Tories forced to drop candidates amid MI5 fears they were 'spying for China'
The Tories were forced to drop two would-be election candidates after MI5 warned they could be Chinese spies, a minister admitted today.
Health Minister Maria Caulfield insisted the party acted "swiftly" after receiving intelligence the potential candidates to be MPs could be working covertly for China. "I think whichever party is in government, there will always be those who are trying to target it, either to get information or to influence,” she told Times Radio. “The candidates who the Conservative Party were warned about - swift action was taken and they were removed from the list. They are not standing for election.”
Ms Caulfield said the latest revelations, which come after a parliamentary researcher and Conservative aide was arrested over allegations he was spying for Beijing, show “there are other nations always wanting to infiltrate governments of all parties”. The Security Service warned the Conservatives about two people in 2021 and last year - and advised they should not be on the central list of candidates approved by party headquarters.
MI5 is said to have raised concerns that the pair had links to China's United Front Work Department, a body charged with influencing global opinion, according to The Times. It cited an unnamed source as saying it was made "very clear" to the Conservatives that the candidates "posed a risk". "They were subsequently blocked from the candidates list. They weren't told why," added the insider.
A Conservative Party spokesman said: "When we receive credible information regarding security concerns over potential candidates we act upon them." The claims will fuel debates about the UK's relationship with China following the arrest of the 28-year-old parliamentary researcher - who maintains he is completely innocent - under the Official Secrets Act.
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The Briton was arrested, along with another man in his 30s, by officers on March 13 on suspicion of spying for Beijing. Officers from the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command, which oversees espionage-related offences, are investigating. Both were held on suspicion of offences under Section 1 of the Official Secrets Act 1911, which punishes offences that are said to be "prejudicial to the safety or interests of the state".
They were bailed until next month. The arrests were only revealed at the weekend and the researcher at the centre of the row had links with senior Tories including Security Minister Tom Tugendhat and Commons Foreign Affairs Committee chairwoman Alicia Kearns. The allegations have led to increased pressure from China "hawks" on the Tory benches for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to toughen his stance towards Beijing.
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