UK cabinet ministers given ‘ultimatum’ to confirm or deny responsibility for Huawei leak

UK cabinet members who were at Tuesday’s National Security Council (NSC) have been sent an ultimatum by Whitehall’s most powerful official to confirm whether they leaked a decision to allow Chinese telecoms firm Huawei to help build Britain’s 5G phone network.

Cabinet secretary Mark Sedwill is said to have written to those present and demanded they tell him immediately whether they were involved, prompting the five prime suspects to scramble to deny they were behind the leak.

The inquiry came at a sensitive time with several of those present hoping to take over as prime minister when Theresa May steps down and comes amid growing calls for whoever did leak the information to The Daily Telegraph to be prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act.

The NSC meeting decided to allow Huawei to supply some “non core” telecoms equipment for next-generation phone networks in the UK and the initial focus over the leak has focused on the five ministers present who were opposed to Huawei’s involvement.

Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary, was the first to go public on Thursday in denying he was behind the leak. He said it was “utterly appalling” and denied he or any of his staff were involved.

The leadership candidate added: “I … have never leaked confidential cabinet discussions and I never will, so I don’t want to comment further. But I do think it is a very, very bad day for our democratic processes.”

Soon after, Gavin Williamson, the defence secretary, released his own statement.

“Neither I nor any of my team have divulged information from the National Security Council,” he said.

Sources close to Penny Mordaunt, the development secretary, then said she “categorically denied” being involved – a statement echoed soon after by allies of trade secretary Liam Fox.

Finally, Home Secretary Sajid Javid denied being involved.

“For any cabinet minister or any minister in the government to share sensitive information in the public domain is completely unacceptable and it should be looked at,” he insisted.

Sedwill’s inquiry began with a letter to the members of the NSC – a secret official body comprising the prime minister, nine cabinet members, spy chiefs and senior members of the armed forces. Phone and email records could be examined and people questioned if it develops further and even lead to a minister or aide being fired.

Meanwhile former defence secretary Michael Fallon said Downing Street should call in the police and mount a “a proper Scotland Yard investigation” and Andrew Mitchell, the Tory MP for Sutton Coldfield, told the BBC’s Newsnight that MI5 should be called in.

Number 10 reacted with anger and alarm after the Huawei decision was leaked. It follows a series of leaks from cabinet and other sensitive political meetings as May’s authority has collapsed during the Brexit crisis, but none from the NSC. Insiders said it is a place where “politicians, intelligence agencies and military chiefs are supposed to be able to discuss issues openly and informally”, saying the leak has eroded trust.

Politicians present had been deadlocked at five apiece, with the decision only being made after what amounted to a casting vote from the prime minister. Those who spoke against the plan argued for a blanket ban on Huawei telecoms equipment.

A public announcement of the decision had not been due for several weeks, after further work on various additional safeguards, but the leak transformed the debate with several backbench Conservatives raising concerns on Wednesday and Thursday.

The five ministers in favour of allowing Huawei to supply equipment to “non core” parts of the network, such as antennas, were led by May but also included Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington, chancellor Philip Hammond, business secretary Greg Clark and Jeremy Wright, the culture secretary.

The final decision was said to be in line with advice from Britain’s intelligence agencies, led by GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre, which already monitors Huawei technology in case of a back door that could be exploited by the Chinese government.

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The spy agency has repeatedly said Huawei must be monitored but the risks can be contained. But politicians concerned about the company said the UK should heed warnings from US and Australian spy agencies, who share intelligence with the UK as part of the Five Eyes network.

Tom Tugendhat, the chair of the foreign affairs select committee, told MPs: “This is fundamentally a diplomatic and political question, just as much as a technical one, and … respecting our Five Eyes partners is an essential part of the decision.”

Earlier Labour demanded “a full leak inquiry” in an urgent question in the House of Commons. Jo Platt, the shadow minister for the Cabinet Office, said: “If a minister did leak this information they are not fit to serve in the cabinet and they are certainly not fit to be prime minister.”

In the debate that followed, Wright condemned the leak and signalled that a criminal investigation under the Official Secrets Act could yet go ahead. He told MPs “I cannot rule it out” and it was “a matter for investigating and prosecuting authorities to consider”.