A cabinet minister has been forced to cancel a trip to China on which he was to address hundreds of businesses interested in investing in the UK.
Communities Secretary Sajid Javid is understood to have been ordered to ditch a trip to Shanghai amid Government jitters over a major vote.
The last-minute cancellation could be a sign the Government is rallying its troops ahead of the so-called “Snoopers Charter” returning to the Commons after a debate in the Lords tonight.
Mr Javid was due to arrive in China this evening and stay until Thursday in a bid to promote the Midlands Engine and open the China Outbound Conference in Shanghai on November 3.
This major UK-Chinese annual event is attended by hundreds of Chinese delegates wanting to invest here, and has new significance as China becomes a prize market for Britain post-Brexit.
The British delegation is said to be shocked by the no-show.
Earlier this year Mr Javid was ordered to return from a trip to Australia after just 15 hours when Tata steel announced it was pulling out of its UK operations.
The Investigatory Powers Bill, nick-named the Snoopers Charter, gives the Government unprecedented access to people’s web browsing history, and is expected to come back to the Commons for a final vote tomorrow after a third reading in the Lords tonight.
The Department for Communities and Local Government say they are committed to investing in the Midlands Engine and Mr Javid promoted trade deals in the Midlands on a trip to North America earlier this year.
