Controversial North Sea turbine deal sparks concerns as ministers accused of ‘crawling on their stomachs to China’

MINISTERS were accused of “crawling on their stomachs to China” over a controversial North Sea turbine deal with Beijing.

The Sun revealed on Tuesday that the Treasury had “brushed off” spying and energy security concerns over allowing Chinese firm Mingyang Smart Energy to provide windmills for a North Sea field due to be approved in weeks.

The MoD and Energy department raised major national security concerns with the project but are said to have been overruled by the Treasury.

Last night No10 insisted wind farms are subject to the “highest levels of national security”

Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesman said: “We will always act in the national interest to protect our national security.

He added: “And when it comes to China, we’ve been clear that we’ll cooperate where we can, compete where we need to, and challenge where we must.”

But amid accusations the Treasury had “brushed off” security concerns for investment, there was a major backlash.

Shadow Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart described the decision as: "More madness from Rachel Reeves and co-jeopardising national security for a bunch of windmills.”

He added: "When such serious concerns are being raised, the government has to explain how on Earth this was approved. Why is the Chancellor risking national security?”

Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith branded it "yet another weak and desperate attempt to crawl on their stomachs to China.”

He added: “The Labour government is going to approve a North Sea wind farm powered by Chinese turbines, handing over control of a vital resource to a brutal and threatening regime. How China is laughing at us.

“This decision flies in the face of warnings from the Energy dept that they could be turned off and from MoD over eves-dropping and spying.

“We have become the weak underbelly of the Western alliance and at this rate of project Kow Tow, no longer trusted by our allies like the USA.”