 |
| Gavin Williamson has been sacked as defence secretary (AFP Photo/Adrian DENNIS) |
London (AFP) - British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday sacked Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson following a probe into the leak of news that Britain had conditionally allowed China's Huawei to develop its 5G network.
"The
Prime Minister has this evening asked Gavin Williamson to leave the government,
having lost confidence in his ability to serve in the role of Defence Secretary
and as a member of her Cabinet," said a spokeswoman from her Downing
Street office.
May said in
a letter to Williamson that the investigation "provides compelling
evidence suggesting your responsibility for the unauthorised disclosure"
from the April 23 meeting of the National Security Council (NSC), although he
"strenuously denied" responsibility.
"No
other credible version of events to explain this leak has been
identified," wrote May.
"This
is an extremely serious matter and a deeply disappointing one," she added,
with Williamson now facing the possibility of a criminal probe.
"This
must now be referred to the Metropolitan Police for a thorough criminal
investigation into breaches of the Official Secrets Act," said Liberal
Democrat Leader Vince Cable.
Williamson
responded in a letter to May, saying he was "sorry you felt recent
leaks" originated from the defence ministry.
"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".
He revealed
that May had given him the chance to resign, but turned it down as it would
have been an acceptance of guilt.
Downing
Street later announced that Penny Mordaunt, the Minister for Women and
Equalities, would replace Williamson and become Britain's first female defence
minister, while continuing in her current role.
Britain's
already splintered government was rocked by the scandal last month over who
leaked news that May was to let Huawei develop Britain's 5G network.
The
bitterly disputed decision was reportedly made at the April 23 meeting of the
NSC.
NSC discussions
are only attended by senior ministers and security officials who first sign the
Official Secrets Act that commits them to keep conversations private or risk
prosecution.
But The
Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that May approved granting Huawei permission
to build up "non-core" elements of Britain's next-generation
telecommunications network.
Political
operator
The United
States is adamantly opposed to Huawei's involvement because of the firm's
obligation under Chinese law to help its home government gather intelligence or
provide other security services when required.
May told
Williamson it was "vital" that members of the NSC... were able to
have "frank and detailed discussions in full confidence" that they
would not be made public.
She added
that she was "concerned by the manner in which you have engaged with this
investigation", saying his conduct "has not been of the same
standard" as other members of the NSC.
British
media reported that Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill -- the country's most senior
civil servant -- gave those present an ultimatum to deny responsibility for the
leak.
Williamson
was one of the first to do so, calling it "completely unacceptable".
His allies
told Sky News reporter Kate McCann that they suspect Sedwill of engineering the
sacking over historical disagreements between the pair.
The
42-year-old was a trusted ally of the prime minister.
He was
May's parliamentary campaign manager when she successfully ran to become
Conservative Party leader, and was rewarded with the job of chief whip --
tasked with enforcing discipline for the Conservative Party in parliament.
He was only
elected to parliament in 2010, and was best known for keeping a pet tarantula,
Cronus, in a glass-sided tank on his desk.
May raised
eyebrows when she appointed Williamson to the key defence job in November 2017
after previous incumbent Michael Fallon resigned over allegations of sexual
harassment.
The move
raised questions about whether Williamson's whips' office had a role in
preparing the dossier on ministers behind the scandal, and there were reports
that Williamson advised May that Fallon may be facing further allegations.
"Make
no mistake, Gavin Williamson wants to be prime minister. And he knows all the
dirt on his colleagues," wrote Tim Shipman, political editor of The Sunday
Times newspaper.
Related Article:
No comments:
Post a Comment