Inquiry Reveals ‘Systemic Failures’ Rather Than Conspiracy

A recent UK parliamentary inquiry has shed light on the collapse of a high-profile spy case against two British men accused of spying for China. The case, which involved Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry, ultimately fell apart due to “systemic failures” rather than a government conspiracy. The inquiry, conducted by a cross-party committee of MPs and members of the House of Lords, revealed that the handling of the case was, at times, “shambolic.” The committee emphasized that reforms are necessary to prevent similar issues from arising in the future.

Cash and Berry, who deny any wrongdoing, were accused of passing secrets to Beijing between 2021 and 2023. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dropped the charges against them in September, citing the government’s failure to provide evidence that China posed a national security threat. The sudden dismissal of charges just before the start of a scheduled trial sparked speculation and accusations of a cover-up. However, the inquiry did not find any evidence of a “co-ordinated high-level” attempt to thwart the case or obstruct the prosecution.

Some had alleged that the government’s national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, had pushed for the case to be dropped due to concerns about China’s potential investment in Britain.