Who is H6? What we know about the Chinese ‘spy’ with links to Prince Andrew

Published

11 months ago

December 16, 2024

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A suspected Chinese spy – described as a “close confidant” of Prince Andrew – has been barred from the UK because of concerns he posed a threat to national security.

The alleged spy, known only as H6, was first excluded from entering Britain in 2023 by then home secretary Suella Braverman after the Home Office said he was considered to have engaged in “covert and deceptive activity” on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The case has recently been thrust back into the limelight after H6 argued his exclusion from the UK was unlawful and made an appeal to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC).

Politics latest: MPs aiming to get more information on Chinese spy

Last week, the specialist tribunal in London upheld the ban and ruled that Ms Braverman had been “entitled to conclude” that he “represented a risk to the national security”.

MPs have since expressed concern about the level of access allegedly gained by the businessman, after reports suggest he also met former prime ministers Lord David Cameron and Baroness Theresa May.

Here is everything we know about the case so far.

Who is H6?

H6 is a 50-year-old Chinese national who worked as a civil servant in China before coming to the UK, where he later set up his own business.

He is alleged to have been working on behalf of the CCP and United Front Work Department – an arm of the CCP which critics say is used to influence foreign entities.

Judges at the SIAC tribunal were told that in a briefing for the home secretary in July 2023, officials claimed H6 had been in a position to generate relationships between prominent UK figures and senior Chinese officials “that could be leveraged for political interference purposes”.

They also said that H6 had downplayed his relationship with the Chinese state which, combined with his relationship with Andrew, represented a threat to national security.

The three SIAC judges said on 12 December that H6 had enjoyed a private life in the UK, which had been described as the businessman’s “second home”.

They said he had “settled status, a home and extensive business interests in the United Kingdom. He was regarded as a close confidant of the duke”.

Relationship with Prince Andrew

It is not known precisely when the duke and H6 met, but a statement released by Andrew on Friday said the pair met through “official channels”.

It is believed they grew so close that H6 was invited to the royal’s birthday party in 2020, visited Buckingham Palace twice, and also entered St James’s Palace and Windsor Castle at the invitation of the duke, according to The Times.

H6 was also told by Andrew’s aide Dominic Hampshire that he could act on the duke’s behalf when dealing with potential investors in China.

The SIAC tribunal heard that a letter from March 2020 letter from Mr Hampshire – referencing the invitation to the duke’s birthday – was found on H6’s devices when he was stopped at a port in November 2021.

The adviser said in the letter: “I also hope that it is clear to you where you sit with my principal (Prince Andrew) and indeed his family.

“You should never underestimate the strength of that relationship… Outside of his closest internal confidants, you sit at the very top of a tree that many, many people would like to be on.”

Judges who upheld the ban on H6 entering the country argued the duke could have been made “vulnerable” by his influence.

The duke’s statement said he “ceased all contact with the individual after concerns were raised”.

“The duke met the individual through official channels, with nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed. He is unable to comment further on matters relating to national security,” the statement said.

Several newspapers have reported that the King has been briefed about his brother’s links to the alleged spy.

Sky News has also seen photos of the alleged spy with former Conservative Party leaders Lord Cameron and Baroness May.

There is no suggestion either of them were aware of his reported links to the Chinese state, and it is not known when the images were taken.

Could H6 be named?

The alleged Chinese spy is known only as H6 due to the court having granted an interim anonymity order which protects his identity.

However, some MPs are calling for the order to be lifted.

Nigel Farage has said his Reform UK party is prepared to use parliamentary privilege – which provides legal immunity to MPs – to name the alleged agent in the House of Commons.

While former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said he is applying for an urgent question in the Commons on the influence of the United Front Work Department, the group thought to be associated with H6.

He told The Guardian he would seek to pressure the government over the foreign influence registration scheme (FIRS), which is designed to protect Britain from covert influence but has not yet been implemented.

FIRS would require individuals to disclose who they are in an arrangement with, what activity they have been directed to undertake, and when the arrangement was made.

Tom Tugendhat, the former Conservative security minister, also called for Labour to continue the implementation of the FIRS.

He told Sky News Breakfast that the allegations are just the “tip of the iceberg”.

Mr Tugendhat claimed the UK is “seeing a pattern” of attempts to influence or change British policy and attempts to steal economic secrets and intellectual property.

When asked if the anonymity order should be lifted, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told Sky News on Saturday that she “always respects the decisions of the courts”.

She said Britain has a “complex” relationship with China which requires economic cooperation with the country while also challenging any risk to national security.

Jim McMahon, a Labour minister, told Sky News Breakfast it’s down to the court to decide whether the identity of a person should or shouldn’t be released.

He said he assumes that everybody within the cabinet knows H6’s identity.

What has China said?

A spokesperson for the UK’s Chinese embassy said last week that some in the UK are “so keen” on making up “all kinds of spy stories against China”.

“This again is a typical case of the thief crying ‘catch thief’,” they added.

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“Their purpose is to smear China and sabotage normal people-to-people exchanges between China and the UK. We strongly condemn this.”

