If Keir Starmer thought releasing three witness statements from deputy national security adviser Matthew Collins late on Wednesday would end the China spy row, he was mistaken. MPs refused to let go of a story that allowed them to feel central to national security.
Most MPs naturally gravitate to conspiracy over cock-up, finding it more exciting. As facts change, they simply amend their theories. After Kemi Badenoch accused Starmer of a cover-up and even of being a Chinese spy, the narrative collapsed when evidence failed to support it. Undeterred, MPs pivoted: now Starmer's lack of involvement—his failure to pressure Collins—was proof of collusion.
An urgent question in the Commons gave MPs a platform. The government sent junior minister Chris Ward, an indication of low confidence. Ward read a statement denying government interference but offered little new. Opposition MPs, like Neil O'Brien, pressed why the government hadn't done more to secure a conviction, implying a desire for fabricated evidence.
Ward's performance was adequate but futile. As one MP noted, telling a UFO convention that UFOs don't exist only strengthens believers' convictions. The conspiracy theories, once again, survived the facts.
