A British man acquitted of spying for China has said he was a 'convenient fall guy' for UK police and security services that wanted to put espionage threats by foreign states 'on the map'. Chris Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, has shared more than 6,000 messages with the BBC revealing how a Chinese official sought information about sensitive UK political matters, including the 2022 Conservative leadership contest. The case against Cash and his friend Chris Berry collapsed last autumn when the prosecution offered no evidence after the government could not confirm China had been classified as an 'enemy'.
Cash, in his first interview since his acquittal, told the BBC he would 'never do anything' to harm UK national security but admitted he was 'unprofessional and naive' to send 'gossiping' texts to Berry, whom he met in 2018 while both taught English at a school in China. The messages, exchanged on the encrypted Signal app between January 2022 and March 2023, formed the basis of the espionage allegations.
The most striking messages concern Berry's account of a meeting in summer 2022 with a senior Chinese official. In voice notes, Berry described being driven to a government-owned villa and discussing the UK political situation, including the Tory leadership contest. Berry later identified the official as Cai Qi, at the time one of China's most influential politicians and now, in effect, President Xi Jinping's chief of staff. Whether Berry correctly identified his host remains unclear. Cash replied via text: 'You, my friend, have just been elite captured' and 'You're in spy territory now'. He insists this was a 'tongue-in-cheek joke'.
Cash used Berry as a reference on his application for a security pass for the Palace of Westminster, which was granted. A fortnight before their arrests, he invited Berry to Parliament for lunch. Berry declined to comment for this story, but at the time of his acquittal said his reports 'concerned economic and commercial issues widely discussed in the UK at the time and drew on information freely in the public domain'.
After the charges were dropped, Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle declared: 'It is this Parliament that has been spied on. It is MPs' offices that have been infiltrated.' Tory leader Kemi Badenoch claimed at Prime Minister's Questions that 'This all stinks of a cover-up.' Cash said he felt 'traduced in Parliament' after being acquitted, as though he was 'convicted in the court of public opinion again'.
Cash has lost his job, his relationship, and his closest friend from university. He is now applying for basic administrative jobs and said he feels 'angry and upset' and 'let down'. He stopped short of saying Berry betrayed him. Asked whether he thought Berry was spying for the Chinese government, Cash said it would be wrong to speculate.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The case raises questions about how UK security services pursue espionage prosecutions and the political consequences of not designating China a threat.
- It underscores the vulnerability of parliamentary staff to informal information-sharing that foreign states may exploit.
- The political fallout could affect UK-China relations and the government's approach to countering Chinese espionage.
Background
The case centered on Chris Cash, a former parliamentary researcher for the China Research Group (CRG), a group of Conservative MPs critical of China, and Chris Berry, a British expatriate working for a Chinese consultancy. They were charged with espionage after exchanging messages on Signal. Berry allegedly passed information from Cash to a person linked to Chinese state intelligence. The case collapsed when the prosecution could not confirm China's designation as an enemy at the relevant time.
Key Perspectives
Chris Cash: Says he was a 'convenient fall guy' and insists he would never harm national security, but admits being 'unprofessional and naive' in sharing information.
Chris Berry: Previously said his reports were based on public information and denied any wrongdoing, claiming he was subjected to a 'trial by media'.
UK security services: Alleged the messages contained information prejudicial to UK safety and that Berry passed material to individuals linked to the Chinese state.
Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle: Declared 'It is this Parliament that has been spied on.'
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch: Claimed 'This all stinks of a cover-up.'
What to Watch
- Whether the government reconsiders designating China a threat following the political row.
- Any further investigations into the activities of the China Research Group or similar parliamentary networks.
- Cash's attempts to rebuild his life and reputation, including his job applications.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe headline describes Chris Cash as acquitted of spying for China and reports that he called himself a fall guy for security services.BBC News: “Acquitted 'China spy': I was fall guy for security services”
- SupportedCash said security services wanted to put espionage threats by foreign states “on the map”.BBC News: “A British man who was charged with spying for China has told the BBC he was a "convenient fall guy" for UK police and security services who wanted to put espionage threats by foreign states "on the map".”
- SupportedCash shared more than 6,000 messages with the BBC.BBC News: “Chris Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, has shared more than 6,000 messages with us”
- SupportedThe messages revealed that a Chinese official sought information about sensitive political matters in the UK, including the 2022 Conservative leadership contest.BBC News: “revealing how a Chinese official sought information about sensitive political matters in the UK - including the 2022 Tory leadership battle to decide the next prime minister.”
- SupportedThe case collapsed after the government could not confirm that China had been classified as an enemy.BBC News: “England and Wales' top prosecutor said the case had collapsed last autumn because government officials could not say China had been classed as an "enemy" at the time.”
- SupportedCash said he would “never do anything” to harm UK national security.BBC News: “Cash says he would "never do anything" to harm UK national security.”
- SupportedCash and Berry exchanged the messages on Signal between January 2022 and March 2023.BBC News: “UK security services alleged that information from the men's messages, sent on the encrypted messaging app Signal between January 2022 and March 2023, had been passed to people linked to the Chinese state.”
- SupportedBerry described being driven to a government-owned villa and discussing the UK political situation, including the Tory leadership contest.BBC News: “Berry tells Cash he was driven to a government-owned villa in a grand compound.”
- SupportedBerry later identified the official he met as Cai Qi, though whether he identified him correctly remains unclear.BBC News: “Berry identified Cai Qi (left) as the man he had met - a trusted aide of Chinese President Xi Jinping”
- SupportedCash texted Berry, “You, my friend, have just been elite captured”.BBC News: “After receiving the voice notes, Cash replies via text the next day: "You, my friend, have just been elite captured"”
- SupportedCash used Berry as a reference for his Palace of Westminster security-pass application, and the pass was granted.BBC News: “Cash used his friend as a reference during vetting for a parliamentary pass - which was approved.”
- SupportedSpeaker Lindsay Hoyle said Parliament had been spied on and MPs’ offices infiltrated.BBC News: “"It is this Parliament that has been spied on," he declared. "It is MPs' offices that have been infiltrated."”