US Edition
Starmer to face Commons grilling over China spy case as No 10 at odds with CPS
The Crown Prosecution Service dropped espionage charges due to insufficient evidence linking China to a national security threat, fueling political disputes ahead of PMQs.
- Downing Street clashed with the Crown Prosecution Service over releasing material, while Sir Keir Starmer announced witness statements will be published before Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday.
- Prosecutors concluded the government witness statement failed to meet the legal threshold, so charges against Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry were dropped last month.
- Cabinet Secretary Chris Wormald had been prepared to publish Matthew Collins's statement, but Crown Prosecution Service lawyers blocked it, saying publication is a Government decision.
- The Prime Minister is under mounting pressure after No 10 accused the CPS of blocking publication of a key witness statement, intensifying calls from Liberal Democrats to avoid suspicions of a cover-up.
- Labour blames the Conservatives for failing to update the law, arguing this collapse reflects their failure to designate China a threat and update legislation before 2021–2023.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Keir Starmer tears into Kemi Badenoch over China spy case collapse accusations
Keir Starmer hit back at Kemi Badenoch’s claims during Prime Minister’s Questions that the Labour government was responsible for the collapse of the China spy case. Christopher Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry, who have both consistently maintained their innocence, were charged with allegedly spying for China between 2021 and 2023. The case was dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service last week because evidence coul…
Keir Starmer failed to put a lid on the China spy story at PMQs
Keir Starmer did not go into Prime Minister’s Questions with the intention of resolving the row over the collapse of the Chinese spying case: he merely wanted to avoid the pressure building too much. He announced in a long statement at the start of the session that the government would be publishing its three witness
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