Two men once accused of being Chinese spies have had all charges against them dropped, sparking relief for the defendants but anger and frustration within the UK government.
Christopher Cash, 30, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry, 33, a teacher from Oxfordshire, were both accused of breaching the Official Secrets Act. Prosecutors had claimed the pair passed sensitive information that could have harmed national security between December 2021 and February 2023. Both men consistently denied the allegations, while Beijing dismissed them as “malicious slander.”
On Monday, prosecutors told the Old Bailey they would not be presenting evidence, admitting the case no longer met the threshold for trial. Mr. Cash, speaking outside court, described the past two years as a “nightmare” but said he was relieved the ordeal was finally over. “Justice has been served,” he said, adding that he hoped “lessons are learned from this sorry episode.”
The decision means both men were formally cleared, with the judge entering not guilty verdicts.
Despite that outcome, the government reacted strongly. The Home Office called it “disappointing” given the seriousness of the accusations, while Downing Street said the allegations had been “gravely concerning.” A spokesperson for the prime minister stressed that any attempt by a foreign power to infiltrate UK democracy was “unacceptable.”
Cash had been linked to the China Research Group, a parliamentary body focused on UK-China relations, and reportedly had access to several senior Conservative MPs. Some MPs expressed disbelief at his arrest, though others remained concerned about the wider issue of Chinese influence in Westminster. Alicia Kearns, chair of the foreign affairs committee, told MPs she could not understand why Cash and Berry had not been prosecuted, suggesting evidence tied them to senior figures in the Chinese Communist Party.
The arrests in March 2023 followed a counter-terror police investigation. Both men had faced claims of gathering intelligence “useful to an enemy.” But with the CPS withdrawing its case, their lawyers say they can finally begin to rebuild their lives.
The Chinese embassy welcomed the decision, repeating its claim that the allegations were “completely fabricated” and urging the UK to stop what it described as “anti-China political manipulation.”
The episode comes amid heightened tensions over suspected Chinese espionage in Britain. In recent years, MI5 and senior judges have warned of attempts by Chinese agents to influence UK politics, pointing to figures such as Christine Lee and Yang Tengbo—both of whom deny any wrongdoing.
For now, however, Cash and Berry walk free, their names legally cleared, though the political fallout is far from over. Photo by The Old Bailey by Nigel Cox, Wikimedia commons.