Sunak alone received witness statement in China spy case

The recently released correspondence from the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy reveals that Rishi Sunak was the only UK politician to receive a witness statement from Matthew Collins in December 2023 in relation to the collapsed spy prosecution of British men accused of working for China. 

The statement, initially drafted with language labelling China “enemy”, was amended by Collins to reflect government policy at the time — removing that term entirely. Prosecutors later concluded that a conviction under the Official Secrets Act was unachievable without official acknowledgement of China as a threat; consequently, charges against Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry were dropped in September. 

Crucially, the letters state that once the formal prosecution commenced no minister or special adviser was involved — making Sunak’s receipt of Collins’s statement unique. The former prime minister’s team says there is no record of Collins’s version ever entering Sunak’s official “PM box”, suggesting he may not have personally viewed it. 

The opposition, led by Keir Starmer, insists the Conservatives need to explain their role in what they call a serious national security failure — while the current government maintains the earlier administration’s actions were decisive. 

The case highlights tensions between legal thresholds, espionage prosecutions and how the UK frames its relationship with China. It prompts broader questions about transparency, ministerial oversight and the treatment of security policy under shifting governments.

Key Takeaways:

Only Sunak received the witness statement from Collins — no other politician did.

The witness draft removed the term “enemy” to align with government policy, influencing prosecutorial viability.

The collapse of the case underscores how UK espionage law and government language about China impact national security prosecutions.

Original source: 

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/oct/24/rishi-sunak-only-politician-see-witness-statement-china-spy-case