British
Prime Minister Theresa May has sacked her Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson,
saying an investigation suggested he was to blame for leaking discussions about
Chinese telecoms company Huawei from her National Security Council.
Last
week it emerged that Britain would allow Huawei a restricted role in building
parts of its 5G network, seeking a middle way in a bitter dispute between the
United States and China over the next generation of communications technology.
The NSC
is a forum in which senior cabinet ministers discuss top secret national
security information, and the leak, first reported in national newspapers,
sparked anger in Parliament.
May
wrote to Williamson that an investigation into the leaks had provided
“compelling evidence suggesting your responsibility for the unauthorised
disclosure”.
“No
other, credible version of events to explain this leak has been identified,”
she added.
Williamson
had repeatedly denied that he was responsible for the leak. A correspondent
said she spoke to him after his firing was made public and he continued to deny
blame.
May
appointed International Development Minister Penny Mordaunt to succeed
Williamson as Defence Secretary, and named Prisons Minister Rory Stewart to
Mordaunt’s former role.
Huawei,
the world’s biggest producer of telecom equipment, is under intense scrutiny
after the United States told allies not to use its technology because of fears
it could be a vehicle for Chinese spying. Huawei has categorically denied this.
“It is
vital that I have full confidence in the members of my Cabinet and of the
National Security Council,” May wrote in her letter to Williamson, which was
released by her office.
“The
gravity of this issue alone, and its ramifications for the operation of the NSC
and the UK’s national interest warrants the serious steps we have taken, and
an equally serious response.”
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