3 hours ago
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PA Media/Asia House
Scottish Labour MP Joani Reid and her husband David Taylor
Three men have been released on bail, including the husband of a Labour MP, after being arrested on suspicion of spying for China, the Metropolitan Police said.
David Taylor, 39, who is married to East Kilbride and Strathaven MP Joani Reid, along with two men, 43 and 68, are accused of assisting a foreign intelligence service.
The men, who have not been named by police, were arrested by counter-terrorism officers at addresses in London and Wales on Wednesday.
Following Taylor's arrest, Reid said in a statement that she was "not part of" her husband's business activities and she had never seen anything to make her suspect he had "broken any law".
Taylor is a former adviser to Welsh Labour politicians and former Labour candidate to become North Wales police and crime commissioner.
He was arrested in London, the 43-year-old man in Pontyclun in south Wales, and the 68-year-old suspect in the county of Powys in mid-Wales.
Police searched the addresses of where the men were arrested, as well as properties in London, East Kilbride and Cardiff.
All three have been accused of assisting a foreign intelligence service under section three of the National Security Act, which was introduced in 2023 to target suspects accused of working against UK interests, the police added.
The Met said they were supported by counter-terror police in Wales and in Scotland.
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said the force does not believe there to be "any imminent or direct threat" related to the arrests.
On Thursday, Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle sent an email to parliamentary staff warning the risks of Chinese spying "are not receding".
He reminded staff to look at the guidance in place on how to identify and report foreign state activity that targets Parliament.
"Recent cases have shown that foreign state actors still rely on traditional methods to obtain information, including through recruiting of people to form relationships and provide information," Sir Lindsay said.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis told the Commons on Wednesday that the arrests related to alleged "foreign interference targeting UK democracy".
Sir Lindsay added that foreign state actors often target electronic devices and communications to gain information, and simple steps can be taken to make it harder for this to happen.
He told staff that they were "a critical part of our defence against foreign state activity".
