Three British men were released on bail after being arrested for allegedly spying for China. File Photo by Hugo Philpott/UPI | License Photo
Three British men arrested on Wednesday for allegedly spying for China have been released on bail, and the wife of one is being investigated by her political party.
The three are David Taylor, 39; Matthew Aplin, 43; and Steve Jones, 68. Taylor, who is married to Member of Parliament Joani Reid, is a former adviser to Labour Party Secretary of State for Wales Peter Hain, and is a lobbyist for public relations and consulting company Earthcott.
Jones is a former special advisor to the Welsh government, and Aplin is a former Labour Party press officer. Taylor was arrested in London, and the other two were arrested in Wales. Police searched residences in London; East Kilbride, Scotland; and Cardiff, Wales.
Reid represents East Kilbride and Strathaven, Scotland.
Anas Sarwar, the leader of the Scottish Labour Party called the arrests “deeply concerning,” and said that the case has been referred to the party’s governance and legal unit, which will make a judgment on Reid later Thursday.
“This is incredibly serious, deeply concerning, a matter of national security rightly being investigated by the police and that needs to be a thorough investigation so we can get to the bottom of it,” the BBC reported Sanwar told reporters. “Let’s be really clear here, we don’t see any kind of indications of donations, for example, that have come to the Scottish Labour Party.”
After Taylor’s arrest on Wednesday, Reid said, “I have never seen anything to make me suspect my husband has broken any law. I am not part of my husband’s business activities and neither I nor my children are part of this investigation, and we should not be treated by media organizations as though we are. Above all, I expect media organizations to respect my children’s privacy.”
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London said national security casework has increased in recent years.
“We continue to work extremely closely with our partners to help keep the country safe and take action to disrupt malign activity where we suspect it,” Flanagan said in a statement Wednesday. “Today’s arrests are part of a proactive investigation, and while these are serious matters, we do not believe there to be any imminent or direct threat to the public relating to this. Our investigation continues, and we thank the public for their ongoing support.”
Historic March moments through the years
Founder of the Women’s Tennis Association and tennis great Billie Jean King (C) smiles with representatives after speaking during an annual Women’s History Month event in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Title IX in Statuary Hall at the U.S .Capitol in Washington on March 9, 2022. Women’s History Month is celebrated every March. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
