Countering espionage in Parliament
Simple steps can prevent massive mistakes. MPs and staff should know they are targets for foreign intelligence services and behave accordingly.
In September 2025, the BBC reported Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle’s warning that parliament is vulnerable to foreign spies. Recently, The Times reported updated guidance under which one of five designated cabinet members may authorise certain intelligence activities by UK agencies involving MPs if the prime minister is unavailable.
Together, these stories underline that parliament remains a live target for hostile‑state espionage.
When we discussed the dropped China spy case on The Counter Insurgency, the Director of Fighting for a Free Future, Harry Richer revealed that my staff induction covered basic counter espionage, starting with accepting the reality that MPs and their staff are targets.
This article sets out five basic steps MPs and their staff can take to recognise and avoid approaches by foreign intelligence services (FIS) and their agents.
