Police raid properties after Labour engulfed in ANOTHER Chinese spying scandal

Описание: A Labour MP has broken her silence after her husband was arrested on suspicion of spying for China.

Joani Reid said "I am not part of my husband's business activities" after David Taylor was arrested by counter-terrorism police.

Mr Taylor, 39, was amongst three men arrested on suspicion of assisting a Chinese intelligence agency.

And Labour MP Ms Reid, who sits on Parliament's Home Affairs Select Committee, said: “I have never seen anything to make me suspect my husband has broken any law.

“I am not part of my husband’s business activities and neither I nor my children are part of this investigation, and we should not be treated by media organisations as though we are. Above all I expect media organisations to respect my children’s privacy.”

The East Kilbride and Strathaven MP added: “I have never been to China. I have never spoken on China or China related matters in the Commons. I have never asked a question on China-related matters.

“As far as I am aware I have never met any Chinese businesses whilst I have been an MP, any Chinese diplomats or government employees, nor raised any concern with ministers or anyone else on behalf of, even coincidentally, Chinese interests.

“I am a social democrat who believes in freedom of expression, free trade unions and free elections. I am not any sort of admirer or apologist for the Chinese Communist party’s dictatorship.”

Mr Taylor is the head of programmes at the Asia House think tank, which tries to boost ties between Asia and Europe. He is understood to have worked for energy companies as a lobbyist and as a government special adviser in the Wales Office under the previous New Labour government.

The Metropolitan Police said a 39-year-old man was arrested in London, a 68-year-old man in Powys, mid-Wales, and a 43-year-old man in Pontyclun, South Wales.

They were detained on Wednesday on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service, contrary to section three of the National Security Act, 2023.

Police have searched homes in London, East Kilbride, in South Lanarkshire, and Cardiff.

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