Pressure on Downing Street to release evidence in collapsed China spy case

"Downing Street is under pressure to publish its evidence in the collapsed China spy case after the Crown Prosecution Service denied having blocked its release. Keir Starmer is likely to come under scrutiny at prime minister's questions on Wednesday after the CPS said it was up to the government to release the evidence. The government has faced mounting pressure over its handling of the collapsed trial of Christopher Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry, a teacher."

"Chris Wormald, the cabinet secretary, had gone to the CPS to discuss the publication of a witness statement central to the withdrawal of espionage charges against the two British men. It was that witness statement by Matthew Collins, the deputy national security adviser, that the CPS deemed did not meet the threshold for proceeding with the trial of the two alleged spies because it did not show China posed a threat to national security at the time the alleged offences occurred."

Downing Street is facing demands to publish evidence after the Crown Prosecution Service said it did not block release and that publication decisions rest with the government. Two men, Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry, had espionage charges dropped after prosecutors concluded a witness statement by Matthew Collins did not meet the threshold to show a national security threat at the time. No 10 sources said Cabinet Secretary Chris Wormald raised publication with the CPS, and prosecutors reportedly considered publishing outside court inappropriate. The CPS denied government claims and urged the government to decide whether to make the material public. The Liberal Democrats called for full publication.

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