LONDON: British police on Wednesday arrested three men on suspicion of spying for China, including the husband of a lawmaker from the ruling Labour party.
The trio, aged 39, 43 and 68, were arrested by counter-terrorism officers in London and Wales on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service, London´s Metropolitan police said.
“I have never seen anything to make me suspect my husband has broken any law,” said MP Joani Reid after UK media reported that her husband David Taylor was among those arrested.
“I am not part of my husband´s business activities and neither I nor my children are part of this investigation,” she added.
The arrests come amid rising concerns over alleged Chinese espionage in the UK. All three men remain in custody and searches were also carried out an address in Scotland, said the Met.
Reid, who represents a constituency in Scotland and sits on parliament´s Home Affairs Select Committee, defended herself against any potential accusations of her being close to Beijing.
“I have never been to China,” she said. “I have never spoken on China or China-related matters in the Commons. I have never asked a question on China-related matters.”
Taylor, 39, is listed as a “lobbyist” on Reid´s list of registered interests. According to his LinkedIn page, he works for Asia House, a think tank.
