MP, Labour’s Shadow Home
Secretary, has written to the Cabinet Secretary today to
demand answers over the appointment of as Home Secretary just
days after a breach of the Ministerial Code.
Labour is calling for a full investigation into the security
breaches by the Home Secretary, including the warnings given to
the Prime Minister.
The letter text is below:
Dear Cabinet Secretary,
I am writing to you with regards to the re-appointment of as Home Secretary.
As you will be aware, the Home Secretary resigned just six days
ago due to a breach of the Ministerial Code which she accepted
had taken place. This related to the dissemination of private
government documents with an external individual, through a
personal email account. Given the Prime Minister’s decision to
reappoint her to the Cabinet post overseeing national security,
it is vital for the public to have transparency on what occurred.
Yet following Labour’s Urgent Question last week and Point of
Order today, there are a series of important questions which
remain unanswered:
- What investigation has been completed into whether any other
security lapses or similar breaches of the Ministerial Code by
have taken place?
- Has the Home Office or Cabinet Office investigated whether
the Home Secretary sent other government documents to her
personal email and whether she sent other government documents to
people outside of government who were not authorised to receive
them?
- There are media reports that concerns had been raised
previously in Number 10 or the Cabinet Office about “sharing restricted
government documents with people she shouldn’t have’” or
breaching security arrangements or the Ministerial Code. Is
this correct? have you been informed about any previous
concerns and if so when?
- What assessment has been made of the severity of the security
lapses involved?
- The Home Secretary said in her resignation letter that she
informed the Cabinet Secretary immediately. However, it has been
reported that you were instead informed by the Chief Whip. What
time were you informed, and by whom?
- The Home Secretary states that the document was a draft
Written Ministerial Statement about migration. However, it has
also been reported that the documents were sensitive papers from
Cabinet. What was the document in question?
- The Home Secretary further states that the document was due
for publication immediately. Yet the Cabinet Office Minister said
it was ‘under live discussion in Government’ and no such
statement was on the order paper. Is the Home Secretary’s
assertion true, and when was this document due for
publication?
- The Home Secretary also states that much of the document had
already been briefed to MPs. Is this true?
- What advice did you or any senior officials give to the
former Prime Minister on the Home Secretary’s actions, and was
that advice shared with the new Prime Minister, ?
- Did the new Prime Minister seek your advice, or the advice of
any officials, on the reappointment of , on the extent of the
breach of security or the Ministerial Code before making the
appointment?
- Did you, the Cabinet Office, or any other senior officials
raise security concerns or concerns about the Ministerial Code
regarding the re-appointment of the Home Secretary?
- In the absence of a Government Ethics Advisor what advice was
given to the Prime Minister on the ethics of reappointing someone
who had been forced to resign for a breach of the Ministerial
code just 6 days before?
If a full investigation has not yet taken place into the extent
of this and other possible security breaches, I am urging you and
the Home Office to now urgently undertake such an investigation
as the public has a right to know that there are proper secure
information procedures in place to cover the person who has been
given charge of our national security. It must include the extent
of the Home Secretary’s use of private email accounts to
circulate Government papers and the extent to which official
documents have been sent outside Government, as well as any other
concerns that have been raised about possible serious information
and security breaches by .
Given the seriousness of these matters I expect an urgent
response. Given the public interest in this matter, I will be
publishing this letter.
Yours sincerely,
MP
Shadow Home Secretary
