Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Politics
David Hughes

Home Secretary ‘disappointed’ at collapse of Chinese spying case

Christopher Cash Christopher Berry Shabana Mahmood Crown Prosecution Service Jonathan Powell China CPS National Security Sunday Times Whitehall
Shabana Mahmood said the decision was made by the Crown Prosecution Service (Danny Lawson/PA) - (PA Wire)

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she was “very disappointed” at the collapse of a major Chinese spying case and denied there was any ministerial interference.

The case against Christopher Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry was dropped on September 15, sparking criticism from Downing Street and MPs from across both sides of the political aisle.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
For centuries, bird migration was a mystery – a tech revolution is changing that, and could help save these amazing creatures
For more than 2,000 years, scientists have scratched their heads over one of the most basic mysteries of the natural world: Where do birds go?
The Conversation
The Conversation
The Elizabeth Holmes Documentary You Can See Everything Is an Act of Radical Empathy
The high-concept documentary from Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim offers surprising generosity to a Big Tech villain without fully excusing her crimes.
Reason
Reason
Women just want to work out in peace. Why all the thigh-rubbing lechery?
On Saturday Night Live last week, comedian Shane Gillis made a pathetic ‘joke’ about the clothes women wear to the gym. It was puerile – but also pernicious, writes Emma Beddington
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
‘He’s terrified, panicked, can’t sleep’: the tragic, lonely death of Beatles manager Brian Epstein
Spandau Ballet’s Gary Kemp paid £10k at auction for Epstein’s address book. He then used it to co-author a thrilling account of the swinging 60s – and an intimate portrait of a tormented man whose life was unravelling
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Qianlong vase found in Cornish property brochure sells at Sotheby’s for £304,800
A large imperial porcelain vase, standing thirty-seven centimetres tall and made for the Qianlong emperor, passed down through a single English family before arriving at Sotheby's. Estimated at between £100,000 and £200,000, it sold in November 2025 for £304,800, comfortably above the top end of the estimate. Its story combines…
The Times of India
The Times of India
Scientists Asked Coffee Drinkers to Quit for 14 Days — Here’s What Changed
What would happen if you gave up your morning coffee for two weeks? Would you sleep better, feel less anxious, or spend your mornings battling...
Saving Advice
Saving Advice
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play