The aide, the associate, the ‘Chinese agent’ – and the collapse of a long-awaited UK spy trial

Christopher Cash at Westminster magistrates court in April 2024. He learned this week that the case against him had been abandoned. Photograph: Hollie Adams/Reuters

Shortly before 10am last Monday, the Conservative MP Alicia Kearns received an unwelcome phone call. “I don’t know how to tell you this,” said the specialist police officer on the line. Ten minutes later the Old Bailey heard what Kearns now knew. A long-awaited trial of two men – a former parliamentary aide to Kearns, Christopher Cash, and an associate, Christopher Berry – accused of spying for China was to be abandoned. “The cops were equally disappointed,” sheKearns told the Guardian afterwards.

The trial had been expected to be an extraordinary test of London’s already fraught relationship with Beijing. Scheduled to begin at Woolwich crown court on 6 October, it had been expected to hear allegations that “politically sensitive” information was passing from Westminster to a member of China’s ruling politburo.