British Labour MP Joani Reid has resigned the party whip and moved to the backbenches after her husband was arrested on suspicion of assisting Chinese intelligence, plunging Westminster into a fresh national security controversy.

Reid’s husband, David Taylor, is understood to be one of three men detained by counter-terrorism officers as part of a long-running investigation into alleged spying activities linked to China. The others have been named locally as Steve Jones, 68, and Matthew Aplin, 43. All three were later released on bail while inquiries continue.

In a statement posted on X, Reid described the past week as “the worst of my life” and insisted she is not a suspect in the case. She said she had agreed, after discussions with Labour’s chief whip, to suspend herself from the parliamentary party to avoid distracting from Keir Starmer’s government and to allow internal inquiries to proceed.

“I want to reiterate something very important: I am not under investigation by the police and no accusations have been made against me. I have done nothing wrong,” she said, adding that she and her staff would continue constituency work as normal.

A Labour spokesperson confirmed that Reid will cooperate fully with the party’s internal investigation and stressed the gravity of the allegations surrounding the arrests. The party declined to comment further, citing the ongoing police operation.

The arrests were carried out by Counter Terrorism Policing London, with coordinated searches at properties in London, East Kilbride and Cardiff. Detectives say the operation forms part of a proactive national security investigation into suspected assistance to a foreign intelligence service.

Commander Helen Flanagan of Counter Terrorism Policing said officers did not believe there was any imminent or direct threat to the public but emphasised the seriousness of the case.

Reid has publicly defended her husband, saying she has “never seen anything” to suggest he broke the law and stressing that she has no involvement in his professional activities. She has also sought to distance herself from any suggestion of links to Beijing.

“I have never been to China. I have never spoken on China or China-related matters in the Commons,” she said, adding that she has never knowingly met Chinese diplomats, government officials or businesses in her role as an MP.

Describing herself as a social democrat, Reid said she believes in free elections, free trade unions and freedom of expression, and rejected any notion that she is an admirer or apologist for the Chinese Communist Party.