Based on the findings of an incident of leak of information of issues discussed during a high-level government meeting over the issues of the Chinese telecom equipment manufacturer Huawei, the United Kingdom Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson was sacked by Prime Minister Theresa May.
May said she had put "compelling evidence" to him suggesting his "responsibility for the unauthorised disclosure" from the National Security Council and "no other, credible version of events to explain this leak has been identified," in a letter to Williamson published by No. 10 Downing Street.
May had "lost confidence" in the ability of Williamson to continue his job as the defense secretary, said Downing Street in a statement. The allegation of the leak against him has been denied by Williamson.
While the authority of May has come into question more than once over her failure to deliver Brexit, the sacking of the defense secretary has also stirred up the already volatile political environment. In a time period of less than 2 years, May’s government has suffered 48 ministerial resignations – many in relation to Bresxt.
It has been months that there have been many information leaks from hostile anonymous briefings from ministers and leaks from Cabinet meetings. However there has been an increase of activities among the political contenders of May after she announced that she would be quitting her job following the passing of her Brexit deal through parliament.
Conservative infighting has "undermined the basic functioning of government, and has now potentially put security at risk," said Nia Griffith, Labour's shadow defense secretary.
The leak was about the decision of the ministers of the May government allowing Huawei to participate in the construction of the "non-core" parts of the U.K.’s next generation 5G mobile infrastructure. The leak was published in the Daily Telegraph which also claimed that the ministers had been briefed by top security officials at the National Security Council o0f the UK.
After banning the Huawei in its country, the US has taken it upon itself to pressurise its allies of not allowing the Chinese firm to participate in the roll out of 5G mobile networks citing security issues with the equipment supplied by the company which the US claims could be used by Chinese agencies to spy on western countries. Such allegations have been repeatedly denied by Huawei.
The Telegraph report had also stated that one of the ministers who had raised objections to the decision in the NSC meeting was Williamson.
He is “sorry that you feel recent leaks from the National Security Council originated in my Department. I emphatically believe this was not the case. 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,” said Williamson in a letter to May, posted on his Twitter account.
He had been offered the chance to resign but it was denied by Williamson since doing so would have been an admission of the allegations that either he or his staff had members were related to the lean but which “was not the case”, he added.
(Source:www.politico.eu)
May said she had put "compelling evidence" to him suggesting his "responsibility for the unauthorised disclosure" from the National Security Council and "no other, credible version of events to explain this leak has been identified," in a letter to Williamson published by No. 10 Downing Street.
May had "lost confidence" in the ability of Williamson to continue his job as the defense secretary, said Downing Street in a statement. The allegation of the leak against him has been denied by Williamson.
While the authority of May has come into question more than once over her failure to deliver Brexit, the sacking of the defense secretary has also stirred up the already volatile political environment. In a time period of less than 2 years, May’s government has suffered 48 ministerial resignations – many in relation to Bresxt.
It has been months that there have been many information leaks from hostile anonymous briefings from ministers and leaks from Cabinet meetings. However there has been an increase of activities among the political contenders of May after she announced that she would be quitting her job following the passing of her Brexit deal through parliament.
Conservative infighting has "undermined the basic functioning of government, and has now potentially put security at risk," said Nia Griffith, Labour's shadow defense secretary.
The leak was about the decision of the ministers of the May government allowing Huawei to participate in the construction of the "non-core" parts of the U.K.’s next generation 5G mobile infrastructure. The leak was published in the Daily Telegraph which also claimed that the ministers had been briefed by top security officials at the National Security Council o0f the UK.
After banning the Huawei in its country, the US has taken it upon itself to pressurise its allies of not allowing the Chinese firm to participate in the roll out of 5G mobile networks citing security issues with the equipment supplied by the company which the US claims could be used by Chinese agencies to spy on western countries. Such allegations have been repeatedly denied by Huawei.
The Telegraph report had also stated that one of the ministers who had raised objections to the decision in the NSC meeting was Williamson.
He is “sorry that you feel recent leaks from the National Security Council originated in my Department. I emphatically believe this was not the case. 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,” said Williamson in a letter to May, posted on his Twitter account.
He had been offered the chance to resign but it was denied by Williamson since doing so would have been an admission of the allegations that either he or his staff had members were related to the lean but which “was not the case”, he added.
(Source:www.politico.eu)
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