Dominic Cummings, former adviser to Boris Johnson, has claimed that China breached high-level UK security systems to obtain "vast amounts" of classified government information over several years. He stated that he and the then prime minister were informed about the breach in 2020, which involved Strap material, a classification for highly sensitive intelligence.
Cummings alleged that the fundamental infrastructure for transferring sensitive data within the British state was compromised "for years." He did not specify how the breach occurred but expressed willingness to share details with MPs if an inquiry were held. However, the Cabinet Office rejected the claim as "untrue," stating that systems used to transfer the most sensitive information have not been compromised.
The allegations come amid ongoing scrutiny of national security and government policy towards China, following the abandonment of a spying case against two men accused of espionage for Beijing. The Crown Prosecution Service dropped the case, citing insufficient evidence that China posed a threat at the time of the alleged offences.
In response, Prime Minister Keir Starmer published witness statements from the collapsed case, which described the Chinese intelligence services as "highly capable" and conducting "large scale espionage operations" against the UK. The statements also alleged that information was leaked to China about the Tory leadership race.
Ministers hope the release of the documents will demonstrate that the Labour government did not force the case to collapse. The Conservatives argued that the statements highlight the extent of the Chinese threat and criticised Starmer for not intervening to prevent the trial's collapse.
