Christopher Cash acquitted of spying for China

Former parliamentary researcher Christopher Cash has been acquitted of spying for China after prosecutors dropped charges against him and his former friend Chris Berry. The Crown concluded there was insufficient evidence to proceed with the allegations, which concerned the alleged passing of state secrets between 2021 and 2023.

Both men had maintained their innocence. Mr Cash has alleged that he became a “convenient fall guy” for British police and security services. He suggested authorities were keen to highlight espionage threats from foreign states, following a government warning that UK officials were being targeted across politics, defence, and business.

Case collapse and legal challenges

The collapse of the case has led to a political dispute, with the government attributing the failure to outdated UK spying laws. These laws have since been updated. The prosecution's case reportedly hinged on the nature of the Chinese threat to Britain and whether it qualified as an “enemy” under the 1911 Official Secrets Act.

In an interview with the BBC, Mr Cash, who previously worked for the China Research Group, stated, “I understand that the police, the security services, want to put the China espionage or all state threats on the map but I became the convenient fall guy for everyone.” He suggested the case was pursued as a warning to others.

Alleged meeting and political connections

The case also involved messages detailing an alleged meeting between Mr Berry and a Chinese official. This official reportedly inquired about the 2022 Conservative leadership race. Mr Berry described the encounter in a voice note, stating the official asked via an interpreter about the UK political situation. Mr Berry later contested that he met with an official as senior as Cai Qi, an aide to Xi Jinping.

Mr Cash claimed his messages to Mr Berry, who he met in 2018 while both taught English in China, were a “tongue-in-cheek joke” as he considered his friend a critic of the Chinese Communist Party. He admitted to being “unprofessional and naive” in sending “gossiping” texts. Mr Cash stated he no longer considers Mr Berry a friend and wished he had recognised the danger earlier.

Further alleged messages suggested Beijing was concerned about the potential promotion of a UK MP it had sanctioned. Tom Tugendhat, a vocal critic of the CCP, was sanctioned by China. He was later appointed security minister and China lifted sanctions against him in January this year. There is no evidence within the messages that Mr Cash was paid by or sympathetic to the CCP, the BBC reported.