A Labour MP has said she has “never seen anything” to make her suspect her husband has broken the law, after he was arrested on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service in an investigation that police say relates to China.
Joani Reid, the Labour MP for East Kilbride and Strathaven, issued a statement after Counter Terrorism Policing arrested three men on Wednesday as part of an inquiry under the National Security Act 2023. One of the men arrested has been identified by Sky News as Ms Reid’s husband, David Taylor, 39.
Ms Reid said she was not involved in her husband’s work and asked the media to respect her family’s privacy, particularly that of her children. She said: “I have never seen anything to make me suspect my husband has broken any law,” adding that the past week had been the “worst of my life”.
Later, Ms Reid said she would step back from sitting as a Labour MP while party processes run their course, and that she was voluntarily suspending herself from the Labour whip pending an internal investigation. Labour confirmed it has opened a party investigation and said Ms Reid would co-operate with the process.
In a statement on Thursday, the Metropolitan Police said all three men arrested had been released on bail to a date in May. Police have not publicly named the suspects.
The arrests were made on suspicion of an offence under section 3 of the National Security Act 2023, which covers assisting a foreign intelligence service. The offence can carry a maximum sentence of up to 14 years in prison on conviction.
Police said the three men arrested were aged 39, 68 and 43. The 39-year-old was arrested in London, the 68-year-old in Powys, and the 43-year-old in Pontyclun, south Wales. Officers carried out searches at the arrest addresses, as well as at three further addresses in London, East Kilbride and Cardiff, the Met said.
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing in London, said the force did not believe there was “any imminent or direct threat to the public” linked to the investigation.
The case prompted a Commons statement on Wednesday from Security Minister Dan Jarvis, who told MPs the arrests were connected to “foreign interference targeting UK democracy”. Jarvis urged MPs to avoid commenting in a way that could prejudice a live investigation and said the UK had formally raised concerns with Chinese counterparts in both London and Beijing.
During the Commons exchange, Jarvis declined to go into operational details. When asked whether the MP’s partner had a parliamentary pass, the Speaker intervened to say: “the answer is no.”
The arrests come amid heightened concern in Westminster over foreign interference and the security of political institutions, after MI5 previously issued an alert to MPs, peers and parliamentary staff warning of alleged attempts by Chinese intelligence to recruit people inside the political system. The government has also faced calls from some MPs to place China in an “enhanced tier” of the planned Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, which would impose stronger disclosure requirements on certain activity, though ministers have said the enhanced-tier list is under review.
ITV Wales reported that the other two men arrested were Steve Jones, 68, and Matthew Aplin, 43, and said the case has links to Welsh politics. The Welsh First Minister, Eluned Morgan, urged caution given the live police investigation. The Met has not confirmed identities.
Ms Reid’s statement sought to distance her parliamentary work from the allegations under investigation, saying she had no knowledge of any wrongdoing. Labour has not suggested Ms Reid is under police investigation.
Separately, the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, is expected to set out further proposed changes to the asylum system. Under her plans, government support for asylum seekers — including housing — would be withdrawn from those who break the law, work illegally or are deemed financially self-sufficient.
The Conservatives and Reform UK have argued for tougher measures, including deporting all illegal migrants, as the political debate over asylum and enforcement continues.
The police investigation into the suspected National Security Act offences remains ongoing. No charges have been announced.