Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD
Get unlimited access to 10,000+ magazines, newspapers and Premium stories for just
Arrested aide insists that he has never spied for China
The Independent
|September 12, 2023
No 10 is under pressure to reveal when it knew of arrest as it emerged the researcher worked with senior Conservatives
A Commons researcher arrested on suspicion of spying for Beijing has insisted he is innocent, claiming he tried to warn others about the threats posed by China.
In an extraordinary statement, the parliamentary aide, who worked closely with senior Tories, declared the allegations would be “against everything I stand for”.
It came as pressure mounted on Rishi Sunak over allegations of an attack on the heart of British democracy, with the government signalling a potential crackdown on Chinese influence.
Deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden described China as the “number one state-based threat” to the UK, a shift in stance. He also told MPs there was a “strong case” for greater monitoring of the activities of those who work for China.
It came as:
The researcher, who had links with Ms Kearns and the security minister Tom Tugendhat, was arrested in March.
This story is from the September 12, 2023 edition of The Independent.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM The Independent
The Independent
It's only flu' left me needing a double lung transplant
Three years ago, I found out the hard way just how crippling the flu can be.
4 mins
December 19, 2025
The Independent
Surely Villa can't keep up their illogical title challenge
It could amount to a triumph of reason. Arsenal top the Premier League table after seeming to plan for every eventuality, fill in every gap in the squad, take care of every small detail.
3 mins
December 19, 2025
The Independent
It betrays a lack of class to diss our taste for nostalgia
Earlier this week, a solicitor found herself at the centre of a minor internet firestorm after hosting what she described on social media as a “council estate dinner”.
4 mins
December 19, 2025
The Independent
Child intensive care cases rise as superflu floods wards
The number of children admitted to intensive care beds is on the rise as flu admissions to hospitals reach a record for this time of year.
2 mins
December 19, 2025
The Independent
BANANAS REPUBLIC
Cole Escola's hilarious Broadway smash, 'Oh Mary!', which imagines Abraham Lincoln's wife as a nightmarish clown, will delight audiences in London
2 mins
December 19, 2025
The Independent
Autism cases ‘will remain trapped despite law change’
Thousands of patients with learning disabilities will remain trapped in hospitals despite “milestone” changes to the Mental Health Act, campaigners have warned.
3 mins
December 19, 2025
The Independent
Bank drops interest rates to three-year low of 3.75%
Interest rates have been reduced to their lowest in nearly three years as Budget measures are set to push down on inflation, although the Bank of England cautioned that further cuts will be a “closer call”.
2 mins
December 19, 2025
The Independent
This will consign unfair and outdated treatment to history
For too long, our mental health laws have been a relic of another era. The 1983 Mental Health Act is older than many of the clinicians now working under it.
2 mins
December 19, 2025
The Independent
McIlroy ends 'dream year' by winning elusive trophy
Rory McIlroy ended the “year dreams are made of” by adding the Sports Personality of the Year award to his memorable triumphs at the Masters and Ryder Cup after being voted winner of the prestigious BBC prize for the first time.
3 mins
December 19, 2025
The Independent
Do you ever ignore Foreign Office advice on your trips?
Q You wrote about Guatemala’s tourism minister criticising the Foreign Office travel advice for his country. Do you scrupulously follow the rules, Simon?
1 mins
December 19, 2025
Translate
Change font size