‘British spies were first to spot Trump team’s links with Russia’:-
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/apr/13/british-spies-first-to-spot-trump-team-links-russia
&
GCHQ ‘told US security services about meetings between Donald Trump’s team and Russia’:-
&
‘Ex-MI6 chief says Donald Trump may have borrowed money from Russia to keep his empire afloat’:-
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/ex-mi6-chief-says-donald-10217616
Why did they deny it vehemently when the story first broke but now they own up to it?
Sorry mate - could you be a little more specific on what they denied - and what they are now ‘owning up to’?
That British Intelligence apparently gave the U.S. Intel they gained from surveillance of Trump Staff/Russia ties. Sorry that wasn’t clear. This information was clearly available weeks ago here in the States and some people got tossed under the bus for even insinuating that British Intelligence had or shared any such Intel with the U.S… Now they’ve owned up to it after the fact.
Ah, right - I get you.
I thought the accusations from weeks ago were of British Intelligenece spying on Trump/ Trump Towers on behalf of the American Security Services? Whereas the news linked by me is of the British giving a heads-up to their US counterparts after trailing/spying on Russian counterparts and possible Russian agents - going back some time - and as to a pattern emerging over meetings with Trump’s people (along with article that has the ex-MI6 Chief thinking that Trump may have borrowed money from Russia to help keep his empire afloat around the time of the financial crisis in 2008(-ish)).
I think they are two very different things - and the British Services were correct in denying that were spying on Trump/Trump Towers on behalf of the US Services.
The US and Brits, along with other allies often keep each other abreast of information and goings on (though likely keep the really interesting stuff from each other 😉)