Kemi Badenoch tore apart Sir Keir Starmer’s defence over the collapse of a major Chinese spying row, branding his claims “unbelievable”. Sir Keir opened PMQs by confirming he will publish a much-anticipated witness statement in full from the deputy national security adviser, which is viewed as the reason the case collapsed under the current Government.
Sir Keir insisted: “Under this Government, no minister or special adviser played any role in the provision of evidence. I can’t say what the position was of the previous government in relation to the involvement of ministers or special advisers.” He continued to insist that the case collapsed because the previous government’s security reviews failed to brand China a “threat”, something necessary to secure a conviction under espionage legislation. Mrs Badenoch branded the PM’s statement “unbelievable”, accusing him of being “dragged out at the start of PMQs to deliver a statement that answers no questions”.
Westminster is currently gripped by the collapse of the spying case, in which two political advisers were accused of handing information over to Beijing.
Labour has since been accused of allowing the case to collapse by not handing over sufficient evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service in order to secure a conviction.
It’s claimed the Government chose this course of action in order to prioritise economic ties to China in a desperate effort to boost growth.
At PMQs the Tory leader fumed: “It is simply unbelievable he is trying to claim that the last government did not classify China as a threat.
“I will refresh his memory – in 2021, the previous government’s integrated review described China as the biggest state-based threat to the UK’s economic security.
“In 2024, the minister for security said from that despatch box that China poses a threat.
“In 2022, the director-general of MI5 in November classified China as a threat in his remarks. How is it possible the Government failed to provide the evidence that the CPS needed to prosecute?”
As Labour MPs heckled, Mrs Badenoch hit back by saying: “I don’t know what they’re laughing at – we’re talking about the security of this country.”
Sir Keir insisted that the “substantive evidence” was provided in 2023 under the previous government.
Mrs Badenoch blasted that Sir Keir’s “whataboutery” didn’t disguise the fact that the accused Chinese spies were charged under the previous government “and let off under Labour”.
She added: “He has not answered any questions.
“What on earth is the point of us having a lawyer rather than a leader as PM when he can’t even get the law right on a matter of national security?”
Keir Starmer admitted there had been a meeting involving Jonathan Powell, the National Security Adviser, last September, where it is alleged the case was discussed regarding its potential impact on British-Cino relations.
However the PM insisted the meeting “did not involve the NSA discussing the evidence in any way”, and claimed the final statement in the case was submitted in August 2025 suggesting the September meeting was a “red herring, a completely scurrilous allegation made by the Leader of the Opposition”.
Ms Badenoch quickly pointed out that the Prime Minister had twice contradicted the words of his security minister in the Commons yesterday, adding: “They can’t both be right!”
Kicking the Prime Minister’s bruise, Ms Badenoch asked: “Why should we believe a man, who at the last PMQs session expressed ‘complete confidence’ in the best friend of a convicted paedophile?
“Forgive us if we don’t believe a word he says! This all stinks of a cover up!”