Scots Labour MP Joani Reid splits from husband who is accused of spying for China
Scottish Labour MP Joani Reid has separated from her husband, lobbyist David Taylor, who was arrested in March on suspicion of spying for China, according to the Scottish Mail on Sunday. The split emerged after Reid was pictured at several public events without her wedding ring, and sources say she has since begun a relationship with a married man. Friends insist the separation is unconnected to either the ongoing espionage investigation involving her husband or separate allegations that Reid behaved inappropriately towards naval officers at the Faslane submarine base.
Taylor, 39, was arrested alongside two other men with Labour links on 4 March amid a counter-terrorism probe, with police searching properties in East Kilbride, London and Cardiff; all three were bailed and have not been charged. Reid, 40, temporarily suspended herself from the Labour Party after the arrest but was reinstated on 30 June, around which time she appears to have stopped wearing her ring, with sources describing the couple as having been separated "for some time" and now looking towards divorce, though they remain connected through their children.
In short
- Labour MP Joani Reid has split from husband accused of spying for China
- Husband David Taylor was arrested in March, bailed, not charged
- Reid reportedly now in a relationship with a married man
Explained simply
Joani Reid is a Scottish Labour MP, and David Taylor is a lobbyist; they have children together. A lobbyist seeks to influence public policy on behalf of clients, while an MP represents constituents and takes part in Parliament.
Taylor was arrested in March as part of a police investigation into suspected spying for China. He and two other men were released on bail and have not been charged, so the allegations have not been proved.
The investigation has drawn attention because it involves people with links to the Labour Party and raises questions about possible foreign interference in UK politics. Reid’s party membership was temporarily suspended after Taylor’s arrest and later restored.