Husband of Labour MP Joani Reid arrested on suspicion of spying for China

Scottish Labour MP Joani Reid has said “I have never seen anything to make me suspect my husband has broken any law”, after he was arrested on suspicion of spying for China.

Ms Reid, a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee and MP for East Kilbride and Strathaven, also said: “I am not any sort of admirer or apologist for the Chinese Communist Party’s dictatorship,” following the arrest of her spouse David Taylor.

The Metropolitan Police said three men – aged 39, 43 and 68 – were arrested by counter-terrorism officers in London and Wales after being accused of assisting a foreign intelligence service.

All three remain in custody and searches have been carried out at the addresses where they were arrested, the force added.

Chinese officials in the UK and Beijing have been given a dressing down, a minister told MPs.

In a statement, Ms Reid said: “I have never been to China. I have never spoken on China or China-related matters in the Commons. I have never asked a question on China-related matters.

“As far as I am aware, I have never met any Chinese businesses whilst I have been an MP, any Chinese diplomats or government employees, nor raised any concern with ministers or anyone else on behalf of, even coincidentally, Chinese interests.

“I am a social democrat who believes in freedom of expression, free trade unions and free elections.

“I am not any sort of admirer or apologist for the Chinese Communist Party’s dictatorship.

“I have never seen anything to make me suspect my husband has broken any law.

“I am not part of my husband’s business activities and neither I nor my children are part of this investigation, and we should not be treated by media organisations as though we are. Above all I expect media organisations to respect my children’s privacy.”

Taylor, 39, is listed as a “lobbyist” on Ms Reid’s MP registered interests.

Companies House names him as the director of Earthcott Limited, a public relations and communications firm.

Earlier, security minister Dan Jarvis said there will be “severe consequences” if it is proven that China attempted to interfere with UK sovereign affairs.

Mr Jarvis said the investigation “relates to China” and “foreign interference targeting UK democracy”.

He told MPs: “Let me be clear, if there is proven evidence of attempts by China to interfere with UK sovereign affairs, we will impose severe consequences and hold all actors involved to account.

“The Government is taking robust action to ensure the UK’s democratic institutions and processes are a hard target for this activity.

“The National Security Act provides our intelligence agencies and law enforcement with the modern legal tools they need to deter, detect and disrupt the full range of state threats.

“The action counter-terrorism police have been able to take this morning is an example that that legislation is working well.”

Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said: “We have seen a significant increase in our casework relating to national security in recent years, and we continue to work extremely closely with our partners to help keep the country safe and take action to disrupt malign activity where we suspect it.”

In addition to the addresses where the suspects were arrested, the Met said three other properties in London, East Kilbride in Scotland, and Cardiff have also been searched.

The force said the 39-year-old suspect was arrested in London, the 43-year-old man was arrested in Pontyclun in south Wales, and the 68-year-old was arrested in the county of Powys in mid-Wales – with all three being detained under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act.

Ms Flanagan added: “Today’s arrests are part of a proactive investigation and while these are serious matters, we do not believe there to be any imminent or direct threat to the public relating to this.

“Our investigation continues and we thank the public for their ongoing support.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “On Wednesday March 4 2026, we carried out a search of an address in East Kilbride on behalf of an investigation being led by Counter Terrorism Policing London.”

Kemi Badenoch said the Government must “treat China as the threat we all know it is”.

In a video posted on X, the Tory leader said: “China is targeting Britain, targeting our MPs. Enough.

“Keir Starmer chose to go to Beijing and boasted about opening a direct channel to President Xi without getting anything in return. That was a mistake.

“His Government has approved China’s mega-embassy in London. Worse than that, he’s making us even more reliant on Chinese goods for our energy security.

“The Government needs to stop being naive, grow a backbone and treat China as the threat we all know it is.”