Ex-parliamentary researcher and second man in court over China ‘spy’ probe

Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle told MPs two people had been charged on a matter ‘relating to national security’ (David Mirzoeff/PA)

A former parliamentary researcher and a second man are set to appear in court charged with spying for China after an investigation by counter-terrorism police.

Christopher Cash, 29, from Whitechapel in east London, and Christopher Berry, 32, from Witney in Oxfordshire, are both accused of an offence under the Official Secrets Act.

The two men will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

It is alleged that between January 2022 and February 2023 Cash “for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the State, obtained, collected, recorded, published or communicated to any other person articles, notes, documents or information which were calculated to be, might be, or were intended to be, directly or indirectly, useful to an enemy”.

Berry is accused of the same offence between December 2021 and February 2023.

China has dismissed the charges as “self-staged political farce”.

Cash worked as a parliamentary researcher and was closely linked to senior Tories including Tom Tugendhat – now security minister – and Alicia Kearns, who serves as chairwoman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee.

The 29-year-old was director of the China Research Group, which was initially chaired by Mr Tugendhat and then Ms Kearns, and had a sceptical view of the UK’s relationship with Beijing.

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Counter Terrorism Command, previously said: “This has been an extremely complex investigation into what are very serious allegations.

“We’ve worked closely with the Crown Prosecution Service as our investigation has progressed and this has led to the two men being charged.

“We’re aware there has been a degree of public and media interest in this case, but we would ask others to refrain from any further comment or speculation, so that the criminal justice process can now run its course.”

Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle told MPs two people had been charged on a matter “relating to national security”, one of whom was a parliamentary pass holder.