The Government has been accused of a “cover-up” by Labour after withholding detailed security advice over Russian-born businessman Evgeny Lebedev’s peerage.
Deputy Labour leader, Angela Rayner, told the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, to “come clean” and publish the documents as ordered by Parliament if he has nothing to hide.
Ministers cited the need to “protect national security” and to maintain the “integrity” of the honours system after withholding key details linked to the peerage of the media mogul.
As ever Rees-Mogg defended the government.
The appointment has been shrouded in controversy after The Sunday Times newspaper alleged security services withdrew an assessment, that granting the peerage to the son of a former KGB agent posted a national security risk, when the Prime Minister intervened.
Lord Lebedev, the owner of the London Evening Standard and a shareholder in The Independent, and son of oligarch Alexander Lebedev, was appointed to the House of Lords in November 2020.
Harry Yorke tweeted: “Breaking: The intelligence and security committee has begun looking into Lord Lebedev’s peerage It says the government failed to provide information requested to the deadline it had set and has only received in the past 24 hours.”
In response, the Guardian’s Peter Walker tweeted: “Labour used parliament to force the govt to release all document on Evgeny Lebedev’s peerage. What has been published are a series of basic administrative emails and lists, and even these have been redacted. It says absolutely nothing.”
It all seems very murky, and there appears to be more questions than answers.
Reactions
It left people to speculate on social media, as ever:
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