Kemi Badenoch has accused the government of a “cover-up” over the collapse of a China spy trial.
The Tory leader said there were a “lot of questions to answer” as to why the trial involving two men did not proceed.
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It is expected that ministers will have to answer questions about the case today, as parliament returns from recess.
In particular, there are questions around the role played by Jonathan Powell, the prime minister’s national security adviser, in the trial not going ahead.
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Ministers have repeatedly said Mr Powell played no role in the decisions that led to the collapse of the trial – but Ms Badenoch said she was “worried that there is a cover up taking place”.
Speaking to broadcasters in Grantham today, Ms Badenoch said: “We will be making sure that we ask questions in parliament about exactly who knew what, where and when, but Jonathan Powell certainly has questions to answer.”
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She refuted suggestions from ministers that Mr Powell had had no involvement in the collapse of the trial, saying: “We are seeing information that contradicts that.
“That is why it is very important that the government come clean about who knew what, where, when, and why this has happened.”
Former parliamentary researcher Christopher Cash, 30, of Whitechapel, east London, and teacher Christopher Berry, 33, of Witney, Oxfordshire, were charged with passing politically sensitive information to a Chinese intelligence agent between December 2021 and February 2023. They have both denied the allegations.
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Over the past week, Sir Keir Starmer, his ministers and Mr Powell have faced accusations they were involved in the trial being dropped.
Last week Stephen Parkinson, the director of public prosecutions and the head of the Crown Prosecution Service, took the unusual step of sending MPs a letter to claim that the government repeatedly refused to provide evidence that China represented a national security threat at the time of the allegations.
Mr Parkinson said the CPS had tried “over many months” to get the evidence it needed to carry out the prosecution, but it had not been forthcoming from the government.
Downing Street also said today it was “entirely false” to suggest the government influenced the collapse of the case because of concerns Beijing could withdraw investment in the UK.
Asked about reports in the Sunday Times which suggested a decision was taken high up in government to abandon the case, the prime minister’s official spokesman told reporters: “It is entirely false. The CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) decision to drop the case was entirely a matter for the CPS.
“There was no role for any member of this government, no minister, or special adviser, to take any decision in relation to this case. That is entirely for the CPS.”
The government had argued that China needed to have been branded an “enemy” during the period it was accused of spying for the prosecution to go ahead – effectively blaming the previous Conservative government.
The Conservatives claim the government’s rationale is an excuse because it had said many times Beijing was a national security threat while it was in government.
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The prime minister has said he wanted to be “absolutely clear no ministers were involved” in any decisions relating to the case, but notably sidestepped answering whether Mr Powell was involved.
Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, yesterday gave the government’s most definitive answer yet about whether Mr Powell was part of the reason the case was dropped weeks before they were set to go on trial.
Asked on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips if she could assure him that the national security adviser played no role in the decision, Ms Phillipson said: “Yes, I can give that assurance.
“We’re very disappointed that the CPS were not able to take forward the prosecution.”
The Liberal Democrats have called on the government to hold an inquiry into the collapse of the case.
Calum Miller, the party’s foreign affairs spokesman, said the case had “exposed appalling gaps in our government’s ability and willingness to challenge China’s espionage efforts”.
“We cannot let the government sweep this case under the rug in its efforts to cosy up to President Xi. An inquiry – preceded by rigorous scrutiny through parliament – would provide the answers the public deserves.”
