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Today in Parliament

13/01/2026

Today in Parliament

BBC

Government

4.4162 Ratings

🗓️ 13 January 2026

⏱️ 28 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

David Cornock reports as MPs question ministers about controversial proposals for a new Chinese Embassy in London.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts.

0:06.0

Order! Order!

0:08.6

Hello, I'm David Kornock, and this is the Today in Parliament podcast from BBC Radio 4 for Tuesday, the 13th of January.

0:16.7

Coming up, ministers are urged to pull the plug on a new London home for China's diplomats.

0:22.4

Protect our economy, protect the British people, deny the Chinese Communist Party their embassy.

0:27.3

The Foreign Secretary's uncompromising on Iran.

0:30.6

The United Kingdom condemns in the strongest of terms the horrendous and brutal killing of Iranian protesters.

0:38.3

And calls for universities to be legally responsible for the welfare of their students.

0:43.3

I can still recall a phone call from one of my peers telling me that a mutual acquaintance,

0:49.3

a 20-year-old involved in student politics, had taken his own life.

0:53.3

But first, MPs from across the Commons have united to condemn plans for a new Chinese embassy

0:59.8

in the city of London, days before the final decision is due.

1:04.4

The Conservative said the proposed mega embassy would be a launch pad for economic warfare.

1:10.1

Labour MPs highlighted threats to Chinese

1:12.4

dissidents living in the UK. There were cross-party concerns about national security issues,

1:18.6

but to the frustration of MPs, including the Speaker, the government sent a planning minister

1:23.9

to answer questions. Matthew Penny Cook came to the Commons after the Daily

1:28.4

Telegraph published what it said were unredacted plans for the embassy on the former Royal Mint

1:34.2

next to the Tower of London. The Conservative Shadow Home Office Minister, Alicia Cairns, was appalled.

1:41.3

Two hundred and eight secret rooms and a hidden chamber just one metre from cables serving the city

1:47.4

of London and the British people. That is what the unredacted plans tell us that Chinese

1:52.3

Communist Party has planned for its new embassy if the government gives them the go-ahead.

...

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