Last night, a Labour MP decided to step down amid an internal probe following allegations against her husband for espionage activities in favor of China.
Joani Reid announced she had ‘voluntarily suspended’ herself from the Labour whip after her husband, David Taylor, 39, was detained alongside two other ex-Labour Party advisers on Wednesday. They were suspected of collaborating with a foreign intelligence agency.
Representing East Kilbride and Strathaven, Reid expressed the turmoil she has faced, stating: “This week has been the most challenging of my life. The events of recent days have been an immense shock to me and my family.”
The 40-year-old mother of two emphasized her innocence: “I have done nothing wrong.”
She further clarified: “I want to emphasize something crucial – I am not the subject of any police investigation, and no allegations have been made against me.”
Reid reiterated her commitment to her role, saying, “I have done nothing wrong. I love my country. Serving the people of East Kilbride and Strathaven as their MP and being part of the Labour Party has been—and continues to be—the privilege of my life.”
She added: ‘Following discussions with the Chief Whip, I am voluntarily suspending myself from the whip… and will not sit as a Labour MP until internal investigations are concluded.’
Yesterday, Mr Taylor and the two other advisers – named by the BBC as Matthew Aplin, 43 and Steve Jones, 68 – were released on bail while police continue inquiries.
Joani Reid said she had ‘voluntarily suspended’ the Labour whip after her husband David Taylor, 39, was arrested along with two other former Labour Party advisers on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service on Wednesday
Ms Reid, the East Kilbride and Strathaven, pictured with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in February 2024
Police also arrested two other men, believed to have been advisers during the Tony Blair (pictured) government on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service
Last night it emerged that police had searched the London home of another senior Labour adviser married to a former MP.
James Robinson, a former aide to ex-Labour deputy leader Lord Watson, revealed police searched his home in relation to the China spy probe. The former Guardian journalist is married to ex- Labour MP Gloria de Piero.
Mr Robinson said: ‘I can confirm that police officers visited my home yesterday with a search warrant.
‘I understand their attendance was part of enquiries into those arrested and questioned over matters allegedly relating to China.
‘Naturally, I co-operated fully with the police and will, of course, continue to do so as long as their investigations into the possible wrongdoing of others continues.’
He added: ‘I would like to make it absolutely clear that I have neither been detained, arrested nor questioned in connection with this, or any other, matter.’
Police also raided the home of a journalist as part of their inquiries into a series of trips Mr Taylor made to China.
Martin Shipton, 72, was asleep in his Cardiff home on Wednesday when eight counter terrorism officers battered down the door at 6.20am.
Yesterday Mr Shipton told the Daily Mail: ‘Police wanted to know about the trip I took to Hong Kong in 2023 with David.
‘David has a huge amount of experience in politics, he has advised people like Peter Hain, he has advised various governments over the years.’
The arrests come just weeks after Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited President Xi Jinping in a bid to reset relations with China
Police spent 13 hours searching Mr Shipton’s home, taking electronic devices and his passport.
Describing the raid as a ‘Kafkaesque nightmare’, he said: ‘It was an utterly terrifying experience.
‘I was served with a search warrant authorising the officers to search my home for telephones, computers and financial documents and cryptocurrency.
‘I was told they were looking for material associated with a foreign intelligence service.
‘But I was utterly baffled. I have never been paid significant sums from foreign jurisdictions, let alone in cryptocurrency.’
It comes after parliamentary staff were warned in a letter about the ongoing risk of foreign state interference.
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle told staff: ‘You are a critical part of our defence against foreign state activity. The risks are not receding.
‘We all need to take action to make Parliament and the parliamentary community more resilient to foreign state espionage and interference.’
The Labour Party said: ‘These are incredibly serious allegations. We cannot comment while the police investigation is ongoing.’
