know “if there’s a place for Jews any more” in the UK and that “this country is failing its Jewish community” with the Government to blame for “pouring fuel on the fire”.We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] or follow @dailytpodcast on Instagram, TikTok and X► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorProducer: Lilian FawcettSenior Producer: John CadiganVideo Producer: Will WaltersStudio Director: James EnglandSocial Producer: Nada AggourProduction assistance from Hugo Verelst-WayEditor: Camilla Tominey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sir David Davis, the former Brexit secretary, has called on Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, to provide the full reasoning behind the decision to cut funding for Nigel Farage’s security detail.Despite being a political rival of Mr Farage, the veteran Tory MP tells Camilla Tominey and Tim Stanley on today’s Daily T that the Government’s “premeditated” labelling of the Reform leader as racist at Labour’s party conference may “heighten the risk” he faces and that his role as a high-profile politician means he deserves “serious protection”.Elsewhere, Camilla and Tim also look ahead to the Conservative Party conference, which gets under way this weekend, and ask the question – should Kemi Badenoch mention Nigel Farage or not? ► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorWe want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] or follow @dailytpodcast on Instagram, TikTok and X Producer: Georgia Coan and Lilian FawcettSenior Producer: John CadiganVideo Producer: Will WaltersStudio Director: James EnglandSocial Producer: Nada AggourProduction assistance from Hugo Verelst-WayEditor: Camilla TomineyRead: Farage security cuts ‘must be reviewed’ after Charlie Kirk murder - Camilla Tominey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.