Sir Keir Starmer stays underneath strain over the collapse of a trial into alleged Chinese language spies after witness statements revealed the federal government’s deputy nationwide safety adviser had warned of serious espionage within the UK.
Three witness statements from the federal government have been launched late on Wednesday amid confusion about why the prosecutions of two males accused of spying for Beijing fell aside.
Ex-parliamentary researcher Christopher Money, 30, and trainer Christopher Berry, 33, have been charged final 12 months with passing politically delicate info to a Chinese language agent between December 2021 and February 2023.
They’ve each denied the allegations, and the case collapsed final month. The director of public prosecutions blamed the federal government’s refusal to model China a menace, sparking accusations of a “cover-up”.
Picture:Christopher Money (L) and Christopher Berry (R) had the fees in opposition to them withdrawn in September. Pics: Reuters
Sir Keir, who needs a “strategic and long-term” relationship with Beijing, used PMQs to announce witness statements from the case, made by deputy nationwide safety adviser Matthew Collins, could be printed.
The PM has sought accountable the earlier Tory authorities’s stance on China for the spying trial collapsing.
So what do the witness statements say?
Within the first, from December 2023, Mr Collins mentioned “large scale espionage” was being carried out in opposition to Britain.
A second, from February 2025, mentioned Chinese language spying threatened the economic system.
Within the paperwork, it was additionally revealed details about inner Tory politics – when the social gathering was in authorities – was being fed to a Chinese language intelligence handler often known as “Alex”, in keeping with counterterrorism command SO15.
This consists of Mr Money working as a researcher and “contributing to policy advice being provided to Rishi Sunak”.
The proof provides: “It is axiomatic that this is prejudicial to the safety or interests of the UK for the Chinese state to have indirect access to one of the individuals providing policy advice to the now prime minister on China, with the potential to influence that advice.”
In the latest third doc from Mr Collins, dated 4 August, he mentioned the Chinese language intelligence providers stay “highly capable and conduct large scale espionage operations against the UK”.
However he additionally quotes the Labour manifesto from final 12 months’s election, saying: “It is crucial for me to stress, nonetheless, that the UK authorities is dedicated to pursuing a constructive relationship with China to strengthen understanding, cooperation and stability.
“The government’s position is that we will co-operate where we can; compete where we need to; and challenge where we must, including on issues of national security.”
Sir Keir had instructed the “substantive” proof within the case was submitted underneath the Tories, whereas supplementary statements given additionally mirrored the earlier authorities’s place.
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3:07
3:07What does China spy row contain?
Director of public prosecutions Stephen Parkinson mentioned the proof required from the federal government within the alleged spying case associated as to whether China could possibly be thought of an “enemy” underneath the Official Secrets and techniques Act.
Not one of the statements use that phrase.
‘Completely devoid of context’
Mr Money and Mr Berry have been each charged underneath the secrets and techniques act.
In a press release after the federal government printed the statements, Mr Money reiterated he was “completely innocent” and attacked his “trial by media”.
The collapse of the trial, that means he can’t show his innocence, has put him in an “impossible position”, he mentioned.
“At no point did I intentionally assist Chinese intelligence,” he added.
Mr Money described the statements as “completely devoid of the context that would have been given at trial”.
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3:29
3:29China spy case: ‘What is the point in having a lawyer as PM?’
‘Yet more unanswered questions’
Sir Keir had beforehand mentioned the federal government wouldn’t publish the proof as it will not have been allowed by the CPS – earlier than the CPS then denied this was the case.
Stephen Parkinson, the top of the CPS, mentioned in a press release the prosecution was dropped after makes an attempt to get extra proof from the federal government “over many months” proved unfruitful.
The Liberal Democrats are calling for a statutory inquiry, with the social gathering’s international affairs spokesperson saying the printed statements “raise yet more unanswered questions”.
Calum Miller MP mentioned: “Did emphasising the federal government’s want for a constructive relationship with China successfully trigger this trial to break down? What proof was the CPS requesting which the federal government failed to supply?
“And who was aware of these statements and the evidence being asked for both among ministers and in No 10?”
Sky’s Jon Craig mentioned a lot of Commons committees are more likely to open their very own inquiries into the case.
