Labour MP Barry Gardiner suspended from party after husband's arrest
Husband arrested on suspicion of spying for China under Official Secrets Act
Incident raises security concerns about foreign espionage in UK politics
Investigation ongoing with no charges yet filed against the individual
📖 Full Retelling
Labour MP Joani Reid has been suspended from the party while an internal investigation takes place after her husband was arrested on suspicion of spying for China.
An Official Secrets Act (OSA) is legislation that provides for the protection of state secrets and official information, mainly related to national security. However, in its unrevised form (based on the UK Official Secrets Act 1911), it can include all information held by government bodies.
OSAs are...
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the second-most populous country after India, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, representing 17% of the world's population. China borders fourteen countries by land across an area of 9.6 million square ki...
Barry Strachan Gardiner (born 10 March 1957) is a British politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Brent North from 1997 until the seat's abolition in 2024 and Brent West since 2024. He is a member of the Labour Party.
The son of an Olympic footballer, Gardiner was born and educated in...
Breaking Breaking Labour MP Joani Reid suspended after husband arrested on suspicion of spying for China Joani Reid said she had voluntarily suspended herself and will not sit as a Labour member of parliament "until internal investigations are concluded". Thursday 5 March 2026 20:50, UK Why you can trust Sky News Labour MP Joani Reid has been suspended from the party while an internal investigation takes place after her husband was arrested on suspicion of spying for China. In a statement this evening, she said she had voluntarily suspended herself "from the whip" and will not sit as a Labour member of parliament "until internal investigations are concluded". Politics Live: Shabana Mahmood speaks to Sky News after announcing asylum reforms Ms Reid's husband, David Taylor, was one of three people arrested yesterday on allegations of assisting a foreign intelligence service. He denies the allegations. In a statement Ms Reid said: "This week has been the worst of my life. The shock of recent days has been difficult for me and my family." She stressed she is not under investigation herself and said she has "done nothing wrong". But she added: "I understand that speculation and gossip is fevered at a time like this. I do not want the circumstances that I and my family find ourselves in to be a distraction for this government, of which I am proud and in whom I believe. More from Politics Politics latest: Shabana Mahmood speaks to Sky News after announcing asylum reforms Starmer channels inner Churchill as he gives war update Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood defends plans to deport asylum seeker children "I also do not want my children - who have nothing to answer for and who deserve privacy and compassion - to find themselves subject to intrusion. "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. I will welcome and co-operate with any questions and worries...
