Gail Downey: UK correspondent reveals why UK China spying case was dropped

Top British security officials will face questions over an aborted China spying case brought by its chief prosecutor, which collapsed as it is seeking to rebuild economic ties with the country.

The case against Christopher Berry and Christopher Cash, who were charged last year under the Official Secrets Act over allegations they spied for China between 2021 and 2023, was dropped last month.

UK correspondent Gail Downey explained further.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Gail Downey, UK correspondents with US. Hello Gail, Hello there, Gail.
The spy case and the government's involvement is fascinating. Run
me through it.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Oh, it's been rumbling on for some time. So it's
now been revealed that the case against two men, a
teacher and a parliamentary researcher accused of spying for China
collapsed because the Director of Public Prosecutions, which is the
UK's most senior prosecutor, couldn't get any evidence from the government.

(00:31):
He said there was evidence to prosecute when the case
was originally brought last April. However, and precedent has been
set by another spying case which has raised the threshold
for a conviction. So under the last government, their assessment
of China was that it was an epoch defining challenge

(00:53):
of a country, but nothing more. To be able to
get a case for spying now you have to have
evidence which represents China as a threat to national security
at the time of the alleged defenses, which the previous government,

(01:14):
which is when these alleged defenses took place, and both
men deny they deny the charges, that wasn't available. Therefore,
case thrown out that's it.

Speaker 1 (01:23):
Well can they not though this so does it have
to they have been at the time, like concurrent with
the alleged spying, the government had to have seen China
as as some sort of a national security threat or
can they now declare them a national security threat thereby
allowing them to take the spying case.

Speaker 2 (01:40):
No, the Prime Ministers Kistoma has said that's just not possible.
It has to be at the time, and of course
he's a lawyer and that's what's been decided.

Speaker 1 (01:50):
Yeah, he would know. Okay, what's going on with this
company that's been housing the asylum seekers.

Speaker 2 (01:55):
Yeah, as you know asylum seekers, and the housing asylum
seekers has caused and upbrought here with protests outside asylum
seeking hotels. And this is a company called Clear Springs
Ready Homes, which supports around thirty thousand asylum seekers both
in England and Wales, and its subcontracts to hotels for
many of the islum seekers to provide accommodation for about

(02:18):
half that number. It began its contract under the previous
government in twenty nineteen and it's now been revealed over
the past five years they've made three hundred and sixty
million dollars in profit, despite claims of terrible conditions at
the hotel it uses. I mean charities, have you know

(02:39):
publicly shown inedible food, miserable conditions that people are living in. However,
it's one of three companies which has a ten year
contract with the Home Office to provide accommodation for asylum seekers,
and the contracts is expected to be over a ten
year period fourteen billion dollars.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
Wow, hey, but it's yes, carry on.

Speaker 2 (03:04):
Sorry, I was just going to say I was shocked
at that figure. But the fee is not thought to
be excessive. Right, well, for the size of the ten
I suppose what you.

Speaker 1 (03:14):
Consider as big as what as different to what I've considered.
Have you put that little parrot dog away by the way.

Speaker 2 (03:20):
Oh yes I have. I put her far far off.
That doesn't mean she's gone to a farm. She's actually
just sat in the car outside.

Speaker 1 (03:32):
Outside, Gail like you've you've you've had to remove the
dog from the inside of the house. Yes, because she
is so yippy.

Speaker 2 (03:40):
She's a jack Russell. Let me say so, anyone who's
ever owned a Jack Russell? Or no, they're very, very determined.
So it was either five minutes outside in her very
comfortable seat in the car, or the doors being pulled
off the hinges.

Speaker 1 (03:55):
Yes, possibly that, or just saying to newstalk Zip Drive,
no I can't I can't handle no fair enough, Hey Gail,
thank you so much. As always, we'll talk to you
again in a couple of days. Gal Downie and Forgaven Gray.
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