They also said the United Front “endeavours to bring together various political parties and people from all walks of life, ethnic groups and organisations” to “promote cooperation between the CCP and people who are not members of it”.

“Some on the British side repeatedly use China’s United Front work as a pretext to accuse China of wrongdoing, discredit China’s political system, and undermine normal exchanges and co-operation between China and the UK.

“Such sinister plots will never succeed. We urge the relevant parties in the UK to immediately stop creating trouble, stop spreading the ‘China threat’ narrative and stop undermining normal exchanges between China and the UK.”

UK

‘They’ve got a knife, I’ve been stabbed’: Eyewitness recalls horror attack on high-speed train

Published

4 hours ago

November 2, 2025

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'They've got a knife, I've been stabbed': Eyewitness recalls horror attack on high-speed train

A passenger who witnessed a mass stabbing on board a high-speed train heading for London told Sky News he heard someone yelling: “They’ve got a knife. I’ve been stabbed.”

The witness, who gave his name as Gavin, said there were “extremely bloodied” people and police shouting “get down, get down!” as passengers scrambled to leave the train.

Ten people were taken to hospital – nine with life-threatening injuries – after the incident on the 6.25pm LNER train from Doncaster to London King’s Cross on Saturday.

Two people have been arrested and counter-terrorism police have been called in to join the investigation.

Sky News correspondent Gurpreet Narwan at the scene said some of the first-hand accounts were “quite terrifying”.

“We are hearing about people trampling over each other. We are hearing about passengers hiding in the toilets,” she said.

Gavin said: “The armed police were pointing to the suspect as we came off the train.

“Police were shouting ‘get down, get down’!

“He (a suspect) was waving quite a large knife. They detained him. I think it was a Taser that got him down in the end.”

Emergency stop

Passengers had pulled the emergency cord, he said, which caused the train to make an unscheduled stop at Huntingdon, where armed police boarded.

Gavin added he saw someone moving through his carriage, and saying: “They’ve got a knife, I’ve been stabbed.”

“They were making their way through the carriage to get away from the suspects. They were extremely bloodied,” he added.

He says by the time the train stopped, “they were basically on the floor”.

“That person ended up collapsing on the floor. They were taken to an ambulance pretty much straight away,” he said.

Chief Superintendent Chris Casey of British Transport Police said: “This is a shocking incident and first and foremost my thoughts are with those who have been injured this evening and their families.

“We’re conducting urgent enquiries to establish what has happened, and it could take some time before we are in a position to confirm anything further.

“At this early stage, it would not be appropriate to speculate on the causes of the incident.

“Our response is ongoing at the station and will be for some time.”

UK

Two people in life-threatening condition after train mass stabbing – as police give details on suspects

Published

4 hours ago

November 2, 2025

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Two people in life-threatening condition after train mass stabbing - as police give details on suspects

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a mass stabbing on a train left two people with life-threatening injuries.

At least nine more people were injured in the attack on a train from Doncaster to London King’s Cross on Saturday night.

Police made the arrests within eight minutes of the 999 call being made, Superintendent John Loveless from British Transport Police said.

Officers were deployed to Huntingdon station in Cambridgeshire after the first 999 report at 7.42pm on Saturday and boarded the train.

Train stabbing latest: Two victims still fighting for lives

Two men were being held at separate police stations and questioned on suspicion of attempted murder, Sup Loveless said.

One is a 32-year-old male, a black British national, and the other is a 35-year-old man, a British national of Caribbean descent. Both were born in the UK.

In a statement, the King and Queen said they were “truly appalled and shocked to hear of the dreadful knife attack,” and offered their “deepest sympathy and thoughts” with those affected.

In total, 11 people were treated in hospital – nine were initially reported as having life-threatening injuries. By late Sunday morning, two patients remained in a life-threatening condition, Sup Loveless told reporters at Huntingdon railway station.

“Following assessment and treatment, four – I’m thankful to say – have been discharged.”

Initial reports suggested police fired a Taser at a man with a large knife, after he went on a bloody rampage on the high-speed train.

There was “nothing to suggest that this is a terrorist incident”, Sup Loveless said, adding that the investigation would continue to examine the “motivations” which led to the attack.

“At this early stage, it would not be appropriate to speculate on the cause of this incident,” he added.

Counter-terrorism police were initially supporting the investigation.

Witnesses told Sky News the stabbings started a few minutes after the train left Peterborough and passengers sounded the emergency alarm.

Armed police, paramedics, air ambulances, and transport police were deployed to the train – the 6.25pm London North Eastern Railway (LNER) service between Doncaster and London King’s Cross.

Some told of people trampling over each other, and some hiding in the toilets to escape.

One told Sky News he saw one of the attackers being Tasered by police before being arrested.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said it was an “appalling incident” and was “deeply concerning”.

“My thoughts are with all those affected, and my thanks go to the emergency services for their response,” he wrote on X.

The Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she was “deeply saddened” by the incident and urged the public to “avoid comment and speculation at this early stage”.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said on X: “Horrific scenes in Huntingdon, in what seems to be a brutal mass attack by two perpetrators.

“My thoughts are with all those injured or affected and the emergency services responding.”

