Keir Starmer recently defended the government’s role in a significant Chinese espionage case that was dropped last month. The case against Christopher Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry was unexpectedly abandoned by the Crown Prosecution Service on September 15, leading to disappointment from Downing Street.
To prosecute under the Official Secrets Act, the prosecution needed to demonstrate that the defendants were working for an “enemy.” Starmer affirmed the government’s stance on branding China as a threat, indicating that such decisions would have been made during the previous administration.
Starmer clarified that the crucial factor was the designation in 2023 when the offense occurred, emphasizing that the government’s policy statements at that time were relevant and unchanged. He highlighted that prosecuting someone based on a designation not in place at the time was impractical.
When asked about his briefing on the government’s perspective, Starmer confirmed that he was being kept informed about the matter. The Director of Public Prosecutions, Stephen Parkinson, communicated his satisfaction with the initial decision to charge the two individuals under the 1911 Official Secrets Act in April 2024.
However, despite efforts to gather evidence over several months, it was later discovered that the evidence necessary to proceed with the case was unavailable. Parkinson explained that the case could not move forward once it became evident that the required evidence regarding China’s threat to national security was not forthcoming.
Both Cash and Berry have denied any wrongdoing in the case. Earlier in the week, No10 refuted claims that government interference had caused the case’s collapse.
