A TOP security official stopped China being called an “enemy” in the collapsed spy trial.
Deputy National Security Adviser Matthew Collins cut the label from a first draft of his witness statement.
His evidence was shown to the then Tory Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, correspondence between the government and Parliament’s Joint National Security Committee has revealed.
Labour last night claimed this vindicated Sir Keir Starmer’s stance on the trial.
The Prime Minister had been accused of allowing the trial to collapse earlier this year by not describing China as a threat.
This “fear of upsetting Beijing” was said to have led to the CPS dropping the case against alleged spies Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry.
Chief prosecutor Stephen Parkinson said: “This sticking point could not be overcome.”
He said it took Mr Collins more than a year to confirm to prosecutors that he would not say China posed a threat to UK national security in court.
But Mr Parkinson is likely to face questions over why he pulled the charges when he is grilled by MPs on Monday.
Attorney General Lord Hermer will also be probed next week after saying he knew the case was about to collapse.
Sir Keir’s spokesman reiterated the Government’s position that “what is relevant in a criminal case of this nature is the government’s position at the time of the alleged offences”.
