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?

[anotheoldgit]

I wish someone would hand May a letter of dismissal.

[Khandro]

Just when you thought she couldn't get worse, another serious blunder by Theresa May! He clearly did not do it and has said, "I will swear I did not do it on my children's life" and he wants a police inquiry which he says will exonerate him.

[dannyk13]

I hope he gets his wish for a police enquiry, but someone, other than him, will have to order one.

[jno]

He clearly did not do it

you know something nobody else does, Khandro? Evidence, please!

The simplest thing would be as I suggested earlier - authorise the reporter to release tapes of his interview.

[Togo]

Looks like treason May is now backtracking. He was not sacked for a "security leak"(read security warning) bur for "Ministerial misconduct". Oh dear......this is the man who knows where all the bodies are buried. "A former Parliamentary Private Secretary to previous prime minister David Cameron regarded as instrumental in Theresa May’s ascension to the party leadership, and her Chief Whip during the early stages of her government." Wait until he does start singing.

[ichkeria]

If you were trying to silence someone you wouldn’t sack them.

[Peter Pedant]

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

having a bad sight day

Anyway, I'll say it again, if the National Trust doesnt leak, who can you trust not to leak
and I was thinking christ all their properties leak and how !

sozza

[Peter Pedant]

after all the blaaah has died down
this does look very like JOhn Majors last days

and ushered in 10 years of Blair paradise ( well shri did well, didnt she/)

[Togo]

Since when did anything that May does make any sense? In her political death throes she has started too lash out indiscriminately and is on hair trigger settings. Williamson had to go in her twisted view of the proceedings. How can she trust someone who puts his Countries interests before that of her own? She will be gone before the dust settles.

[jno]

PP, I've suggested before that May take a leaf out of Major's book - resign as party leader and stand for re-election, "back me or sack me".

You can just see the possible contenders frantically running away like scared rabbits from the prospect of having to take over right now.

[Khandro]

jno 'Williamson is fighting a strong rearguard action, effectively daring May to publish her ‘compelling evidence’ against him, to check whether it is circumstantial or concrete. It’s possible some of that evidence was provided by the spooks and is thus inadmissible in a court of law. But with Labour, the Lib Dems and SNP all demanding a criminal inquiry, the PM knows that’s the next challenge in this saga.'

He has also sworn his innocence "on his children's lives," does that sound like a guilty man? Not to me.

[gulliver1]

Is Comrade Williamson of" The Conservative Party ," Spying for Putin ?.

[jno]

Khandro, he knows what the evidence is, because she said in her letter that she told him. She said of all the suspects he was the only one who wasn't fully co-operative.

And swearing on your children's lives is a very strong signal that he's lying.

[ichkeria]

That’s the thing: he didn’t cooperate, for whatever reason.
So what is the PM supposed to think?
If there’s a doubt that can’t be resolved, he has to go.
It may have an innocent explanation, but people who know more about this than we do haven’t found one.
So for now ...

[spathiphyllum]

I don't understand what info was leaked >:(

[ichkeria]

The national security council was discussing the awarding of a 5G contract to Huawei.
It was leaked that the contact would be awarded despite concerns over the company’s links to Chinese state security

[ichkeria]

Given that the story was in the DT, that the defence secretary (who has a big stake in this) 2s on the phone to one of their journalists after the meeting, and given Mr Williamson’s outspoken and IMO justified concerns about this issue, you can see why he’s in the spotlight.

[Peter Pedant]

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

god that was some time ago. memory lane
there were protests ( Battle of Brittan) and one of the revolting students unviersities seriously discussed failing the student her exams ! ( purely because she protested not because she couldnt write joined up)

[Peter Pedant]

// I don't understand what info was leaked >:(..

if huawei got the contract then Peking coould listen to the latest shopping lists being ordered from 10 Downing st to Harrods and other sensitivie material like which cat food

and GCHQ said - erm actually we could fix that .....and make them think Sir Humphreys cat is a dog ....

aand so HuaWei got the contract

then the yapping out side the room started .....

apparently he has form ( = a chronic leaker but not this time gov)
and
no one would have thought it, unless you actually knew him,!