Calls grow for criminal inquiry into Huawei leak after Gavin Williamson sacking
Calls are mounting for a police inquiry into the leak of confidential information from a top secret security committee that led to the sacking of defence secretary Gavin Williamson yesterday.
Prime Minister Theresa May fired Williamson last night following an investigation into a leak from a meeting of the National Security Council, which revealed the government’s plans to allow Chinese firm Huawei to participate in the UK’s 5G network.
Read more: Defence secretary Gavin Williamson ousted from cabinet over Huawei leak
Deputy Labour leader Tom Watson and Liberal Democrat deputy leader Jo Swinson have both called for a criminal inquiry into the alleged leak, citing concerns Williamson had breached the Official Secrets Act.
“If he has leaked from the National Security Council, Gavin Williamson should be prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act and he should forgo his ministerial pay,” Watson said.
But the former defence secretary has dismissed the allegations, telling Sky News he “swore on his children’s lives” he was not responsible for the leak.
Instead, Williamson has claimed his sacking was politically motivated and has blamed his poor relationship with cabinet secretary Sir Mark Sedwill, who launched the inquiry.
“I am confident that a thorough and formal inquiry would have vindicated my position,” Williamson wrote in a letter to Prime Minister Theresa May.
Williamson, who was considered a key May ally and formerly served as chief whip, told The Times he would rather have faced a police inquiry, describing the internal investigation as a “witch-hunt” and a “kangaroo court with a summary execution”.
The Prime Minister last night slammed Williamson for failing to cooperate with the inquiry and said there was “compelling evidence” that he was responsible for the leak.
The former defence secretary has reportedly admitted to speaking to Steve Swinford, the journalist who broke the Huawei story, but denied they discussed the NSC meeting.
Read more: UK ‘nesting a dragon’ by allowing Huawei in 5G network
Watson told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: “He is denying it and he has the right to clear his name. The way to do that is a criminal inquiry if confidential information has leaked."
The former head of the British army, Lord Dannatt, told BBC Breakfast: "It may be one thing to [leak] from around the cabinet table but for someone to do it from the National Security Counsel, that's a quite a different issue.
"If Mr Williamson presses for a police inquiry and it comes out the wrong way, he's in a degree of trouble."
Former armed forces minister Penny Mordaunt was appointed the new defence secretary last night.