Official defends handling of spy case amid scrutiny

A UK minister has insisted the government didn’t intervene in an aborted prosecution of two men accused of spying for China amid growing scrutiny over the role of senior officials in the collapse of the case.

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Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson in London, Britain, on Sept 2. REUTERS

(REUTERS)

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told Sky News on Sunday the government is “very disappointed” that the prosecution collapsed, but reiterated that the decision was made by the Crown Prosecution Service. The director of public prosecutions had previously said the CPS was forced to drop the case because government officials refused to label China a national security threat — a key legal requirement under old espionage laws.