Two men have been arrested under the UK‘s Official Secrets Act on suspicion of spying for China. One of the men, in his 30s, was detained in Oxfordshire on March 13, while the other, in his 20s, was arrested in Edinburgh.
The parliamentary researcher at the center of the allegations had links to several senior Conservative Members of Parliament, including security minister Tom Tugendhat and foreign affairs committee chairman Alicia Kearns. The arrests were made by officers from the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, which is investigating the case.
Searches were conducted at the residential properties of both men as well as at a third address in east London. The men were held at a south London police station and have been bailed until early October. Security minister Tom Tugendhat reportedly had no contact with the researcher since before he became security minister in September 2020. Foreign affairs committee chairman Alicia Kearns declined to comment but highlighted the need to ensure the work of the authorities was not jeopardized. The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China pressure group expressed concern at the infiltration of the UK parliament and called the allegations a serious escalation.
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