A group of eight conservative rebels, including four former ministers, tabled an amendment calling on the government to eliminate all Huawei technology from UK mobile phone networks by the end of 2022.
Led by Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Owen Paterson, David Davis and Damian Green, the rebels hope to stage a show of force – although it is unclear whether they can attract the 44 votes that could threaten the majority of Boris Johnson.
Although some claim they could threaten the government if all the opposition parties support them, a rebel source told the Guardian that the real number of dissatisfied people was in the 1930s, which was not enough to force a defeat.
Insiders have argued that the amendment represents the first step in a guerrilla campaign to incite rethinking of Downing Street, in tandem with pressure from the White House, which is strongly opposed to the deployment of Huawei.
The amendment in question is attached to an obscure technical bill, the Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill, and is unlikely to be effective if passed, since the proposed legislation only applies when landowners do not respond to telephone companies.
But it represents an opportunity for the rebels to declare their numbers – before Downing Street introduces legislation to apply its Huawei decision to a vote later in the spring.
Last month, the government of Boris Johnson announced its intention to cap Huawei’s market share in 5G at 35%. The rebels want the UK to completely remove the participation of Chinese society, even if it has been used in British networks since 2003.
The White House and conservative rebels believe Huawei technology poses a potential surveillance risk, but Downing Street and British spy agencies believe all risks can be managed, in part based on their experience with the kit.
Ben Defense Secretary of State Ben Wallace met with his US counterpart Mark Esper on Thursday where they had a “frank discussion” about British 5G plans over lunch.
Esper said he was particularly concerned about the security of information sharing between countries and that any Chinese involvement “could allow Beijing to access, disrupt, manipulate and misuse vital information, compromising thus the integrity and strength of the NATO alliance. “
Wallace said Huawei will be prevented from providing basic technology to UK networks, and ministers aim to cut its share below the proposed 35%, without committing to go to zero as the rebels demand . British policy was “to ban, cap and cut,” he said.