Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has dismissed claims that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s national security adviser Jonathan Powell was involved in the collapse of a high-profile espionage case against two men accused of spying for China.
The charges against Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry, who both denied the allegations, were dropped last month after prosecutors said the government failed to provide key evidence linking China to national security threats.
Speaking to the BBC, Phillipson said:
“I can give you that reassurance, he did not have those conversations around the substance or the evidence of the case.”
Phillipson added that ministers were “deeply disappointed that the case hasn’t proceeded” and stressed that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) was best placed to explain why it could not move forward with prosecution.
Her comments follow criticism from Conservative MPs, who accused the government of withholding documents that could have demonstrated China’s espionage activities in the UK. The Director of Public Prosecutions, Stephen Parkinson, revealed that the case collapsed because the government did not provide evidence referring to China as a national security threat.
Conservative MPs have demanded an urgent parliamentary explanation, claiming Powell’s pro-engagement stance with Beijing may have influenced the decision. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said ministers “must urgently explain why” they withheld evidence, adding that Powell “should resign if he is responsible.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, currently visiting India, defended his government’s position, saying prosecutors could only act based on the policy in place at the time when the previous Conservative government had labeled China an “epoch-defining challenge.”
Meanwhile, Liberal Democrats warned that the government’s approach to China was endangering national security, urging it to block plans for a new Chinese embassy in London, which they say could facilitate espionage “on an industrial scale.”
The case’s collapse has reignited debates over the UK’s stance toward China and its ability to prosecute alleged espionage under existing laws.
