Man charged with spying said to have had access to Melton MP

Christopher Cash (29), a UK parliamentary researcher was arrested in March, along with 32-year-old Christopher Berry.

The allegations against them have been described as ‘very serious’ by police officers with Counter-Terrorism.

Mr Cash is understood to be a parliamentary researcher who was involved with the China Research Group, through which he had access to a number of Conservative MPs.

The Sunday Times has reported that Mr Cash had access to Mrs Kearns, who is chair of the foreign affairs committee, and to security minister, Tom Tugendhat.

Reacting to the news today (Monday) that the men had been charged with spying for China, Mrs Kearns posted on her X social media account: “Regarding the Crown Prosecution’s announcement this afternoon that two men will be charged on espionage offences on behalf of China: As this matter is now sub judice it is essential that neither I, nor anyone else, say anything that might prejudice a criminal trial relating to a matter of national security.

"I will not be commenting further.”

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

Mr Cash, of Whitechapel, London, is charged with committing breaches of the Official Secrets Act, between January 20, 2022 and February 3, 2023, by allegedly passing ‘articles, notes, documents or information’ which could be ‘useful to an enemy’.

Berry, of Witney, Oxfordshire, is accused of the same breach, between December 28, 2021 and February 3, 2023.