Huawei Leak.....

[mushroom25]

and Gavin Williamson gets his marching orders...
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-48126974

and yet - he's pulling the Shaggy defence, which makes no sense. he couldn't have hoped to remain undetected so must have made the leak for reasons of conscience - but is flatly denying being responsible. any suggestions as to his motive?

[grumpy01]

Sorry Mushroom we must have been typing at around same time.Dangerous little man who was trying to position himself for a leadership bid.Likely now that shipped has sailed.

[jno]

yours seems to have vanished, grumpy?

Anyway, I'll say it again, if you can't trust the National Security Council not to leak, who can you trust.

[ichkeria]

Very strange man Gavin Williamson. About the only good thing about him seemed to be his Putin bog roll.
He’s a liar or a scapegoat presumably: one or the other.
Who knows maybe both.
Is that the sound of nails I hear bring driven into a cabinet being converted into a coffin?

[jno]

and his replacement is the woman who swore the UK could do nothing to stop Turkey joining the EU, in defiance of the facts. Put her in charge of the smart bombs.

[ichkeria]

Yes I saw that: Penny Mordaunt. Oh joy

[ichkeria]

Did Mr Williamson really misname the NSC as the NEC in his letter (!)

[Gromit]

The 42nd Minister that May has lost in her brief reign.
Not a Cabinet, more of a Cyclone of Calamity.

[barney15c]

Will/should Gavin Williamson be charged for contravening the Official Secrets Act, the PM implied "compelling evidence" , seems there is no defense for not bringing criminal proceedings?

[Old_Geezer]

Personally I don't see concealing that decision was in the public interest. Why were they hiding it anyway ? If there is a security issue with Huawei kit then Huawei would know it was in the system anyway; the only ones left in the dark would be ourselves. What is this government of ours up to ?

[THECORBYLOON]

The evidence may be compelling but that may be only on the balance of probability. There would need to be a greater level of evidence for a criminal prosecution.

Having said that, I do not think we have heard the last of the matter.

[ichkeria]

The point is you don’t leak from NSC meetings

[Old_Geezer]

Seems someone whistleblew from NSC meetings anyway. I hear there's space now at the Ecuadorian embassy.

[Gromit]

Leon Britton was forced to resign (or be sacked) over the Westland Helicopters saga.

Like Williams, he leaked confidential Defence material that embarrassed the Prime Minister and Government.

History repeats. Lesson - never leak over Defence.

[Spicerack]

Assuming he is guilty, gromit?
May, a proven liar, doesn't want him prosecuted or even remove the Tory whip. She wants the whole affair brushed under the carpet now.
This could run & run.

[THECORBYLOON]

GROMIT, this shows a different version, https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/margaret-thatcher-approved-leak-that-forced-michael-heseltine-and-leon-brittan-to-resign-a6680971.html%3famp

[jno]

yes, I think the embarrassment to Thatcher was the old one of being found out. May, on the other hand, is found out on a daily basis.

[jno]

perhaps Dad's Army will mourn Williamson

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/7079320/gavin-williamson-tractor-budget/

[Gromit]

Thanks for the link thecorbyloon.

[barney15c]

Williamson has acknowledged speaking to the Daily Telegraph’s Steven Swinford (The paper that broke the story) on the phone for 11 minutes on the day of the leak. But he denies that he revealed what had happened at the national security council when he was asked by the reporter about the Huawei discussion. So why not Subpoena Swinford for his phone records to trace back who phoned him who may have been at that NSC meeting. It will at the very least widen the net if Williamson continues to deny his involvement.

[jno]

at a guess, Barney, they asked to look at everyone's mobiles and Williamson was the only person who'd called the Telegraph after the meeting. In that case his only recourse was to insist that they'd just discussed recipes for strawberry flan. I suppose he could give permission to the reporter to release the tapes so the reporter would no longer be bound by confidentiality undertakings.

If he wanted to.