Minister unveils powers to ban foreign state proxies

The government is to introduce fast-track legislation giving authorities new proscription-like powers to ban organisations acting as proxies for foreign states, the Security Minister has told the House of Commons, as he set out the breadth of national security threats currently facing the United Kingdom, the UK Defence Journal understands.

Dan Jarvis, making a statement to Parliament on 14 May, described a threat picture spanning Islamist and extreme right-wing terrorism, Iranian state-linked attacks on British Jews and regime opponents, and Chinese state interference operations conducted on UK soil. MI5 and Counter Terrorism Policing have disrupted 19 late-stage attack plots since 2020, including what Jarvis described as a “chilling ISIS-inspired plot to target Jewish communities in Manchester using firearms.”

On state threats, Jarvis pointed to last week’s convictions of two men under the National Security Act 2023 for conducting surveillance and intimidation on behalf of the Hong Kong authorities. He described the verdicts as the first convictions under the Act related to China. “It is simply unacceptable that an employee of a foreign power was conducting a shadow policing operation in the United Kingdom,” he said, confirming that the Chinese ambassador had been summoned and that the Foreign Secretary would be making clear to Hong Kong’s Chief Executive that such activity “was, and will always be, unacceptable in the United Kingdom.” The FCDO has demanded the immediate termination of Chung Biu Yuen’s employment at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office.

Jarvis said the government would bring forward fast-track legislation in the coming weeks to address gaps in the current framework. “We will be bringing forward in the coming weeks fast-track legislation that will clamp down on individuals and groups carrying out hostile activity for foreign states, including those who act as their proxies, and which will include new proscription-like powers to ban the activities of state-backed organisations that pose a threat to the UK’s national security.”

The minister also announced a review of the national threat level system, which currently captures only the terrorist threat, saying he had initiated it “to ensure that it remains fully relevant and that we are communicating as clearly as possible with the public about the national security threats we face today.” The terrorism threat level was raised from substantial to severe on 30 April, with severe meaning a terrorist attack is highly likely in the next six months.

The government has announced £25 million in immediate funding to strengthen policing and protect Jewish communities following a series of arson attacks and incidents, including a stabbing attack in Golders Green. This brings total protective security funding to £58 million this year. An extra £140 million was provided for Counter Terrorism Policing last year alongside nearly £600 million more for the intelligence services, taking both to record funding levels.