Call for criminal inquiry after May sacks Defence Secretary
● Williamson said to have passed on information from confidential talks
Opposition parties have called for a criminal inquiry after Theresa May sacked her Defence Secretary over a leak from the National Security Council (NSC).
Gavin Williamson was called in to the Prime Minister’s Westminster office yesterday evening and told a leak inquiry had found “compelling evidence” that he was responsible for passing information about confidential talks to a newspaper.
Labour, the SNP and the Liberal Democrats all said details of the investigation should be referred to the police to establish whether he has broken the Official Secrets Act.
Penalties for those convicted of breaching the act, which covers NSC discussions, include up to two years in prison.
Last night Mr Williamson continued to insist he is innocent and claimed his sacking was “politics” and the settling of scores between himself and the UK’S National Security adviser, Mark Sedwill.
An inquiry was triggered after a newspaper published details of a meeting of the NSC that discussed whether to allow Chinese telecoms company Huawei to take part in delivery of the UK 5G data network.
Following a meeting between Mrs May and the Defence Secretary, a Downing Street spokesperson
said the Prime Minister had “lost confidence in his ability to serve in the role of Defence Secretary and as a member of her Cabinet”.
In a letter to Mr Williamson, the Prime Minister said a leak inquiry had found “compelling evidence suggesting your responsibility for the unauthorised disclosure”.
Mrs May told him that she was “concerned by the manner in which you have engaged with this investigation”.
“It has been conducted fairly, with the full co-operation of other NSC attendees,” the Prime Minister said. “They have all answered questions, engaged properly, provided as much information as possible to assist with the investigation, and encouraged their staff to do the same.
“Your conduct has not been of the same standard as others.
“In our meeting this evening, I put to you the latest information from the investigation, which provides compelling evidence suggesting your responsibility for the unauthorised disclosure.
“Noother,credibleversionof events to explain this leak has been identified.”
But Mr Williamson – a close ally of Mrs May who previously served as her Chief Whip – hit back, saying in his reply to the Prime Minister: “I strenuously deny that I was in any way involved in this leak and I am confident that a thorough and formal inquiry would have vindicated my position.”
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Mrs May considered the matter closed, and said the purpose of the leak inquiry was to “ensure the integrity of the National Security Council”, with top intelligence officials able to brief cabinet ministers in full confidence.
“Failure to preserve the integrity of the National Security Council would have risked fundamentally undermining the vital role which it plays in the national security of the United Kingdom,” the spokesman said.
“It is not for the government to determine prosecutions,” he added. In a statement, Scotland Yard said it was not investigating but would respond to any information suggesting a criminal offence had taken place.
Labour’s Shadow Defence Secretary Nia Griffith called for an urgent police investigation into the leak.
The SNP’S Westminster defence spokesman, Stewart Mcdonald said Mr Williamson’s sacking was a “truly disgraceful episode”.
“He has let down a great many, none more than those in uniform who protect us,” Mr Mcdonald said. “The government must clarify if they believe that Mr Williamson has broken the law and if the matter will be passed to the police to investigate.”
International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt has been appointed as the new Defence Secretary, becoming the first woman to hold that post.
Rory Stewart, the prisons minister, has been appointed to succeed Ms Mordaunt, entering the Cabinet for the first time.