Starmer faces urgent demands over China spy case collapse

The Prime Minister has said the previous Tory administration’s stance on China was the reason for the case being dropped (Leon Neal/PA) Leon Neal

Sir Keir Starmer (Labour) faces mounting pressure over the collapse of a high-profile espionage case after the country's chief prosecutor directly blamed government ministers for the prosecution's failure. The Prime Minister has insisted the previous Conservative administration's stance on China was the determining factor in the case being dropped.

Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson revealed that the Crown Prosecution Service had attempted to secure crucial evidence "over many months" but it had not been provided by the current administration. The government faces calls to explain the situation to Parliament following these extraordinary revelations.

The government has described China as a "sophisticated and persistent challenge" but Starmer defended his administration's position by pointing to the previous Tory government's approach. He argued that the Conservatives had also not classified China as a threat to national security when the alleged offences occurred, making their stance the relevant factor for the court case.

Case collapse details

The prosecution against Christopher Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry was abandoned on 15 September after both men denied charges under the Official Secrets Act. Critics have suggested that Starmer's efforts to build relations with the world's second-largest economy may have influenced the government's reluctance to label China a national security threat.

Cash had previously worked for senior Conservative MP Alicia Kearns, who has now called on ministers to "come clean" about the case's collapse. The government's cautious approach to Beijing's threat designation has become central to the controversy surrounding the failed prosecution.

Opposition demands transparency

Kearns told PA news agency: "For weeks, Labour have stonewalled the British people. Now the CPS has taken the extraordinary step of revealing our own Government refused to co-operate with them, confirming serious questions about constitutional impropriety."

The Conservative MP demanded immediate accountability from the government. She said: "The Government must come clean - who is responsible for spiking the prosecution? Continued stonewalling only invites further concern of concealment or conspiracy. Labour has managed to undermine our law enforcement, the security services and our prosecutors whilst sending a message to China and the British people that they won't defend our democracy."

Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Calum Miller criticised the government's approach to China policy. He said: "China is clearly a threat to UK national security. The head of MI6 said this in 2021. It is shocking that a case against two men accused of acting on China's behalf to acquire secret information from MPs has collapsed because Government ministers and officials have refused to confirm China is a menace."

Miller called for parliamentary oversight and comprehensive investigation into the government's protection of British democracy. He said: "The Government should tell Parliament who made the decision not to provide evidence to the CPS. The Intelligence and Security Committee should investigate whether the Government is doing enough to protect our democracy and national security from China. Instead of trying to win favour with Beijing ahead of a visit next year, the Prime Minister should show some backbone, call China out for its behaviour and place it - with Russia and Iran - on the enhanced tier of Firs."

Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.