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22m ago

Opposition Presses Starmer Over Collapsed China Spy Case as No 10 Denies Interference

The CPS says it dropped the case because the government did not provide evidence that China met the required national security threat test.

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 03: Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage testifies before the House Judiciary Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on September 3, 2025 in Washington, DC. The committee held a hearing titled "European threats to American free speech and innovation." (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
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Flags are seen during the China-UK Energy Dialogue in Beijing in March 2025

Overview

  • Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch wrote to Keir Starmer seeking answers on any role played by national security adviser Jonathan Powell and on government interactions with the CPS before the charges were withdrawn.
  • Ministers are expected to face questions in the Commons today, with Security Minister Dan Jarvis due to give an update as opposition parties push for fuller parliamentary scrutiny.
  • Downing Street rejected claims that officials influenced the outcome to protect Chinese investment, insisting the decision to drop the case was entirely for the CPS and that no minister or adviser took any decision.
  • Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said Jonathan Powell had no involvement in the decisions, while minister Hamish Falconer said China poses specific security threats alongside areas where cooperation is necessary.
  • Focus is also on China’s proposed embassy at Royal Mint Court, which reports suggest could see a decision within days, as critics including the Liberal Democrats call for an inquiry into the case’s collapse.