PM Says He Will Publish Key Witness Statements In China Spy Case
The government will publish the statements after a "short process" (Alamy)
2 min read
The government will publish the witness statements in the collapsed China spying case, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced.
Starmer and his national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, have been under growing pressure over their role in the decision by the Crown Prosecution Service to drop charges against two British men accused of spying for China.
Labour has faced allegations by opposition parties of preventing the case against the two men, one of whom was a parliamentary researcher, from progressing to protect economic ties with Beijing.
On Monday, Downing Street said the claim that the government had collapsed the trial was “entirely false”.
The government has said that one person, the deputy national security adviser, Matthew Collins, decided what evidence to give to the CPS, without political interference, and that the issue relates to "antiquated legislation" that the previous Tory government failed to update.
Security minister Dan Jarvis on Monday blamed the Official Secrets Act for the collapse of the trial, accusing the Conservatives of failing to modernise the legislation while in government.
The charges against Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry – who deny the allegations – were dropped by the CPS in September, as the evidence “no longer met the test”.
Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Starmer told MPs that the government intended to publish the witness statements provided by Collins "in full" after a "short process".
Three witness statements produced in December 2023, February 2025 and August 2025 will be published, PoliticsHome understands.
"Last night, the Crown Prosecution Service clarified that, in their view, the decision whether to publish the witness statements of the DNSA [deputy national security advisor] is for the government," Starmer said.
He told MPs: "I have therefore carefully considered this question this morning, and after legal advice, I have decided to publish the witness statement.
"Given the input, given the information contained, we will conduct a short process. But I want to make clear, I intend to publish the witness statements in full."
But Starmer said the decision to now publish the witness statements had come after the CPS said on Tuesday night: “The statements were provided to us for the purpose of criminal proceedings which are now over.”
“The material contained in them is not ours, and it is a matter for the government, independently of the CPS, to consider whether or not to make that material public.”
Asked by senior Tory MP Tom Tugendhat whether Collins was subjected to political interference before providing evidence to with the CPS, the PM said there was "absolutely none".
