A major counter-terrorism investigation into suspected foreign interference in British democracy has expanded to encompass the homes of a former Labour adviser and a senior Welsh journalist, following the arrest of three individuals under new espionage laws.
The Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command arrested three men – David Taylor, 39, Matthew Aplin, 43, and Steve Jones, 68 – on Wednesday on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service. The arrests, made under the National Security Act 2023, relate to alleged activity on behalf of China. All three have been released on bail until May.
In a statement on Thursday, Security Minister Dan Jarvis said the investigation concerned “foreign interference targeting UK democracy,” echoing a specific warning issued by MI5 to parliamentarians in November 2025 about Chinese agents attempting to cultivate individuals with access to government.
Search Warrants Executed
As part of the same investigation, police executed search warrants at two further properties. James Robinson, the husband of former Labour MP Gloria De Piero and a former aide to ex-deputy leader Tom Watson, confirmed officers visited his home. He stated he had “neither been detained, arrested nor questioned” in connection with the matter.
Mr Robinson is the founder and director of the consultancy Woburn Partners. Ms De Piero, the former MP for Ashfield who served in the shadow cabinets of Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn, is a senior adviser to the firm. There is no suggestion she is involved in the police investigation.
In Cardiff, an eight-strong Met police team searched the home of Martin Shipton, 72, the associate editor of the Nation Cymru website, at 6.20am on Thursday. Mr Shipton, who has not been arrested, described the raid as an “utterly terrifying experience” and a “kafkaesque nightmare.” His wife, Kay Shipton, suggested the police tactics were unnecessary.
Mr Shipton, a journalist who won Journalist of the Year at the 2024 Wales Media Awards, said he provided a voluntary statement about a trip to Hong Kong he attended with David Taylor, whom he has known for 25 years.
Political Fallout and Suspensions
The arrests have triggered immediate political repercussions. David Taylor is married to Joani Reid, the Labour MP for East Kilbride and Strathaven. Ms Reid announced she would temporarily stand down from the parliamentary Labour party and has been administratively suspended from the party pending the investigation.
In a detailed statement, Ms Reid said she was not part of her husband’s business activities and that neither she nor her children were part of the police inquiry. She stated she had never been to China, never spoken on China in the Commons, and was not an “admirer or apologist for the Chinese Communist party’s dictatorship.” Mr Taylor, a lobbyist who runs the consultancy Earthcott Ltd, has also been suspended from the Labour party.
Earthcott Ltd is listed as a supporter of SME4Labour, a group that aims to strengthen relations between small businesses and the Labour Party. Mr Taylor was formerly a special adviser to Labour peer Peter Hain when he was Secretary of State for Wales.
The two other arrested men also have strong Labour links in Wales. Matthew Aplin previously advised Welsh Labour and is a former employee of the Western Mail and WalesOnline. It has also emerged that he was a former member of Reform UK in Wales, though not recently and not considered a candidate. Steve Jones served as chief special adviser to former Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones and was also an adviser to former Labour chief whip Hilary Armstrong.
Wider Context of Alleged Interference
The National Security Act 2023, under which the arrests were made, replaced the Official Secrets Act and provides authorities with greater powers to tackle foreign state threats. The current investigation follows a pattern of concerns over Chinese activity.
As well as the MI5 alert last November, Chinese state-affiliated actors were blamed for a cyber-attack on MPs’ emails in 2021. In 2022, an “interference alert” was issued to parliament regarding lawyer Christine Lee.
The Chinese embassy in London has strongly condemned the latest allegations. It said the claims were attempts to “fabricate facts and concoct so-called ‘espionage cases’ to maliciously slander China” and confirmed it had lodged a protest with the British government.
A Labour party spokesperson said: “These are incredibly serious allegations. We cannot comment further while the police investigation is ongoing.” Police searches were also conducted at properties in London, East Kilbride, and Cardiff.
