'Contempt!' Fury as Keir Starmer refuses to come clean over collapse of China spy case

Sir Keir Starmer has been blasted after refusing to come clean about why the Government allowed a crucial Chinese spy case to collapse. It has emerged that the Government refused to brand China an "enemy" in court, a prerequisite to a successful trial under the Official Secrets Act.

Jonathan Powell, Sir Keir's national security adviser and the man behind the surrender of the Chagos Islands, reportedly told a Whitehall meeting that the Government could not describe China as an "enemy" while simultaneously trying to build diplomatic links to boost the economy. Mr Powell has refused to appear before the Joint Committee on National Security Strategy, despite his predecessors offering themselves up to Parliament for scrutiny. Tory MP Alicia Kearns, who employed one of the men involved in the spying trial, blasted: "Enough is enough, the Government is treating Parliament with contempt by refusing to have Powell give evidence, not just on whether he had any role in the spiking of the CPS' [Crown Prosecution Service] prosecution, but on more matters of national interest such as his role in the act of national self-harm that is the Chagos deal."

Fellow MP Sir Gavin Williamson, who sits on the security committee, demanded: "It's quite clear that there are really serious questions that need to be answered by Jonathan Powell.

"If this has been the case, it raises deep, deep concerns about what has been happening, and seemingly putting the security of our democratic institutions behind a desperate desire to kowtow to Chinese political and business interests.

"It's quite clear he needs to be brought before Parliament to either set the record straight or account for highly dubious accusations."

Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry were accused of passing more than 30 reports about the previous Tory government's China policy to Beijing.

Both men denied any wrongdoing and it is now unlikely they will ever face trial after the Government sabotaged the case.

It is believed the trial collapsed purely because the Government refused to provide evidence to pass the Official Secrets Act's "enemy" test.

Top Tory Alex Burghart now said Labour "have serious questions to answer about the collapse of the China spy case".

"Why were the charges dropped?" he asked. "Did they lean on the CPS? And did Jonathan Powell act with Starmer's approval?

"Labour must urgently come clean with Parliament and the public, and we will force them to do so by laying questions in the House of Commons."

Mr Powell was Tony Blair's chief of staff during the last Labour government and took up the job of national security adviser last year.

The Government has already been accused of risking Britain's national security on China, with the expected approval of Europe's first "mega embassy" in London.

However, many fear the huge Chinese embassy near the Tower of London will be a spy hub that could even be used to torture enemies of the Chinese state living in Britain.