Kemi Badenoch demands Keir Starmer appears before MPs over China spy scandal

Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir Starmer to appear before MPs to answer questions over the China spy scandal. The Tory leader has written to the Prime Minister demanding that either he or a senior minister gives a statement to the House of Commons on the collapse of the trial of two alleged Chinese spies.

The case against 30-year-old Christopher Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, and 33-year-old Christopher Berry, a teacher, was dropped last month after the Government failed to provide evidence designating China as a threat to national security. They both denied the charges.

In her letter, Mrs Badenoch said: "It seems that you and your ministers have been too weak to stand up to Beijing on a crucial matter of national security.

"Your Government's account of what has happened has changed repeatedly. Instead of setting out the full facts before the House of Commons today, you are planning to travel to the Middle East.

"If you will not make a statement yourself, will you instruct a senior minister to clear things up once and for all through a full Parliamentary statement? The public and Parliament deserve answers and transparency."

It comes as Cabinet minister Bridget Phillipson yesterday [SUN] insisted the Prime Minister's national security adviser played no role in the collapse of the case.

The Sunday Times reported that in a meeting last month, Jonathan Powell revealed the Government's evidence would be based on the national security strategy, which was published in June and does not refer to Beijing as an "enemy".

The paper quoted a source saying a minister was told during a call with a Cabinet minister around six weeks ago that the case was about to fall, with the accusation being "that Jonathan Powell in cahoots with the Treasury had been driving through that decision".

Asked whether Mr Powell had played any formal or informal role in the decision, Ms Phillipson told Sky News's Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: "Yes, I can give that assurance.

"We're very disappointed that the CPS were not able to take forward the prosecution."

But Tory shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said Ms Phillipson had made a "very bold statement" in claiming Mr Powell played no role.

She said she had seen "classified information" during her time in the previous Tory government which indicated China should be designated a threat.

Downing Street has previously denied any Government involvement in the collapse of the case.

The Prime Minister has blamed the Conservative administration in power at the time of the alleged offences between December 2021 and February 2023.

Sir Keir argued that the evidence should focus on the stated foreign policy position towards Beijing of the previous Tory government, which was to describe the country as an "epoch-defining challenge" rather than a threat.

Director of public prosecutions Stephen Parkinson said last week that the Crown Prosecution Service tried to obtain further evidence from the Government "over many months" but witness statements did not meet the evidence threshold.