Westminster must raise its security game to protect trust in our democracy

Editorial: This incident is hardly a wake-up call but it does suggest a new lesson must be learnt

The alleged spy was arrested in March, it was reported (AP)

The arrest of a parliamentary researcher on suspicion of spying for China is simultaneously shocking but not surprising. We have, for a very long time, known that China’s spying activities are widespread and prolific. If Chinese espionage is occurring via secret balloons in the near stratospheric air space above the United States of America, it is hardly surprising that they might also be operating in the Palace of Westminster.

At first glance, the operation might seem innocuous but it has the potential to be extremely serious. Given that the alleged spy is understood to have first worked in China and then returned to the UK and sought out a job in parliament, it is not unreasonable to deduce that the alleged recruitment of him - if it did take place - occurred before, not after, he was given security clearance to work in Westminster, and alongside powerful and influential MPs working directly on the relationship between China and the UK. (The deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden was specifically asked in the House of Commons when his recruitment occurred, and he declined to answer.)

The alleged spy worked for Alicia Kearns, chair of the foreign affairs select committee, and was involved in setting up the China Research Group with Tom Tugendhat who is now a security minister.