There are signs a warning over an alleged Chinese agent infiltrating Parliament will not be the last.
The shockwaves are still being felt from MI5's interference alert to Parliament last week but the signs are it will not be the last.
Whitehall sources say the decision to issue the alert was taken months ago and after a long running investigation. The view was that the only way to disrupt the threat was to effectively go public, issuing a warning to Parliament that everyone knew would immediately gain huge publicity - only the second time this has been done.
Labour MP Barry Gardiner received more than £400,000 of funding for his office over five years and looks to have been the largest recipient of money - although the effort to gain influence is alleged to have crossed party lines. But events such as Russian trolls intervening in the US 2016 election forced the issue of interference back up the national security agenda. And in recent years, China has also risen up that agenda with concerns it is using its economic power - often with the offer of business deals or money - to secure influence.
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