British counter-terrorism police have arrested three men in London and Wales on suspicion of spying for China.
One is understood to be the partner of a sitting Labour MP and another linked to a former Labour MP, according to multiple reports.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed the arrests this morning under the National Security Act.
The men, aged 39, 43 and 68, remain in custody.
No charges have been brought and police have not named them or released further details, citing the ongoing investigation.
UK newspaper The Guardian first reported that the trio includes the partner of a current Labour MP.
Bloomberg and The Sun cited sources indicating one arrestee is married to a sitting Labour MP, while a second is the partner of a former Labour MP.
GB News and other outlets corroborated the Labour links, with arrests occurring in co-ordinated operations across the capital and Wales.
The investigation relates to alleged assistance to China’s foreign intelligence service.
Details of the suspected activities remain classified but the arrests highlight persistent concerns over Chinese espionage targeting British political and institutional circles.
Commander Helen Flanagan, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said: “We have seen a significant increase in our casework relating to national security in recent years, and 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.”
The Metropolitan Police statement emphasised that inquiries are at an early stage. Anyone with information is urged to contact counter-terrorism officers.
Security minister Dan Jarvis said in the House of Commons: “I can confirm that this relates to China. I can also confirm this relates to foreign interference targeting UK democracy.
“For reasons that you will understand, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on any aspect of what is now a live investigation.
“It is absolutely critical that we do not hamper the work of the police or prejudice any future legal processes by what we say in this House today,” he added.
Shadow Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart said in response to the news: “Here we are again, another year, another Chinese spy scandal, and the backdrop to it is this Government’s failed policy of appeasement.
“The Government must now surely be coming to the realisation that unless the United Kingdom stands up to these threats, our country will continue to be treated with disdain,” he said.
Lisa Smart, the Lib Dems’ spokeswoman said in the Commons: “How many times must we all come to this House to hear a report of further rounds of arrests under counter terrorism legislation for this Government to take this action?
“Does the Government plan to review its decision to allow the building of the Chinese mega-embassy, and will the Government go further to stop foreign money being funnelled into our democracy?”
Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK Party, said in a reaction: “This is deeply shocking. Labour’s links with China run deep. It’s time we knew the truth about their full relationship with Chinese Communist Party.”
The timing is sensitive for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government, coming weeks after his visit to Beijing aimed at stabilising economic ties.
It revives scrutiny of Westminster’s vulnerability to foreign interference, following earlier cases including the 2023 arrests of parliamentary researcher Christopher Cash and academic Christopher Berry, whose charges were dropped in September 2025 amid controversy over evidence thresholds and government posture towards China.
The latest arrests come months after the conviction of former Reform UK MP Nathan Gill, who accepted up to £40,000 in bribes from Russia in exchange for sharing pro-Kremlin views.
Labour’s response to that was notably pointed in tone, seizing on the case to question Reform’s broader links to Russia and pressure Farage.
Starmer told the BBC the long sentence for “pro-Russian bribes” demanded that Farage investigate “how that happened within his party” and “what other links there are between his party and Russia”.
He urged Farage to launch an internal inquiry into party structures, membership, donors and representatives to root out any pro-Russian elements.
French centre-left MEP Raphaël Glucksmann has learnt during the making of a forthcoming family documentary that his grandfather, Rubin Glucksmann, served as a secret agent for the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin. https://t.co/wNDtP6IO95
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) January 12, 2026
