Chris Cash, a former parliamentary researcher who was charged with spying for China, has said he was a "convenient fall guy" for UK police and security services seeking to highlight foreign espionage threats. In his first interview since being acquitted, Cash told the BBC he would "never do anything" to harm UK national security but admitted being "unprofessional and naive" in his communications with a friend in China.

The messages that sparked an espionage investigation

Cash shared over 6,000 messages with the BBC that reveal how a Chinese official sought information about sensitive UK political matters, including the 2022 Conservative leadership contest. The messages, sent via the encrypted app Signal between January 2022 and March 2023, were exchanged with Chris Berry, a friend Cash met in 2018 while both were teaching English in China. Berry, who stayed in China working for a consultancy, described a meeting with a high-ranking Chinese official who expressed interest in the Tory leadership race and the potential promotion of a sanctioned British MP to a cabinet role. Berry identified the official as Cai Qi, now a top aide to President Xi Jinping, though he has since disputed that identification.

Cash and Berry were arrested in March 2023 and charged with espionage. The case collapsed last autumn when prosecutors could not say China had been classified as an "enemy" at the time, prompting accusations of political interference. Both men have consistently denied wrongdoing. China has dismissed the spying allegations as "pure fabrication and malicious slander."

A friendship under scrutiny

The messages show Cash discussing topics such as sanctions on China, Huawei, human rights, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and British foreign policy. On 12 occasions, Cash labelled information "off the record" or "very off the record." However, there is no evidence that Cash was paid by or sympathetic to the Chinese Communist Party. Cash insists much of the information was publicly available and that he used Signal "more for their protection" when communicating with contacts in China. He described his exchanges with Berry as "gossiping" and said he trusted his friend, even naming him as a reference for his parliamentary pass, which was approved.

Berry, in voice notes to Cash, recounted a meeting with a senior Chinese official in summer 2022, describing it as "a psychological game of chess" and "like a test." He said the official asked about the Tory leadership situation. Cash replied the next day: "You, my friend, have just been elite captured" and "You're in spy territory now." Cash now says this was a "tongue-in-cheek joke" because he knew Berry to be "a staunch critic of the Chinese Communist Party."

Arrest and aftermath

Cash was arrested at his parents' home in Edinburgh by counter-terrorism officers at 5:45am. "I was in complete shock... quivering... My mum was hysterical," he recalls. He was later driven to London. Berry was arrested the same day. The investigation focused on the 6,273 messages between the pair, which prosecutors alleged contained information prejudicial to UK safety. Cash's solicitor has confirmed the messages are genuine.

After his acquittal, Cash faced public vilification. He lost his job, his relationship, and his closest friend from university. "I'd been acquitted by law, but then I was traduced in Parliament," he says. "It was almost like I was convicted in the court of public opinion again." He is no longer in contact with Berry and has struggled to find work. "I'm angry and upset with how everything played out, and I do feel let down," he says. But he stops short of accusing Berry of spying: "He would have to have his time in court to defend himself. I think it'd be wrong of me to speculate."

Despite the ordeal, Cash remains positive. "I'm a fundamentally positive person... I'm positive about what the future holds."