‘Shocked and frightened’ passengers

Defence Secretary John Healey spoke to Sky News on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips and said he took the same train route just hours before the attack.

“It’s the service I use every week to get home to Rotherham, so I can’t begin to imagine how shocked and frightened those passengers were.”

Asked by Phillips if the attack has changed the UK’s terror threat level, he says no and that it remains “substantial” – meaning an attack is considered “likely”.

‘Like a horror film’

Mayor of Huntingdon, Councillor Audrey McAdam, told Sky News she was “very emotional” after hearing about the stabbing and said it must have been like a “horror film” for the passengers.

“I’m still in shock… I’m very emotional, and as soon as I found out, I thought, ‘oh no’.

“I’m worried about the people actually in hospital at this moment… it’s something I never thought would ever happen around Huntingdon… it’s something so dreadful.

“But to live in that moment… it’s a horror film… complete horror. I just cannot imagine what the people must have [been] feeling… When you’re stuck on a train, what can you do? A moving train.”

An ‘incredible’ response from emergency services

Huntingdon MP Ben Obese-Jecty spoke to Sky News at the scene on Saturday night. He said: “When I first arrived here, I’ve simply never seen as big a response to an emergency incident as there was in terms of police, fire and ambulance.”

On Sunday morning, Mr Obese-Jecty spoke again about the “rapid, incredible response” and praised the “brave officers who came to try and neutralise that threat”.

The chief constable of Cambridgeshire Constabulary told him officers had been training for a similar emergency “only last week”. The MP also called for people to avoid guessing about the circumstances.

“I think also people need to keep cool heads at this time. I’ve seen an awful lot of speculation online and a lot of misinformation,” he added.

David Horne, managing director of LNER, said the company was “deeply shocked and saddened”.

National Rail says some train routes to and from London King’s Cross on LNER, Great Northern and Thameslink services face disruption on Sunday.

A spokesperson for the Rail, Maritime and Transport union also said they were “horrified” by the attack.

“Our thoughts remain with the train crew and passengers who were either at work or going about their business on a busy Saturday night during this awful incident.”

UK

Kemi Badenoch ‘rebuilding’ Tory party as she marks first year as leader

Published

4 hours ago

November 2, 2025

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Kemi Badenoch 'rebuilding' Tory party as she marks first year as leader

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said she is “rebuilding” the party as she marks her first year in the job.

Ms Badenoch also said she had spent the last 12 months “giving the country a serious alternative to Labour’s weakness: a plan for a stronger economy and stronger borders”.

The leader, who was elected on 2 November last year when she defeated Robert Jenrick, said on Sunday she was “rebuilding our party, our principles and our plan for Britain”.

She came to the helm after a leadership contest, triggered by Rishi Sunak’s resignation in the wake of the 2024 general election drubbing.

But despite starting to craft a new Tory policy platform, she has been criticised by anonymous MPs who are disappointed the Conservatives do not appear to be cutting through with voters.

And she has seen some senior party figures defect to Reform UK, including ex-Conservative chairman Jake Berry, former Welsh secretary David Jones, and Tory MP Danny Kruger.

Ms Badenoch also continues to face the challenge of ambitious frontbenchers who appear to be plotting potential future leadership bids, including shadow justice secretary Mr Jenrick.

Despite her insistence that the party is providing a credible alternative to the Labour government, the latest polling from YouGov suggested voters are yet to be convinced by Ms Badenoch, with just 12% believing she is a prime minister in waiting, while 62% do not.

But Ms Badenoch appeared adamant in her approach as she faced down the critics.

She said: “This first year of my leadership has been about rebuilding. Rebuilding our party, our principles and our plan for Britain.

“After defeat in 2024, we faced a choice: retreat into slogans, or rebuild around values. We chose to rebuild.

“The Conservative Party now stands once again for what made Britain strong in the first place – responsibility, fairness, competence and pride in our nation.”

A majority of Conservative members, 54%, do believe she is doing a good job as party leader, while 24% say she has done a bad job, the YouGov survey found.

Pollsters have also suggested the Tories are less popular than the Liberal Democrats, as Nigel Farage’s Reform UK continues to lead with the public.

In May, the Conservatives suffered heavy defeats in the local elections, as Ms Badenoch apologised to her party over the result.

In October at her first Conservative party conference as leader, she made the surprise announcement the Tories would scrap stamp duty, a tax paid by house buyers, on the purchase of their main homes.

It gave the Conservatives and their leader a much-needed lift after what many have dubbed the lost year.

But backbench Tories could soon hold Ms Badenoch’s future in their hands, as a grace period stopping them from submitting letters expressing no confidence in her expires once her first year in office is complete.

Bob Blackman, who as chairman of the 1922 Committee acts as a conduit for Conservative backbenchers, said he believed Ms Badenoch’s slow and steady approach had been the correct one.

However, Labour said that “one year in, Kemi Badenoch’s Conservatives have shown themselves incapable of change or learning lessons from the past”.

Party chairwoman Anna Turley said: “They crashed the economy, sent mortgages rocketing and left NHS waiting lists at record highs.”