Sam Coates
Sam is Deputy political editor, reporting on breaking news, delivering exclusive interviews and providing analysis from Westminster. He joined Sky News in June 2019, after 19 years at The Times. Sam has worked in Westminster since 2005, apart from a year getting to know the city as Banking Editor of The Times in 2012. He covered the transition from Tony Blair to Gordon Brown, the financial crisis, the tensions of the coalition government and the lead-up to and aftermath of Brexit. He's covered seven general elections and three referendums. He won the Laurence Stern fellowship in 2005, working at the Washington Post covering the George W Bush White House and in New Orleans on Hurricane Katrina.
72%
The Daily's Verdict
This author has a mixed reputation for journalistic standards. It is advisable to fact-check, scrutinize for bias, and check for conflicts of interest before relying on the author's reporting.
Bias
90%
Examples:
- China's foreign ministry said it 'firmly opposes and fights all forms of cyber attacks' and 'rejects the use of this issue politically to smear other countries.'
- Government minister Mel Stride told Sky News on Tuesday morning China is 'an epoch-defining challenge' and 'our eyes are wide open' - quoting the Integrated Review of the UK's national security and international policy completed in 2021.
- He would not confirm if China is the country that hacked the MoD but said the UK needs to 'get the balance right' when it comes to Beijing.
- Sky News understands this to be China.
- The Chinese state has hacked the Ministry of Defence, Sky News understands.
- Tobias Ellwood, a Conservative MP and former soldier, told Sky News that China 'was probably looking at the financially vulnerable with a view that they may be coerced in exchange for cash.'
Conflicts of Interest
75%
Examples:
- Some on the right say she might be their compromise candidate as she is pro-Brexit, performs well in the Commons, and would run a 'balanced' government post-Sunak.
Contradictions
90%
Examples:
- , Rishi Sunak hopes three key moments this week will turn around his fortunes after his standing in the party plummeted. The PM is hoping Monday's speech on the economy, Wednesday's end of term appearance before Tory MPs and new inflation figures due out the same day, which could be close to the Bank of England target of 2%, will stem the bleeding of his premiership.
- The attack targeted a third-party payroll system used by the MoD.
- Thousands of serving British soldiers, sailors and air force members have had their names and bank details exposed in a data breach at a payroll system.
Deceptions
50%
Examples:
- It is largely names and bank details that have been exposed.
- The Chinese state is to be accused of two or three attempts at hacking MoD employees.
- This comes fewer than two months after China's state-affiliated actors have been blamed by the government for two 'malicious' cyberattack campaigns in the UK.
Recent Articles
Thousands of UK Armed Forces Personnel Data Hacked: Suspected Chinese Cyberattack
Broke On: Tuesday, 07 May 2024Thousands of current and past UK armed forces members have had their personal information hacked from a MoD payroll system. Suspected Chinese hackers are believed to be behind the attack, but this has not been confirmed. Affected personnel will be alerted and provided with advice. The MoD discovered the breach several days ago and is working to understand its scale and impact. This is not the first time UK military data has been targeted in a cyberattack. 
Rishi Sunak's Crisis of Confidence in Tory Party Amid Frank Hester Row and Lee Anderson Defection
Broke On: Monday, 18 March 2024Rishi Sunak faces a crisis of confidence within his own party after the handling of the Frank Hester row and defection by Lee Anderson. Despite this, he hopes three key moments will turn around his fortunes: Monday's speech on the economy, Wednesday's end-of-term appearance before Tory MPs and new inflation figures due out that day. Some names being discussed as potential successors include Penny Mordaunt.