Joani Reid, the Labour MP for East Kilbride and Strathaven, has resigned the party whip after her husband, David Taylor, was arrested on suspicion of spying for China. The MP announced on Thursday night she would temporarily stand down while an internal investigation is carried out. Labour confirmed she had been administratively suspended, pending the inquiry.
David Taylor, a former special adviser to Labour peer Peter Hain, was arrested on Wednesday under the National Security Act alongside two other men aged 43 and 68. All three were released on bail until May. Taylor has also been suspended from the Labour party pending an investigation.
In a statement, Reid said: 'This week has been the worst of my life. I am not under investigation by the police and no accusations have been made against me. I have done nothing wrong.' She added she did not want the situation to distract the government and voluntarily suspended herself from the whip.
The arrests come six months after the Crown Prosecution Service dropped charges against two men accused of spying for China, including a parliamentary aide who worked with Tory MPs. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has faced criticism over his visit to China in January and approval of a Chinese 'mega-embassy' near the City of London.
Police also raided the homes of a journalist in Wales and a former Labour aide as part of the inquiries. Martin Shipton, associate editor at Nation Cymru, described the raid as a 'Kafkaesque nightmare'.
