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Another scandal for the Starmer government, three Labour officials arrested, accused of being Beijing spies

2026-03-05 23:59:00Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Keir Starmer

A new scandal is embarrassing Keir Starmer's government. It's not as huge as the Epstein-Mandelson affair, but it puts London's foreign policy, particularly towards China, back in the spotlight.

Three Labour officials were arrested on charges of spying for Beijing. They were later released on bail. One of them is the husband of the ruling party MP, Joan Reid. She immediately distanced herself, stating that she had nothing to do with her husband's activities and that she had never seen anything that would make her suspect that he might have broken the law. Above all, she stressed that she had never been to China and had never raised issues related to that country in Parliament. However, the Labour Party immediately opened an internal investigation, writes Corriere della Sera.

For Starmer, who is already under pressure for his stance on war with Iran and the Mandelson scandal, this is an unwelcome embarrassment, especially because his policy towards China has already been the subject of controversy.

First, there was the issue of approval for the construction of a new Chinese mega-embassy in London, built in the heart of the City and suspected of being used as a listening post for sensitive data. Then, another espionage case was closed by the prosecution after the government refused to define China as a “threat”. The prime minister himself visited Beijing in January (the first visit by a British prime minister in eight years), a trip that brought few results and much criticism.

As with many other issues, Starmer faces a difficult balance here. On the one hand, he sees a good relationship with China as essential to revive sluggish economic growth, while on the other hand, he is aware that the Beijing regime is engaged in an aggressive campaign of espionage and infiltration of British institutions, from Parliament to universities and think tanks.

London's stance towards China in recent years has undergone significant fluctuations, from the "golden age" proclaimed by former Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron in the 2010s, to the "ice age" of his successors.

Starmer is trying to follow a pragmatic middle path, but ultimately there are those who think he will be forced to choose between a China-backed electrification of the economy or a US-led energy development. For now, he is trying to maintain a balance, but at every turn he risks being toppled by scandals such as the arrest of three Labour espionage suspects.


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