No 10 moves to end China spy row – but threat of further fallout lingers
When Keir Starmer finally read the witness statement from his deputy national security adviser for the trial of two British men accused of spying for China, some of his frustration about the collapse of the case began to dissipate.His government had been besieged by the Tories for two weeks over its role, being accused of “secretly sabotaging” the trial, “blocking” key witnesses and “hiding behind process”, all to avoid having to tell a court that China was an enemy.Media reports suggested the refusal by the government to describe China as a threat had scuppered the case, eventually forcing it to publish three witness statements from Matthew Collins, the government’s deputy national security adviser – one produced under Rishi Sunak’s government and two under Starmer’s.The statements presented a generally consistent picture of China as – in the words of the first, from December 2023 – an “epoch-defining challenge”.The final statement said the UK wanted a “positive relationship” with China and would follow a “three Cs” approach – cooperation, competition, but also “challenge where we must, including on issues of national security”.
Yet this was submitted in August, and – despite No 10 suggesting any evidence would only refer to the government’s position at the time of the alleged spying – the “three Cs” approach was clearly Labour policy,Just 24 hours earlier, Chris Wormald, the cabinet secretary, decided not to release the witness statement because prosecutors had argued it would be inappropriate to do so outside a courtroom,Yet by Tuesday evening the Crown Prosecution Service had changed its mind,Now senior government figures are hopeful the evidence will help to draw a line under what is a complex legal controversy, and one which they argue could have been avoided had the Tories fixed flaws in the Official Secrets Act when in power,Downing Street is attempting to turn the tables, accusing Kemi Badenoch of “overreach”.
One insider said: “Far from this being the fault of the Labour party, the main evidence was provided under the Conservatives in 2023.”“Now the question is for the Tories: did they have access to the evidence at the time?” The answer is “yes”, according to sources in Rishi Sunak’s No 10 operation.Much has been made by the Tories of a meeting between national security adviser Jonathan Powell and Olly Robbins, the top civil servant at the Foreign Office, on 1 September this year.Yet the third and final piece of evidence from Collins was submitted weeks earlier and – crucially – the CPS had made no further requests for evidence to support their case before abandoning it.Downing Street sources say the meeting was held to discuss broader bilateral issues, including how the government should handle the trial which, at that point, was going ahead.
“Unless Jonathan Powell had a time machine, he couldn’t have known that it was going to collapse,” one said.They insist they didn’t get into the evidence.Starmer was first told the case was in danger of collapsing a couple of days before it actually did on 15 September, his spokesperson has confirmed.Sources maintain it would have been inappropriate for the prime minister to intervene in a legal process.The Guardian also understands that Collins was told by the CPS that once charges had been laid, he couldn’t share his evidence further.
The Tories, however, have suggested that given the allegations involved spying on MPs, special circumstances should have applied.On social media, Badenoch accused Starmer of being “too weak” to stand up for national security, a criticism flatly rejected by No 10.But what of the CPS? Legal experts are generally divided in their response to the collapsed trial.Many – including some government lawyers – believe the reliance on the term “enemy” in the Official Secrets Act meant there was never any chance of a successful prosecution.Others feel that given the precedent set by previous espionage cases and Collins’ evidence, prosecutors should just have cracked on.
Stephen Parkinson, the director of public prosecutions, also faces questions after he told some of parliament’s most senior MPs on Wednesday night that the CPS dropped the case as the evidence provided by Collins was “5% less” than the threshold required for prosecution,He will now face calls to make crystal clear exactly how it fell short,especially as Collins repeatedly referred to China as a “threat”,While Starmer, as a former director of prosecutions, is in his comfort zone when it comes to the law, there are regular rumblings on his own side about whether he is able to spot political landmines,Despite that, his team are hoping he has dodged this particular trap,And yet questions remain.
Could Collins have offered more evidence within the constraints of the Official Secrets Act? What did the attorney general do when told by Parkinson the spying case was on the brink of collapse? Is there more that Starmer could have done?In the Commons, former security minister Tom Tugendhat, asked Starmer: “The real question is, what political direction did this government give to their officials before they went to give evidence?”“Absolutely none,” he replied.“I was the chief prosecutor for five years, and I can say … not once was I subjected to political pressure of any sort from anyone.That is the tradition in this country; it is a proud tradition; it is one I uphold as prime minister.”Yet if any evidence should emerge to the contrary – especially given the third piece of evidence appears to reflect Labour party policy – then the domestic political fallout from the China spy trial will be very far from over.
