ELEVENTH hour talks between ministers and Tory grandees last night failed to halt a Commons revolt today over Huawei.
Boris Johnson’s new government faces its first Commons rebellion tonight over the Chinese telecoms giant’s involvement in the new 5G network.
A powerful group of senior Conservative backbenchers are demanding the PM sets a time limit to remove its equipment from the network within three years, by the end of 2022.
But Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden refused the demand during a tense meeting with rebels, lead by ex-Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith.
Instead, Mr Dowden pleaded for more time to help an alternative market provider emerge.
Ministers will today promise the Commons they will look again at the issue in the Telecom Security Bill in the summer, in a move that will fail to satisfy the rebels.
Around 20 Tory MPs have signed an amendment to the Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill that would enforce their timetable in law.
But Downing Street sources said last night they were confident the rebels will fall short of the 41 needed to defeat the Government’s majority of 80.
The Tory rebels last night told HOAR that support was growing for their fight over fears about China hacking the new 5G network, with one saying: “We might lose this vote, but the momentum is on our side”.
Their number already also includes ex-Cabinet ministers Damian Green and David Davis and committee chairmen Tom Tugendhat and Julian Knight.
Former Army intelligence officer Bob Seely said: “We are talking to the government, because we all want the best outcome for our country.”
“But what we must hear from it is a timetable to get high risk tech out of our system so we can protect our people. It’s got to be no way Huawei.”
In a bid to defuse the rebellion, No10 even laid on a special briefing for Tory MPs yesterday by experts from the National Cyber Security Centre to try to persuade them that Huawei parts were only being used on the periphery. The Chinese company is limited to only a 35% market share of 5G.
Boris’s controversial decision in January to allow Huawei a limited role lead to a major fall out with US President Donald Trump, who pleaded with him to ban it, as Australia has done.
The PM’s official spokesman said: “We are clear-eyed about the challenge posed by Huawei. Its market share is kept under review.”
“We have said we want to reduce the share as market diversification takes place. We need to see how quickly the market is able to diversify.”
