Yang Tengbo live updates: Suspected China agent linked to Prince Andrew is named by High Court judge

We’re shortly anticipating former Conservative chief Ian Duncan Smith to ask an pressing query within the Home of Commons on China’s affect within the wake of the alleged spy scandal.

The query reads “to ask the House Secretary if she is going to make a press release on the extent of United Entrance Work Division operations throughout the UK”.

Our political editor David Maddox will probably be watching and offering updates proper right here.

The Hampton Group, a British firm based by Yang Tengbo, has issued a press release following the excessive courtroom ruling.

The assertion learn: “Hampton Group is a British firm using a small variety of British and Chinese language nationals with the proper to work within the UK. The corporate operates to excessive requirements of governance and compliance in line with worldwide finest practices. We pay tax within the UK and are proud to have made a constructive impression on the UK economic system by our work.

“Neither Hampton Group or any of its workers or associates have ever been concerned in any covert intelligence gathering on behalf of the Chinese language Authorities, or every other state. Hampton Group within the UK will proceed to assist its shoppers, serving to them to attain their business objectives.”

The Hampton Group offers consulting and occasions providers to British and Chinese language firms. Tengbo is just not concerned within the day-to-day operations of the UK enterprise, the corporate mentioned.

Reform UK chief Nigel Farage has claimed victory after the alleged Chinese language spy was named.

He wrote on X: “I’m happy that stress by Reform over the past 48 hours has now led to this man being named. The general public need to know.”

Learn the total report from our Political Correspondent Millie Cooke on the Joint Expeditionary Drive (JEF) convention in Estonia:

In a brief courtroom listening to that lasted lower than half-hour, a choose dominated that an order stopping the id of businessman Yang Tengbo from being reported ought to be lifted.

Beforehand solely often known as H6, Mr Tengbo is dealing with allegations of being a Chinese language spy who had ingratiated himself with senior Institution figures, together with Prince Andrew.

On condition that he has been banned from coming into the UK, the one individuals current on the listening to have been his authorized group, headed by Man Vassall-Adams KC, a barrister for the House Workplace and one other lawyer for the media.

Round 15 journalists from a variety of completely different publications have been additionally current, after the id of Tengbo and his relationship to the Duke of York dominated headlines over the weekend.

Yang Tengbo, the alleged Chinese language spy banned from the UK and linked to the Duke of York, mentioned he has “achieved nothing incorrect or illegal”, including in a press release that the “widespread description of me as a ‘spy’ is fully unfaithful”.

“Because of the excessive stage of hypothesis and misreporting within the media and elsewhere, I’ve requested my authorized group to reveal my id,” the assertion mentioned.

“I’ve achieved nothing incorrect or illegal and the considerations raised by the House Workplace in opposition to me are ill-founded. The widespread description of me as a ‘spy’ is fully unfaithful.

“This is the reason I utilized for a evaluate of the House Workplace determination within the first place, and why I’m searching for permission to attraction the SIAC determination. It’s also why an order extending my anonymity as much as the purpose of dedication of the attraction course of was granted.

“I’ve been excluded from seeing a lot of the proof that was used in opposition to me below a course of which is extensively acknowledged by SIAC practitioners as inherently unfair: choices are made primarily based on secret proof and closed proceedings, which has been described as “taking blind pictures at a hidden goal”.

“On their very own reality discovering, even the three judges on this case concluded that there was ‘not an abundance of proof’ in opposition to me, their determination was ‘finely balanced’, and there could possibly be an ‘harmless rationalization’ for my actions. This has not been reported within the media.

“The political local weather has modified, and sadly, I’ve fallen sufferer to this. When relations are good, and Chinese language funding is sought, I’m welcome within the UK. When relations bitter, an anti-China stance is taken, and I’m excluded.

“I’m an impartial self-made entrepreneur and I’ve at all times aimed to foster partnerships and construct bridges between East and West. I’ve devoted my skilled life within the UK to constructing hyperlinks between British and Chinese language companies. My actions have performed a component in bringing a whole lot of hundreds of thousands of kilos of funding into the UK.

“I constructed my personal life within the UK over 20 years and love the nation as my second house. I’d by no means do something to hurt the pursuits of the UK.”

Giving his judgments, Mr Justice Chamberlain instructed the courtroom: “Since our order on the eleventh of December there was intensive press reporting on this jurisdiction and overseas. Some reporting on social media has named the claimant and there was some suggestion that the claimant could also be named in Parliament.

He continued: “I now discharge these elements of this order. This implies the claimant’s identify Tengbo Yang may be reported in public in reference to these proceedings.”

An alleged Chinese language spy banned from the UK and linked to the Duke of York can now be named as Yang Tengbo, a Excessive Courtroom choose has dominated.