Joani Reid's Husband Among Former Labour Advisers Under Fire in China Espionage Case

David Taylor, the husband of East Kilbride and Strathaven MP Joani Reid, was among those arrested on suspicion of allegedly spying for China. Two others were arrested on suspicion of aiding foreign intelligence but their actual names have yet to be revealed.

The only information known so far about the two other men who were arrested is their ages and locations. One of them was 68 years old and was from Powys, Wales, while the other was aged 43 and was from Pontyclun, Wales. It was also added that the two were allegedly Labour advisers, The Guardian reported.

Taylor served as a special adviser to Peter Hain when Lord Hain was the secretary of state for Wales. Since then, he has served as a lobbyist for a company known as Earthcott, a supporter of the Labour Group SME4Labour. He is also a director of Asia House.

Following her husband's arrest, Reid issued a statement. She explained that she never saw anything suspicious to make her think that Taylor had broken any law.

'I have never seen anything to make me suspect my husband has broken any law,' she said.

Additionally, Reid made it clear that she has never been to China and has not spoken to anyone from there since she became an MP. She also pointed out that she was never involved in China-related matters.

First Minister's Take

With Taylor revealed as one of the high-profile names, First Minister Eluned Morgan was asked to comment on the case. Morgan admitted that these were serious allegations but felt it would be inappropriate to issue a statement with the investigation ongoing.

'These are serious allegations and it is vital that we do not hamper the work of the police in any way or prejudice any future legal process,' Morgan stated. 'As this remains a live police investigation, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further on any aspect of this case,' she added in a report by BBC News.

Proactive Investigation Continues

The arrest of David Taylor and two others becomes the latest development in the Crown Prosecution Service's (CPS) efforts against national security threats. It comes months after charges against two men for spying for China were dropped.

Spying charges against Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry were suddenly dropped several months ago. This was after prosecutors failed to show critical evidence proving Beijing was a threat to the national security of the United Kingdom in an October 2025 report by The Guardian.

On their part, Cash and Berry denied the charges against them. Cash was a researcher specialising in China working for the Conservative MP Alicia Kearns. Berry, on the other hand, was a researcher based in China.

The Met Police are expected to continue exhausting all efforts to ensure the country and the public remain safe. The recent arrests may be alarming, but Commander Helen Flanagan, head of counter-terrorism policing, assured that there is no imminent or direct threat to the public at this time.

'Today's arrests are part of a proactive investigation and while these are serious matters, we do not believe there to be any imminent or direct threat to the public relating to this,' Flanagan assured.

Looking ahead, it will now be interesting to see if prosecutors will find credible evidence against Taylor and the two other men recently arrested. It is controversial but necessary, especially since the UK's national security is at stake.