The intelligence service put out guidance to MPs and peers on how to counter ‘espionage and foreign interference’ amidst a row over the collapse of a major China spy case
Politicians and their staff have been warned by MI5 that they are being targeted by spies from countries like China, Russia and Iran to undermine British democracy.
The intelligence service put out guidance to MPs and peers on how to counter “espionage and foreign interference” in a warning following a row over the collapse of a major spying case.
The document said: “The UK is a target of long-term strategic foreign interference and espionage from elements of the Russian, Chinese and Iranian states which, in different ways, seek to further their economic and strategic interests and cause harm to our democratic institutions.”
And MPs, peers, councillors, candidates and parliamentary staff were warned: “You are a potential target.”
Security Minister Dan Jarvis said the Government was “gravely concerned” about the security of Parliament, and MI5 would take steps to protect “democratic institutions” from espionage.
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He faced a grilling from MPs on Monday after charges against Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry – two British men accused of spying for China – were dropped in September. They deny any wrongdoing.
The collapse of the case sparked a rare intervention from the director of public prosecutions (DPP), Stephen Parkinson, who said evidence could not be obtained from the Government referring to China as a national security threat.
Reports have claimed the Treasury and national security adviser Jonathan Powell pushed for the case to be withdrawn to avoid China withdrawing investment in the UK.
But Mr Jarvis blasted the allegations, saying: “The DPP has given his assurance that the CPS were not influenced by any external party, any member of this government, nor any senior civil servant or special adviser working within it.
“And I want to be clear again today, as the Government has before that suggestions that the Government concealed evidence, withdrew witnesses, or restricted the ability of witnesses to draw on particular bits of evidence are all untrue.”
He accused Tory leader Kemi Badenoch of spreading “baseless smears” and said that part of the problem was the last Tory government failed to update the outdated Official Secrets Act.
She told MPs: “This wasn’t a mistake, this wasn’t a misunderstanding. This looks like a deliberate decision to collapse the case and curry favour with the regime in China, and instead of admitting this, the security minister has come here blaming the Official Secrets Act, but we know that the Act was enough to prosecute this case.”
Mr Jarvis replied: “For days, the party opposite has been making baseless claims that this Government deliberately collapsed an independent legal process through political interference. There is not a shred of evidence to back up any of those accusations that she’s made.”
Setting out the current Government’s position, Mr Jarvis said: “We fully recognise that China poses a series of threats to UK national security, yet we must also be alive to the fact that China does present us with opportunities. It is the world’s second-largest economy and, together with Hong Kong, the UK’s third-largest trading partner.
“The only way to act in the UK’s best interest is to take a long-term and strategic approach. This means working in close co-ordination with Five Eyes and wider allies to build collective resilience against the threats that China poses, investing in our intelligence services and being unequivocal about our position on human rights.
“It also means developing a consistent and pragmatic approach to economic engagement without compromising on our national security.”
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