UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – British PM Sir Keir Starmer confirmed the release of a key China spy witness statement that influenced the CPS decision to drop spying charges.
As reported by The Guardian, Sir Keir Starmer said Downing Street will publish a witness statement from the deputy national security adviser, who played a crucial role in ending spying charges.
Keir Starmer’s views on releasing the China spy witness statement
At the start of PMQs, Keir Starmer told MPs that Matthew Collins’ statement would be made public following a brief process to verify what information could be released.
Mr Starmer’s announcement came after the Crown Prosecution Service said it did not block the release of the witness statement. The case against former researcher Christopher Cash and teacher Christopher Berry was no longer active.
The prime minister said,
“I therefore carefully considered this question this morning, and after legal advice, I have decided to publish the witness statement. 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.”
The clash took centre stage during exchanges between Mr Starmer and Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, with the PM accusing her of making a “completely scurrilous” claim of a cover-up.
The Labour leader said the case was withdrawn due to the previous government’s failure to classify China as a threat. “It was their failure and they are just slinging mud,” he added.
Mr Starmer stated,
“To be clear, had the Conservatives been quicker in updating our legislation – a review that started in 2015 – these individuals could have been prosecuted, and we would not be where we are.”
He said Mr Collins was “a civil servant of the utmost integrity” and that his witness statement was provided without any political input or interference.
Mr Starmer added,
“I can’t say what the position was of the previous government in relation to the involvement of ministers or special advisers. If the leader of the opposition knows the answer to that question, and I suspect that she does, I invite her to update the house.”
The Labour leader confirmed that the September meeting did not involve any discussion of the case evidence.
He said,
“There was a meeting in September that did not involve the National Security Advisor discussing the evidence in any way… One further piece of evidence, the final statement in this case, was submitted in August 2025. There was no further submission of evidence, one way or the other after any discussion in September.”
What did Kemi Badenoch say about the collapse of the China spy case?
Kemi Badenoch said the trial fell apart due to Keir Starmer’s administration and accused the prime minister of misleading the public about the events.
She said,
“The charges were brought under us, the case collapsed under them. Can the prime minister tell us what changed and what collapsed the case?”
Ms Badenoch asked whether national security adviser Jonathan Powell had been involved and called for the release of all minutes and correspondence with the CPS.
She stated,
“Exactly as I expected, the prime minister had to be dragged out at the top of PMQs to give a statement that answers no questions.”
The Tory leader added,
“He had to be dragged out to repeat only more obfuscation. It is simply unbelievable that he is trying to say the last government did not classify China as a threat.”
What did the CPS say about the release of the Chinese spy witness statement?
The complex legal dispute centres on Keir Starmer’s government appearing unwilling to declare China a threat to UK national security, considered necessary for prosecution under the Official Secrets Act.
The CPS said it would not block the release of Mr Collins’ statement, which had been central to the decision not to proceed to trial.
It added,
“The material contained in [the statement] 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.”
What did Daisy Cooper say about UK safety concerns for Hong Kongers?
The Liberal Democrats said Hong Kongers in Britain are questioning whether Keir Starmer is putting their safety at risk to improve relations with Beijing.
Daisy Cooper, the party’s deputy leader, stated,
“Hong Kongers in St Albans and across the UK have settled in our communities after they have fled repression at the hands of the Chinese state.”
She said,
“But now they see a British Government that wants to make it harder for Hong Kongers to settle here permanently, that refuses to impose targeted sanctions on Chinese officials who put bounties on Hong Kongers heads, that is refusing to rule out a Chinese super embassy and is failing to tackle Chinese espionage.”
Ms Cooper stated,
“Hong Kongers are starting to ask whether the Prime Minister is trading away their security and safety in our communities for a cosier relationship with Beijing. What is the Prime Minister’s answer to them?”
Sir Keir responded,
“The answer is no, and we have given and will continue to give support to Hong Kongers who need and deserve that support.”
Tom Tugendhat’s stance on Keir Starmer and the China spy case
The former Conservative security minister, Tom Tugendhat, accused the government of setting up straw men and attacking claims that do not exist.
He told the Commons,
“The lines that we heard from the Government in recent days have been a conflation of fabricated stories trying to set up straw men and knock down things that have not been said. The real question in this whole debate is whether or not the DPP (director of public prosecutions) charged legally and properly.”
Mr Tugendhat said,
“If they did, then the OSA (Official Secrets Act) is valid, and all this talk about the National Security Act that I introduced is completely irrelevant. If they did not, why is he not charging his successor with abuse of power?”
He continued,
“Although he has answered the question about evidence, the real question is, what political direction did this government give to their officials before they went to give evidence?”
The prime minister responded, “I was the chief prosecutor for five years, and I can say in that five years, which included three years under the coalition government when we were taking difficult decisions on MPs expenses, not once, not once, was I subjected to political pressure of any sort from anyone.”
Keir Starmer added,
“That is the tradition in this country. It’s a proud tradition. It’s one I uphold as Prime Minister, just as I upheld it when I was director of public prosecutions.”
What did Number 10 say about Keir Starmer and the China spy case collapse?
Downing Street confirmed the Prime Minister saw the government’s evidence for the first time on Wednesday morning.
A Number 10 spokesman stated,
“The Prime Minister was made aware of the possibility of the trial not proceeding just a couple of days before the court was informed. The Prime Minister had not seen these witness statements until this morning.”
Downing Street said the “fullest version possible” of government evidence in the collapsed China spy case will be made public.
A Number 10 spokesman stated,
“Prior to last night, the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) had made clear that witnesses have an expectation that their evidence will not be publicly discussed in those circumstances.”
He said,
“The CPS had also advised that to do so, or to do so in some cases, but not in others, would likely affect the confidence of witnesses in coming forward and hamper the interests of justice.”
The official spokesman added,
“However, given the CPS has now greenlit the publication, we will release the three statements from the DNSA (deputy national security adviser Matt Collins) after a short process. We will release the fullest version possible.”
What is the case of the Chinese spies?
Two British men, Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry, were charged under the Official Secrets Act in April 2024 for allegedly sharing information with a suspected Chinese spy. Both denied wrongdoing.
In late 2025, the prosecution dropped the case due to insufficient evidence and legal uncertainty over China’s threat status. The collapse drew political criticism, with the government denying interference and allies warning it could affect intelligence sharing.