The collapsed China spy case leads the majority of the papers for the second day in a row, with the Telegraph detailing who is facing questions in the aftermath. It reports that the prime minister could be forced to give evidence in public after two parliamentary committees announced inquiries into the “fiasco”. Speaking the day after the release of witness statements submitted by the government, Sir Ken McCallum, head of MI5, expressed frustration over the collapse of the case, it notes.
Sir Ken’s “rare public intervention” also leads the i Paper, which reports that the collapse of the trial against Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry has “effectively ‘killed’ some active intelligence work to tackle China spying”. Both men deny any wrongdoing. The front page features several quotes from the head of MI5, including his insistence that Chinese state operatives threaten the UK’s national security “every day”.
The Mirror has taken a similar approach, pairing the headline “China is threat every day” with a photo of Sir Ken. In the annual speech at MI5’s London headquarters he also warned of a “more hostile world”, the paper says.
The Financial Times has focused on Beijing’s response to the case, after the Chinese embassy in London released a statement that warned the UK to “stop undermining China-UK relations”. The embassy has condemned the statements released by the government on Wednesday evening as “pure speculation and fabrication”.
The Duke of York has been pulled into the scandal, says the Daily Mail, which pictures Prince Andrew shaking hands with Chinese politician Cai Qi in 2018 on its front page. Mr Cash and Mr Berry were accused of collecting insider information about UK politics and government policy, and passing it to a Chinese intelligence agent, who then forwarded it to Cai. Cai is often referred to as President Xi Jinping’s right-hand man.
“MPs press top prosecutor over collapse of spy case” says the Guardian, after the chairs of home affairs, foreign affairs, justice and national security committees wrote to the head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Stephen Parkinson, to call for a “fuller explanation for the dropping of the charges”. The paper reports that the chairs asked Mr Parkinson to explain the steps he made to “make ministers aware” that the case was at risk of collapse, in addition to asking whether witness Matthew Collins was warned that his testimony could be insufficient.
The Times reports that the diplomatic fallout surrounding the spy case “highlights the growing tensions” between national security concerns regarding China and “the government’s desire to build ‘positive’ economic relations”. The paper notes that ministers have now delayed a decision on whether to approve a Chinese super-embassy in London until December, which it alleges is due to concerns that it “could become a base for further espionage”.
“Whose side are you on, Sir Keir?” asks the Metro. It comes after former Security Minister Tom Tugendhat, for whom Mr Cash was a parliamentary researcher, accused the government of focusing on “process” over doing what it could to ensure the “prosecution works”. He asked the government in a Commons debate: “Who the hell’s side are you on?”
The decision to block Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from an upcoming match against Aston Villa has been branded a “national disgrace”, the Daily Express says. The paper is quoting Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who was one of several politicians to criticise the move, made because of “safety concerns”, the body responsible for issuing safety certificates for matches said. West Midlands police said the game had been classified as “high risk” and this was “based on current intelligence and previous incidents, including violent clashes and hate crime offences that occurred during the 2024 Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam”.
Former cricket player Freddie Flintoff has given an interview on his “guilt” following champion boxer Ricky Hatton’s death, with his comments leading the Star.