Sumo stars balance power, intricacy and spectacle at London showcase
An enraptured crowd soaked up the atmosphere at the first official sumo tournament held outside Japan in 34 yearsAt 6pm exactly, the first, and only, professional sumo dohyo anywhere outside Japan was finally ready. It had taken four days to build. The clay, shipped up from Kettering, where, the experts said, the earth had just the right consistency, had been shaped, sculpted, pounded into a stage, the six-tonne wooden canopy had been joined, and hung from the roof, the rice-straw bales had been beaten into shape with empty beer bottles, brought over especially for the purpose, and laid in a circle around the ring, the arena had been blessed by three priests, doused with sake, and strewn with salt.Outside, an eager crowd was gathering underneath the streaming banners. There were corporate sorts, charging their bar bills to company expenses, a troop of diplomats, going to glad hand the Japanese ambassador at a VIP reception, and an awful lot of sumo super fans, some of them big men with beards, who first fell in love with the sport when it was on Channel 4 in the early 90s, some of them slight young women head-to-toe in Comme des Garçons, some middle-aged salarymen holding banners decorated with pictures of their favourite rikishi
Could Trump really move World Cup games? The facts behind his threats
Which time? Tuesday was the second time Trump has threatened to take away World Cup games from US host cities on the basis of their political leadership or opposition to his policies. However, it’s important to note that this suggestion of moving games is not something Trump has suggested organically, of his own volition. In both cases, the US president was responding to leading questions centered around the idea of moving games. On 25 September in an Oval Office event, a member of the White House press corps asked Trump about cities that have demonstrated against Trump’s use of federal agencies for immigration and crime crackdowns. The reporter mentioned Seattle and San Francisco as two cities that have seen demonstrations, and pointed out that both cities are World Cup hosts (though San Francisco is not a host city, but part of the San Francisco Bay Area that will host games at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara)
Rain saves England at Women’s World Cup and ruins Pakistan hopes of historic win
Pakistan came agonisingly close to their first one-day international win against England in Colombo on Wednesday, reaching 34 without loss in pursuit of a DLS-adjusted target of 113 before torrential downpours curtailed their hopes of making history.England’s batting has lurched from one disaster to another during this World Cup – they had to be bailed out by Heather Knight against Bangladesh and by Nat Sciver-Brunt against Sri Lanka – and here it looked like their frailties would return to haunt them, as they collapsed to 79 for seven in the opening 25 overs.After an initial rain delay of almost four hours, England returned to add 54 further runs – but Pakistan’s openers Muneeba Ali and Omaima Sohail looked to be making short work of the chase, assisted by the absence of England’s key strike bowlers Lauren Bell and Sophie Ecclestone through illness. Only further rain saved England’s blushes.“Pakistan bowled brilliantly and made it really hard for us to get into the game at all,” the England captain, Sciver-Brunt, told Sky Sports
England captain Zoe Aldcroft on winning World Cup: ‘We had so much belief’
“I was telling myself: ‘Don’t cry right now, Zoe. Do not cry right now.’ But I just knew that we’d done it.”Zoe Aldcroft is reflecting on the moment last month when she realised England had won the Women’s Rugby World Cup. There were 12 minutes to play at a sold-out, increasingly euphoric Twickenham, but the hosts had created a 20-point cushion against Canada thanks to Alex Matthews’s second try
Russell Westbrook signs one-year deal with Sacramento Kings for 18th NBA season
Nine-time NBA All-Star Russell Westbrook has agreed to sign with the Sacramento Kings, ESPN confirmed Wednesday through his agent Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management. The 2017 MVP joins the Kings ahead of his 18th NBA season, giving Sacramento an experienced option in a backcourt that lacked depth a year ago.Westbrook, who turns 37 in November, spent last season with the Denver Nuggets, averaging 13.3 points, 6.1 assists and 4
England v Pakistan: Women’s Cricket World Cup match abandoned due to rain – as it happened
Raf’s report is here – goodnight!I think we showed that we can beat England, but [the rain] was not in our favour.[On her four-for with the ball] I know this pitch has been good for the fast bowlers so I just tried to bowl a good length. It would have been good [to take those wickets] if we had won the match.We've bowled well in the last couple of matches so hopefully we can improve our bowling in the next few games.I thought Pakistan bowled brilliantly and made it really hard for us to get into the game at all
Louder than Bombs: Joachim Trier’s thorniest film might be his best
Creative Australia awards Khaled Sabsabi $100,000 grant months after dumping from Venice Biennale
‘The vocals were on another level’: how Counting Crows made Mr Jones
‘A palette unlike anything in the west’: Ben Okri, Yinka Shonibare and more on how Nigerian art revived Britain’s cultural landscape
Perfume Genius: ‘I really like body hair! I like a bush. I didn’t even notice Jimmy Fallon censored mine’
My cultural awakening: ‘Kate Bush helped me come out as a trans woman’