China spy suspect was ‘member of elite Labour donors circle with access to party’s top figures’

David Taylor, a former Labour adviser arrested earlier this year on suspicion of spying for China, has been revealed as a member of Labour's "Rose Network," an elite donors' circle offering privileged access to senior party figures. He was detained by counter-terrorism police in London on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service, and is married to Labour MP Joani Reid, who was recently reinstated to the party after voluntarily stepping back during the investigation. The revelation raises fresh questions about vetting within Labour's fundraising network and its proximity to a live national security case.

The Rose Network has four membership tiers costing between £1,200 and over £10,000 annually, granting access to dinners, receptions and Q&A sessions with Labour's front bench, and has reportedly generated tens of millions of pounds in donations for the party. Taylor, a former special adviser to Labour peer Lord Hain and later a lobbyist and think-tank employee, was suspended from Labour once the police probe emerged; he and two other men remain on extended police bail. Labour said all donations comply with Electoral Commission rules and declined further comment while the investigation continues, while Reid said she had never been a suspect or witness in the case and thanked those who had supported her.