Sanctions plea as China blamed for voter hacking

A "WHOLE raft of senior Chinese officials" should be hit with sanctions to stop Beijing targeting Britain's political system, a senior MP is urging.

- Nicholas Cecil

Tim Loughton, who sits on the Commons Home Affairs committee, argued that tough action is "the only language that the Chinese government actually understand".

The Conservative MP, who himself has been sanctioned by Beijing after criticising the regime, spoke out ahead of a statement to Parliament about alleged Chinese interference in the UK's political system.

Chinese state-based actors were expected to be blamed for a cyber attack on the Electoral Commission.

A minister acknowledged that the successful penetration of the cyber defences of such a key body was "incredibly worrying, disturbing".

Action by the British government was expected to be done in conjunction with steps being taken by America to counter Chinese cyber threats.