Boris Johnson faces the revolt of the Commons following the decision of Huawei
Boris Johnson faces the prospect of his first Commons rebellion since the general election following his decision to allow Huawei to play a role in building the UK's 5G network.
Former Conservative Leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith has tabled an amendment that would ban "high-risk providers" like the Chinese network technology giant after 2022.
This decision is supported by a number of prominent Conservative MPs, including former cabinet ministers Damian Green and David Davis, the chair of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee Tom Tugendhat and the chair of the Conservative Committee. Backyard of 1922, Sir Graham Brady.
Supporters, however, downplayed the prospect that the government – which has a majority of 80 municipalities – could be defeated if the amendment is called at report stage of the telecommunications infrastructure bill ( leasehold) in the Commons on Tuesday.
Instead, Conservative deputy Bob Seely, one of the deputies behind the decision, said that he "set a marker" before other laws later in the year to establish a comprehensive telecommunications security regime.
He said there was "growing momentum" within the party with "three or four members" expressing concern to the whips for everyone likely to vote for the amendment next week.
"We want to work with the government, not to defeat it. We want to cooperate with the government to get a better solution, "he told PA news agency.
Pressure on the government is expected to increase with the announcement by the Commons Defense Committee of a subcommittee specifically tasked with examining the issue of 5G security.
Chairman of the committee, former Defense Minister Tobias Ellwood, said: "It is essential that while we are negotiating this new technology we ask uncomfortable questions about the possibility of abuse by parties foreign.
"A decision of this magnitude must be made with wide eyes, and we will not hesitate to respond to public concerns head-on."
Huawei Vice President Victor Zhang said, "In the past 18 months, the government and two parliamentary committees have carried out a detailed assessment of the facts and concluded that there were no reason to ban Huawei from providing 5G equipment for cybersecurity reasons.
“We have been operating in Britain for almost 20 years and have been instrumental in the development and provision of 3G and 4G for people across the UK.
"Cybersecurity requires high and common standards in the telecommunications industry, which Huawei has always supported. Creating a Great Britain 5G rightly requires careful consideration and we will be working with the select committee to answer their questions in the coming months. "
The committee's decision reflects the concerns expressed by Parliament about the decision, with the fear that it may open a “back door” for China to spy on the UK telecommunications network.