Since 2020, MI5 and police authorities have "disrupted 19 late-stage attack plots" and "intervened in many hundreds of developing threats", Director General Sir Ken McCallum today said as part of his annual address in London.
He added that he was "frustrated" by the collapse of the Chinese spy trial case which included the "complex" nature of the UK-China relationship, but highlighted that MI5’s role "is not" complicated. The case against Christopher Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry was dropped on 15 September 2025, sparking criticism from Downing Street and MPs from both sides of the political aisle. To prove the case under the Official Secrets Act 1911, prosecutors would have had to show the defendants were acting for an “enemy.” Mr Cash and Mr Berry have denied all wrongdoing.
Sir Ken also added that a "concerning number of minors" are appearing in national security investigations. One in five of the 232 terrorism arrests last year were of children under 17, which comes with "complexities" particular to dealing with "vulnerable young people".
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