Sir Keir Starmer is under mounting pressure over the collapse of the trial of alleged Chinese spies after the country’s chief prosecutor blamed ministers for failing to provide the crucial evidence needed to proceed.
The Prime Minister has insisted the previous Tory administration’s stance on China was the reason for the case being dropped, because it had not deemed Beijing to be a threat to national security.
The Government faces calls to explain the situation to Parliament after the director of public prosecutions (DPP) Stephen Parkinson said the Crown Prosecution Service had tried “over many months” to get the evidence it needed but it had not been forthcoming from Sir Keir’s administration.
Critics have pointed to Sir Keir’s attempts to build relations with the world’s second-biggest economy as a possible reason for the Government’s reluctance to label China an “enemy” or threat to national security.
The Government has labelled China a “sophisticated and persistent challenge” but Sir Keir said it was the previous government’s views which counted in the court case because that was what applied when the alleged offences occurred – and the Tories had not called Xi Jinping’s country a threat either.
The case against Christopher Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry – who both denied charges under the Official Secrets Act – was dropped on September 15.
Mr Cash had previously worked for senior Tory MP Alicia Kearns, who called on ministers to “come clean” about the collapse of the case following the DPP’s comments.
She told the 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 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 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.
“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 (the foreign influence registration scheme).”
