A UK parliamentary researcher with connections to senior MPs has been arrested on suspicion of spying for the Chinese regime, according to a report by The Times of London. The suspect, a male Briton in his late twenties, had studied and worked in China and had links to senior Conservative MPs with high-level security clearances. He had also contributed to shaping the UK’s China policy. Another man in his thirties was also arrested in the investigation. The Metropolitan Police said the men were arrested under suspicion of offenses under the Official Secrets Act. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak raised his concerns about interference in the UK’s parliamentary democracy with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
The parliamentary researcher, who was hired by an unnamed MP, had interactions with several senior Tory MPs including Alicia Kearns and Tom Tugendhat, according to the report. He had worked with MPs for a number of years on foreign policy, particularly regarding relations with Beijing. Security officials suspect that the Chinese regime may have recruited him as a sleeper agent when he was in China and deliberately sent him back to the UK to infiltrate the circle of politicians critical of the regime.
The report also stated that the man had been regularly complaining about China-sceptic MPs and had a particular issue with Iain Duncan Smith, who co-founded the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China. Luke de Pulford, the Executive Director of IPAC, had noticed consistent efforts from the researcher to smear IPAC MPs and label them as extreme on China policy. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that two men were arrested and released on police bail until October as part of an investigation into offenses under the Official Secrets Act.
This revelation comes amid renewed questioning of the UK government’s China policy and engagement with Beijing. The Chinese regime has been accused of overtly penetrating every sector of the UK’s economy, and ministers are facing scrutiny regarding their decision to label China as an “epoch-defining challenge.” Prime Minister Sunak defended the government’s engagement with China, stating that it is aligned with that of its allies and allows for direct expression of concerns. Shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds acknowledged China as a threat and called for a mix of cooperation and confrontation when necessary in dealing with the country.