Calls for inquiry after China spy case is dropped, amid fears Britain a 'soft target'

Calls for an inquiry into the sudden dropping of a China espionage case intensified on Monday, as British lawmakers warned that the move could leave the country exposed to foreign espionage. The decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Stephen Parkinson, came just weeks before the case was due to reach the courts, prompting questions about the decision-making process and whether adequate public accountability will follow. The unfolding row also sparked talk of private prosecutions and other legal avenues as MPs consider how Parliament should respond to what they describe as a potentially dangerous signal to hostile states.

Former parliamentary aide Chris Cash, 30, and British teacher Chris Berry, 33, were arrested in 2023 and charged with passing secrets to Beijing under the Official Secrets Act. Their trial had been set to begin next month, but Prosecutor Tom Little KC told the Old Bailey on Monday that the case could not proceed. The abrupt dismissal has prompted questions about why the prosecution stopped so close to trial. A source familiar with events said the government may have sought to avoid the deputy national security adviser giving evidence in court, which would require him to acknowledge that the UK labeled China a hostile state. That acknowledgment would be politically awkward for Labour as it works to rebuild relations with Beijing ahead of an anticipated visit by Sir Keir Starmer next year.

Shadow national security minister Alicia Kearns called for an inquiry, saying: "This episode risks sending a troubling signal to hostile states engaged in espionage against the UK that Parliament is a soft target." The dismissal has left MPs angered by what they see as a failure to pursue accountability for potential breaches of national security. Cash, who had been described in reports as the director of an influential China policy group, and Berry denied the charges, and their case hinged on material that prosecutors argued showed attempted disclosure of secrets to an adversary. Cash later said publicly that his arrest had destroyed his life and the career he loved.

The case’s collapse has drawn fresh scrutiny of how espionage cases are handled in Britain and how much MPs should disclose about national security matters in court. Some MPs have suggested private prosecutions, while others have discussed suing the suspects for breach of privacy, signaling a broader debate about accountability and the boundaries of state secrecy. The incident comes as Labour seeks to manage the delicate balance of maintaining strong national security while pursuing constructive relations with Beijing, a task that remains central to Britain’s foreign policy as it looks toward next year’s planned engagements with China.

For now, the trajectory of the broader inquiry remains uncertain, but the consensus among several lawmakers is that Parliament cannot simply shrug off episodes in which prosecutions are halted without public explanation. The government has not publicly stated its reasons for the abrupt withdrawal, leaving room for further questions as the case reverberates through the political and security communities.