Search

16 Oct 2025

Starmer faces more questions after publishing China spy case evidence

Starmer faces more questions after publishing China spy case evidence

Sir Keir Starmer’s government is facing more questions over the China spying case after it published witness statements that called out Beijing’s espionage and branded the country a threat to the UK’s economic security.

Three statements provided by deputy national security adviser Matt Collins as part of the Crown Prosecution Service’s case were published on Wednesday night.

The CPS dropped the case after deeming the evidence did not show China was a threat to national security.

Mr Collins said Chinese intelligence services are carrying out “large scale espionage” operations against the UK in his most recent statement from August, which ultimately contributed to the collapse of the case.

But he also said the Government is committed to a “positive relationship” with Beijing and that it aims to “strengthen understanding, cooperation and stability” in its relationship with the country.

He called China “the biggest state-based threat to the UK’s economic security” in another statement from February this year.

The Conservatives have been pressing ministers over their handling of the collapsed trial of Christopher Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry.

Both men, who deny wrongdoing, had been accused of passing secrets to China but charges against them were dropped last month.

Sir Keir announced at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday the Government would publish the statements.

Questions have been raised about why the final paragraph of Mr Collins’ statement reflects the current government’s stance on China when Sir Keir and the CPS have said it is that of the Tories that matters as the alleged offences took place when they were in power.

The statement reads: “It is important for me to emphasise, however, that the UK Government is committed to pursuing a positive relationship with China to strengthen understanding, co-operation 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.”

The Prime Minister had insisted the “substantive” evidence was submitted under the Conservatives and supplementary statements handed to the CPS subsequently reflected the Tory administration’s position.

Luke de Pulford, the executive director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac), posted on X: “If ALL that mattered was the policy of the PREVIOUS government, why would the CURRENT government’s “three C’s” China policy be included? Doesn’t make sense.”

Conservative MP Neil O’Brien said: “At PMQs Starmer said that the only thing that mattered was the position of the previous Conservative government.

“So why does the third witness statement from the 4th of August talk about the policy of the present Labour government, in the present tense?”

Stephen Parkinson, the director of public prosecutions, said in a letter last week that the evidence needed to show that China represented a threat to national security when the alleged offences took place.

There was an “ongoing obligation” to independently assess the evidence of a case, he said, stressing that while he stood by the decision to bring charges in April 2024, a High Court decision weeks later meant the threshold for the evidence had changed.

He said he had made efforts to obtain further evidence over many months but that “none of these stated that at the time of the offence China represented a threat to national security”.

The Conservatives said the evidence “falls short” of what they had requested and urged the “China files” to be published in full.

A Conservative Party spokesman said: “There are still many unanswered questions about this scandal – from the role of the national security adviser to the potential involvement or knowledge of ministers, and ultimately whether the Prime Minister or the security minister has misled the House of Commons throughout this process.

“We will consider this disclosure. But it is clear that this is just the start, and the China files must now be published in full and without delay. Until that time the stench of scandal will hang around this Government.”

The Liberal Democrats meanwhile called for a statutory inquiry.

Party foreign affairs spokesperson Calum Miller said: “These witness statements are only part of the puzzle and raise yet more unanswered questions.”

Former researcher Mr Cash said he is “completely innocent” and has been “placed in an impossible position” because he has not been able to prove it in a public trial.

“I wish to reiterate that I am completely innocent. Not just because the case against me was dropped, but because at no point did I ever intentionally assist Chinese intelligence,” he said on Wednesday night.

He added: “I have been placed in an impossible position. I have not had the daylight of a public trial to show my innocence, and I should not have to take part in a trial by media.”

Meanwhile, friends of Mr Collins said he did not understand why his evidence was insufficient for the case to proceed, The Spectator reported.

The magazine also cited several sources from the last government saying that two serious cases of foreign spying involving Russia and China were suppressed, reportedly involved hacking of the Ministry of Defence and Downing Street.

To continue reading this article,
please subscribe and support local journalism!


Subscribing will allow you access to all of our premium content and archived articles.

Subscribe

To continue reading this article for FREE,
please kindly register and/or log in.


Registration is absolutely 100% FREE and will help us personalise your experience on our sites. You can also sign up to our carefully curated newsletter(s) to keep up to date with your latest local news!

Register / Login

Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.

Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.