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11h ago

UK Faces New Scrutiny Over Collapsed China Spy Case After Watchdog Probe and Treasury Audit Claims

Former top civil servants dispute the government’s explanation that prosecutors lacked contemporaneous evidence China was a national security threat.

Chris Cash, a parliamentary aide, arriving at the Old Bailey on Saturday
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - NOVEMBER 18: UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during a bilateral meeting with President Xi Jinping of China, at the Sheraton Hotel, as he attends the G20 summit in on November 18, 2024 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Keir Starmer is attending his first G20 Summit since he was elected Prime Minister of the UK. He is expected to hold talks with President Xi Jinping of China, the first time a UK PM has done so for six years. (Photo by Stefan Rousseau - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
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Christopher Berry, left, and Christopher Cash, right, were declared not guilty last month when the case collapsed

Overview

  • The Crown Prosecution Service dropped the case on 15 September after saying it did not receive witness statements asserting China was a threat at the time of the alleged offences, citing the 1911 Official Secrets Act and a recent High Court ruling.
  • On a visit to India, Keir Starmer said no ministers were involved in disclosure decisions and argued evidence had to reflect the UK’s 2021–23 position, when China was not officially designated a threat.
  • Independent reviewer of terrorism legislation Jonathan Hall KC said the public explanation is inadequate and confirmed he is investigating the episode.
  • Ex-cabinet secretaries Simon Case and Lord Mark Sedwill challenged the government’s stance, saying China has long been described by intelligence leaders as a threat, while some legal experts questioned the CPS interpretation of the evidential test.
  • City AM reported Treasury lobbying to block publication of a cross-Whitehall China audit that was folded into the national security strategy, and the shadow home secretary claimed the government withheld internal and MI5 material he says showed a 2021–23 threat.