Labour MP Joani Reid 'voluntarily suspends herself' after husband arrested on suspicion of spying for China
Labour MP Joani Reid has voluntarily suspended herself from the party while an internal investigation takes place after her husband was arrested on suspicion of spying for China.
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It comes after David Taylor, her husband, and two other men were arrested by counter-terrorism officers at addresses in London and Wales.
Taylor, a former adviser to Welsh Labour politicians and former Labour candidate to become North Wales police and crime commissioner, has also been administratively suspended from the Labour Party pending the investigation.
In a statement, Ms Reid said: ”This week has been the worst of my life. The shock of recent days has been difficult for me and my family.
“I want to reiterate something very important: I am not under investigation by the police and no accusations have been against me. I have done nothing wrong. I love my country. To serve the people of East Kilbride and Strathaven as their MP and the Labour Party has been – and continues to be – the privilege of my life."
She added that speculation and gossip is currently "fevered" and doesn't want this to become a distraction for the Government, which she has been proud to serve.
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"I also do not want my children – who have nothing to answer for and who deserve privacy and compassion – to find themselves subject to intrusion," she added.
Ms Reid continued: “Following discussions with the Chief Whip, I am voluntarily suspending myself from the whip this evening and will not sit as a Labour MP until internal investigations are concluded. I will welcome and cooperate with any questions and worries the party may have.
“I, and my team, will continue to serve my constituents in the normal way as their Member of Parliament.”
Earlier, Ms Reid, who sat on the Home Affairs Select Committee and had been an MP for East Kilbride and Strathaven, said she had “never seen anything to make me suspect my husband has broken any law”.
“I am not any sort of admirer or apologist for the Chinese Communist Party’s dictatorship,” she added.
Taylor, 39, alongside two other men, have been released on bail until May, the Metropolitan Police said.
The three men were taken into custody for questioning by police before being released on bail.
The policing operation came as security minister Dan Jarvis told MPs Chinese officials in the UK and Beijing had been given a dressing down, and that the investigation relates to “foreign interference targeting UK democracy”.
Taylor is listed as a “lobbyist” on Ms Reid’s registered interests.
It comes after parliamentary staff were warned the risks from foreign state interference “are not receding” after the arrests.
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle told staffers in an email on Thursday they are a “critical part of our defence” against espionage.
In his message, Sir Lindsay wrote: “Yesterday, the Metropolitan Police Service arrested three individuals as part of an investigation into suspected National Security Act (2023) offences.
“The security minister, in his statement to the House yesterday afternoon, confirmed that these arrests relate to foreign interference activity targeting UK democracy.”
He reminded MPs’ staff to review guidance issued last autumn on how to identify and report foreign state activity targeting Parliament.
“Recent cases have shown that foreign state actors still rely on traditional methods to obtain information, including through recruiting of people to form relationships and provide information,” Sir Lindsay said, urging staff to report any “unusual approach” to the Parliamentary Security Department.
“Foreign state actors also commonly target electronic devices and communications to gather information. Simple steps can be taken to make it much harder for devices to be hacked and information to be stolen. “Everyone should be taking these steps to make ourselves a harder target.”
He also wrote that as MPs’ staff, “you are a critical part of our defence against foreign state activity”.
“The risks are not receding. We all need to take action to make Parliament and the parliamentary community more resilient to foreign state espionage and interference.”
A Labour Party spokesperson said: "Joani Reid has agreed to fully cooperate with the Labour Party's investigation into these matters. "
On David Taylor, a Labour Party spokesperson said: "These are incredibly serious allegations. We cannot comment further while the police investigation is ongoing."