Keir Starmer defended the government’s role in a significant Chinese spying case that was dropped last month. The case against Christopher Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry was suddenly abandoned by the Crown Prosecution Service on September 15. Downing Street expressed disappointment with the decision.
To prosecute the case under the Official Secrets Act, prosecutors needed to prove that the defendants were acting for an “enemy.” Mr. Starmer insisted that any decision to label China as a threat would have been made during the previous government’s term.
During his trip to India, Mr. Starmer emphasized the importance of the designation in 2023, the time of the offense, and stated that the government’s policy at the time remained unchanged. He clarified that prosecuting someone based on a designation not in place at the time would not be feasible.
Responding to questions about government briefings on the matter, Mr. Starmer confirmed that he was being kept informed as expected. This follows a letter from Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson to senior MPs regarding the case. Parkinson explained that despite efforts to gather evidence over several months, the case could not proceed as no evidence indicated that China posed a threat to national security at the time of the offense.
The government denied allegations of interference leading to the case’s collapse earlier in the week. Both Mr. Cash and Mr. Berry have denied any wrongdoing.