British parliamentarian Joani Reid (Labour) has had herself suspended following an internal party investigation into espionage for China, in which her husband is involved. She said this herself in a statement on Thursday.
Police arrested her husband, David Taylor, with two others earlier this week on suspicion of aiding a foreign intelligence service. That is according to the Metropolitan Police in violation of a security law that came into effect in 2023, although police added that there was no immediate threat.
Taylor is himself a former adviser to the Labor Party. He has now been released on bail.
Following the arrest, Labor launched an investigation into the parliamentarian, who says she “voluntarily suspended” herself. The Labor politician indicates that she herself is not being investigated by the police and denies having ties to China or having made any mistakes in any way.
Reid says he will not sit as an MP “until the investigation is completed.”
Ties with Beijing
The news about the investigation comes at a sensitive time. The Labor government is trying to strengthen ties with Beijing – Keir Starmer made a working visit to China at the end of January – and was accused, mainly by Conservative Party parliamentarians, of being too naive about the possibility of cooperation with the country.
In 2023, British police arrested a House of Commons employee and a friendly academic on suspicion that the two passed on politically sensitive information to a Chinese intelligence officer.
Last year, the public prosecutor dropped the charges against them, saying there was insufficient evidence that China posed a threat to national security. This was widely seen in the UK as a politically motivated decision.
Early this year, concerns about Chinese interference were reignited when the government approved a controversial new Chinese embassy building near the Thames River. The complex is located between two financial districts, and crucial fiber optic cables run underground right next to the complex.
