Parliament must ‘challenge’ Labour’s handling of China spy case
Parliament has to “challenge the government’s handling” of the collapsed case against two men accused of spying for China, a senior Tory has told Morning Wire.
Speaking to Morning Wire, David Davis MP, stated the issue must go to Parliament, “given that the government has quite explicitly put commercial interest ahead of the security and integrity of the House of Commons.”
Christopher Cash (30), a former parliamentary researcher and director of the China Research Group, and Christopher Berry (33), a former English teacher in China, were charged last year with breaching section one of the 1911 Official Secrets Act.
Both men deny all allegations.
But one month before the trial was meant to begin, the case collapsed after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dropped the case without much explanation at the time.
Since then, questions have been raised in Whitehall over the government’s involvement.
The collapse of the spy trial
Questions have emerged about whether ministers or the national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, were involved in the decision to drop the espionage case against two men earlier this month.
However, the Prime Minister denies that ministers were involved.
“In the final analysis, if the government refuses to prosecute these people for allegedly spying, Parliament will have to attempt to do the task itself, if need be, through a private prosecution,” Davis suggested.
Speaker of the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, was reported to be so furious with the news he asked colleagues whether a private prosecution could be brought against the accused.
“In the first instance, I’m quite sure that Parliament will be demanding to hear the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth from government ministers when we return next week,” Davis added.
PM ‘must come to Parliament and explain’
Matt Vickers MP, shadow minister of State for crime, policing, and fire, and deputy Conservative Party chair, told Morning Wire, it is “inconceivable that ministers were unaware of the decision”.
“There are clear processes across government for briefing ministers on cases with national security implications,” he explained.
“ This case has all the hallmarks of a cover-up,” Vickers told Morning Wire.
“The government needs to wake up from its alarming complacency. The Prime Minister and his Attorney General must come to Parliament and explain how they allowed this case to collapse and what they are doing to protect Britain from further infiltration,” he added.
The minister went on to state that China poses a “persistent threat” to UK national security. He explained that Beijing has “increasing influence over our national infrastructure and businesses, including London-listed companies such as Anglo American“.
Earlier this week, even the Director of Public Prosecutions, Stephen Parkinson, blamed the government, saying the CPS tried to take evidence from the government “over many months” but failed to gain enough.
In a letter on Tuesday, Parkinson said prosecutors had sought clarity from the government on whether it confirmed that China was labelled a threat necessary for the case to proceed.
However, Nick Vamos, head of business crime and investigations at Peters & Peters, and a former head of special crime at the CPS, told Morning Wire the explanation “doesn’t add up.”