Labour MP Geoffrey Robinson: Czech Spy Claims Are 'A Lie'

The Labour MP for Coventry strongly denies passing on confidential information (Picture: UK Parliament).

Labour MP Geoffrey Robbinson has denied claims that he was a Cold War spy who passed confidential material, including details of Britain's nuclear deterrent, onto communist Czechoslovakia in the 1960s.

Files held in the Czech archives and obtained by The Mail on Sunday alleged that Mr Robinson passed on sensitive information for three years.

The material focused on Britain's nuclear deterrent, including its Polaris missile programme, as well as NATO briefing notes.

A spokesman for Mr Robbinson said the allegations were "a lie".

"At no time did Mr Robinson ever pass confidential government documents or information to any foreign agent and he did not have access to such material." 

At the time of the alleged contacts, Mr Robbinson, now aged 80, was said to have been working in the research department at Labour Party headquarters at Transport House.

The claims, according to The Mail on Sunday, are contained in 390 pages of files compiled by the StB security service in Cold War Czechoslovakia and now administered by the Czech Republic's state security archives.

The documents allege he held 51 meetings with a Czech handler, during the course of which he was said to have passed on 87 pieces of intelligence.

He was said to have been given the codename Karko and the material he handed over was said to include information relating to plans to upgrade Polaris and the withdrawal of British troops from West Germany.

The spokesman for the MP said that the translation of the only document which he had been shown - a "partial" document dated February 19 1974 - did not support the claims.

"At the end of the document, it states 'these moments were neither proven nor clarified' so even on its face this document is not proof that such activity took place."