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The researcher has worked with MPs on international policy and held a parliamentary pass for several years.
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A Tory parliamentary researcher arrested on suspicion of spying for China was the director of an influential policy group on Beijing co-founded by the security minister. Chris Cash, 28, was closely linked with Tom Tugendhat and was employed as a researcher by Alicia Kearns, chairwoman of the Commons’ foreign affairs committee.
The suspect is the son of a GP and grew up in a wealthy suburb of Edinburgh. He went to the fee-paying George Watson’s College, where he was a head of house, and later studied history at the University of St Andrews.
He became active on Westminster’s social scene and used a dating website, making several attempts last year to arrange a date with a political journalist.
When he was arrested in March a handful of ministers were informed but details of the alleged security breach were not made public until this weekend, prompting outrage from MPs who were left in the dark. The Times was unable to reach Cash for comment.
Several have been outspoken in their condemnation of China’s human rights record and have been sanctioned by Beijing, including Tugendhat. They fear that they are targets for the Chinese security services. The MPs were so concerned by Cash’s arrest that they were preparing to use parliamentary privilege to name him as the suspect in the Commons this week.
Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader who has been sanctioned by China, said: “It’s a remarkably dangerous situation. This is a guy who allegedly spies on behalf of the Chinese government in the place where decisions are made and sensitive information is transferred. It is vitally important that he is named because many people who came into contact with this individual will be unaware that he has been arrested on suspicion of espionage. There is a clear public interest.”
Another Tory MP who has been sanctioned by China said: “I’m in a complete state of shock. We weren’t told about this, we haven’t been given any support. All sanctioned MPs should have been told. How many more people are there in parliament who might be targeting us?”
A third sanctioned Tory MP said: “We didn’t know anything until we read it in the paper [The Sunday Times]. I feel incredibly let down.”
Another MP who has been the focus of attention by China said: “We need to know how much information from the foreign affairs select committee this man had access to. Alicia didn’t tell anyone. We’re all really p***ed off. She’s been a nightmare on this,” he added.
A source close to Kearns said: “Preposterous suggestions that Alicia should have breached all police and intelligence requests not to discuss this case could only come from individuals with zero understanding of legal investigations or intelligence work.”
No security clearance The case is likely to raise serious questions about security. Cash was vetted as a parliamentary passholder but did not have a security clearance.
The Times understands that the material exchanged was not necessarily classified or top secret. However, a security source said that information did not need to be top secret to be highly sensitive and valuable to China: “It’s about networks and about influence. What do people in parliament think, which other people can be spoken to?”
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Chinese ‘spy’ at the heart of Parliament: British researcher with close links to several MPs and access to ‘highly sensitive’ information is arrested on suspicion of breaching Official Secrets Act and ‘espionage’ offences
The MPs with links to the male suspect include Tom Tugendhat and Alicia Kearns
The male suspect, who is said to be in his late twenties, is thought to be linked to numerous Tory MPs – including security minister Tom Tugendhat and foreign affairs committee chairman Alicia Kearns.
Several of the MPs with links to the man are ‘privy to classified or highly sensitive information’, according to The Times.
It is feared the British researcher may have been recruited by Beijing as a sleeper agent while living and working in China, before being sent back to the UK to infiltrate.
The suspect and another man in his thirties were both arrested relating to allegations of Official Secrets Act and espionage-related offences.
A senior Whitehall source claimed the situation is a ‘major escalation’ by China, adding that the country has ‘never seen anything like this before’.
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The approach by China was described as ‘allegedly recruiting British staff to report on and possibly shape the work of political parties’.
It comes after it was reported last month that a Chinese spy was using fake LinkedIn profiles to lure thousands of British officials into handing over state secrets in exchange for cash and flashy business deals.
The sole Beijing operative is said to have used a raft of fake names and created sham companies to target civil servants, scientists and even security officials into handing over classified Government information on the social media site for professionals.
According to an investigation carried out by The Times, the secret agent is mainly operating under the alias Robin Zhang and is thought to be one of the most prolific spies working in the UK in years, Western security officials have said.
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