- Chinatown - 10th March 2026
- Dark speak easy part two - 9th March 2026
- Cyber bullying - 6th March 2026
Shock news that police probing allegations of Chinese spying have raided the home of a prominent Labour figure’s former aide, only serves to highlight how Wales is at the heart of this extraordinary story.
James Robinson, now a political consultant but formerly an adviser to one-time Labour deputy Tom Watson, said police officers had searched his property.
A senior journalist who was once the Chief Reporter of Cardiff paper The Western Mail, but who is now Associate Editor with the nationalist website Nation.Cymru (NC), also had his home raided during the investigation.
Martin Shipton declared that he does not have any connection with the Chinese government, and has never had any financial involvement with them.
Mr Shipton wrote after the raid: “I was utterly bemused by what was being suggested”.
He said it was like a dream and a terrifying experience when officers smashed their way into his house.
Searches were also carried out at the addresses of three men who were arrested in London and Wales, with a car outside a property in Pontyclun being searched as well.
Those arrested were: David Taylor – a former adviser to the Wales Office (WO) and married to an ex-Labour MP; Steve Jones – a past Welsh Government (WG) Special Adviser (SPAD), and Matthew Aplin a one-time Labour Press Officer (PO).
Police said all three had been held on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service under section three of the National Security Act (NSA), which was introduced in 2023 to target suspects accused of working against UK interests. They have been bailed until a date in May and enquiries are continuing.
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London at the Metropolitan Police (Met) proclaimed: “We have seen a significant increase in our casework relating to national security in recent years, and we continue to work extremely closely with our partners to help keep the country safe and take action to disrupt malign activity where we suspect it.
She said the arrests were “part of a proactive investigation and while these are serious matters, we do not believe there to be any imminent or direct threat to the public relating to this”.
The First Minister of Wales (FMW), Eluned Morgan was cautious in her response to these incredible events.
In a short written statement issued at lunchtime on Thursday, Ms Morgan said she was “aware of the three arrests”, but added: “These are serious allegations and it is vital that we do not hamper the work of the police in any way or prejudice any future legal process”.
The Welsh Conservatives (WC) had called for a statement from the FMW on the arrests, saying “we need to ensure that Wales is not a weak link when it comes to the UK’s national security”, and they stressed that there were issues for Ms Morgan to address.
There are more questions being raised today, with the news that the house of a senior Labour figure’s adviser has been searched.
But through all the details of police raids and arrests, one thing is certain – the central role of Wales is assured…
The memories of our Editor, Welshman Phil Parry’s decades-long award-winning career in journalism (when commenting on important stories like these was always paramount), as he was gripped by the rare disabling condition Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP), have been released in a major book ‘A GOOD STORY’. Order it now!
