Ex-Labour special adviser from N.Wales arrested on suspicion of spying for China

A FORMER Labour special adviser originally from Ruthin has been named as one of three men arrested on suspicion of spying for China.

- By OWEN HUGHES

David Taylor, the husband of Scottish Labour MP Joani Reid, was special adviser to Peter Hain when he was Welsh secretary and also previously worked for Senedd member Leighton Andrews when he was a backbencher.

He was also selected as Labour's candidate as police and crime commissioner in North Wales in 2016 but was defeated by Plaid’s Arfon Jones.

In a statement issued after three men were arrested on Wednesday, Ms Reid said she had “never seen anything to make me suspect my husband has broken any law”.

Ms Reid, who sits on the Home Affairs Select Committee and represents East Kilbride and Strathaven, added: “I am not any sort of admirer or apologist for the Chinese Communist Party’s dictatorship.”

The Metropolitan Police confirmed three men - aged 39, 43 and 68 - were held by counter-terrorism officers in London and Wales accused of aiding a foreign intelligence service.