Chinese spies emboldened by decision not to charge men accused of espionage, Commons Speaker warns
Chinese spies have been emboldened by the decision to drop charges against two men accused of espionage, the Speaker of the House of Commons has warned.
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Sir Lindsay Hoyle has revealed he is considering legal action against two men who previously faced charges of targeting the China Research Group of MPs.
Mr Hoyle has written directly to new Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, highlighting his concerns over Chinese spies.
“As Speaker I take the security of this house incredibly seriously,” Mr Hoyle said.
Speaking to The Times, he added: “I believe this leaves the door open to foreign actors trying to spy on the House
“This door must be closed hard. We must pursue all avenues to ensure the protection of members and people that work within the House of Commons. It will not be tolerated.”
Christopher Cash, 30, from Whitechapel, east London, and Christopher Berry, 33, of Witney, Oxfordshire, were each charged with the offence of spying under the Official Secrets Act.
They were set to face trial in October, but proceedings against them were stopped on Monday, sparking criticism from Downing Street and MPs.
Stephen Parkinson, the chief prosecutor in England and Wales, said he shared "the disappointment, and indeed frustration, expressed by many Parliamentarians, as well as members of the public, that this prosecution had to stop".
He said the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which he leads, had determined the case had to be stopped because of "an evidential failure".
Mr Cash and Mr Berry had denied allegations that they collected and communicated information which could be "useful to an enemy" between December 2021 and February 2023.
On Monday they found out they no longer faced prosecution as Mr Little told the Old Bailey that the "evidential stage of the case" was "no longer met".