Priti Patel hints Conservatives will submit urgent question over government's handling of collapsed China spy trial

The Direct of Public Prosecutions appeared to point the finger at the government this week - complaining it hadn't labelled Beijing a security threat.

The case against Christopher Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry was dropped on September 15, sparking criticism from Downing Street and MPs from both sides of the political aisle.

Ministers have blamed the previous Conservative government for the collapse.

Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel has told Lewis Goodall the National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell and his relationship with China should be examined.

"Labour will have to come to Parliament tomorow and account now for everything that they do know and answer questions that they simply reufse to answer publicly," she said.

She went on: "Ministers are going to have to account for what the National Security Advisor knew, what his role has been in terms of cosying up to China.

"He's been involved in many meetings, many discussions with the Chinese.

"How much influence he has had in terms of government decision making and policy, where the government has stood on Chinese investment that has come to our country, and why on earth did this case collapse?"

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The decision to drop reportedly came after senior Whitehall officials met to discuss the trial, including Powell and the Foreign Office’s top civil servant Sir Oliver Robbins, according to the Sunday Times.

To prove the case under the Official Secrets Act 1911, prosecutors would have had to show the defendants were acting for an “enemy”.

Earlier on LBC, Bridget Phillipson, defended Powell insisting he wasn't involved in discussions about the trial.

She added discussions about the "substance or evidence" of the case didn't involve Powell.

The Education Secretary said: "Jonathan Powell was not involved in the evidence or the substance connected to this case and ultimately this was a matter for the Crown Prosecution Service."

Priti Patel says that's a "very bold statement".