Click to see full-size image
On May 1st, British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson was fired from his position over an alleged leak of a key decision from a UK National Security Council meeting to Chinese telecom giant Huawei.
Downing Street said Prime Minister Theresa May had “lost confidence in his ability to serve” and Penny Mordaunt will take on the role.
Secretary of State for International Development Rory Stewart has been confirmed as the new international development secretary, taking over from Mordaunt. Stewart said he believed the prime minister and national security adviser had “made the right decision” in sacking Williamson.
Theresa May released a letter to Williamson, releasing him from his post. According to it, on May 1st the two discussed the “unauthorized disclosure of information from the National Security Council meeting on April 23rd.”
“It is vital for the operation of good government and for the UK’s national interest in some of the most sensitive and important areas that the members of the NSC – from our Armed Forces, our Security and Intelligence Agencies, and the most senior level of government – are able to have frank and detailed discussions in full confidence that the advice and analysis provided is not discussed or divulged beyond that trusted environment.”
All those interrogated answered their questions and it was deemed that the former Defense Secretary bore responsibility for the leak.
“No other credible version of events to explain this leak has been identified.”
She concluded by saying that full confidence in all cabinet members was mandatory.
“It is vital that I have full confidence in the members of my cabinet and of the National Security Council. 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.
It is therefore with great sadness that I have concluded that I can no longer have full confidence in you as secretary of state for defence and a minister in my cabinet and asked you to leave Her Majesty’s government.”
— Gavin Williamson MP (@GavinWilliamson) May 1, 2019
Gavin Williamson denied the allegations and said that he believed that he wasn’t responsible for the leaks.
“I am sorry that you feel recent leaks from the National Security Council originated in my department. I emphatically believe this was not the case. I strenuously deny that I was in any way involved in this leak and I am confident that a thorough and formal inquiry would have vindicated my position.
I have always trusted my civil servants, military advisers and staff. I believe the assurances they have given me.”
He said that he had been given the option to resign, but doing so would mean that the people beneath him were responsible and he rejected that the situation was such.
The inquiry into the National Security Council leak began after the Daily Telegraph reported on the Huawei decision and subsequent warnings within cabinet about possible risks to national security over a deal with Huawei.
The National Security Council (NSC) is made up of senior cabinet ministers and its weekly meetings are chaired by the prime minister, with other ministers, officials and senior figures from the armed forces and intelligence agencies invited when needed. It is a forum where secret intelligence can be shared by GCHQ, MI6 and MI5 with ministers, all of whom have signed the Official Secrets Act.
Huawei’s participation in the UK’s 5G network establishment is yet to be confirmed and the US is a staunch opposer of the EU using the Chinese Telecom’s services. Downing Street said a final decision would be made at the end of spring. Huawei denied there is any risk of spying or sabotage, or that it is controlled by the Chinese government.
Boycott all that is Russian and Chinese .
Idiot comment.
Good idea for you, mr. Ukrainian troll. Start the boycott from you and unplug yourself from internet, because all of the civil networks clients are made in China. Hope you’ll be consistent in your beliefs and actions.
Could we call it – Canadian Uki trool / fuckwit, as that flag always gets me ?.
He will also have to get rid of his apple phone, car and most things, because almost all things have something built in China.
Well, putting Canadian flag on avatar and getting the nickname Toronto doesn’t makes you Canadian. I think that it is a very good possibility the guy is just a poor Ukrainian which can only dream about iPhone. Or immigrant which came an year or two ago and didn’t understand in full his own miserableness. PS did you ever saw here the flags on avatars besides these 2 trolls Toronto and white American? And it is very likely that both are the same person IRL.
Regards your PS, I thought that, but hover over them regards their comments and upticks (not that. that means anything nowadays) …..both are TROLLS though, but the “white American” amuses me for now.
Take it easy, cheers.
I am not worried at all. Had my tea and I am going to by some fresh eggs and milk from neighboring farmer. Peace and relaxation here. :)
Goon on you Harry.
https://media2.giphy.com/media/JHCcEc9vLvHZS/giphy.gif
Sorry mate, meant good…. how I mixed “d” and “n” up, is anybodies guess.
That cat is bloody brainwashing me…. the more I have to watch it.
Hey, that’s my cat. Her name is Sally :) She chases her tail as well.
Well, my cat is 11 y.o. and he sometimes chases his tale too. :)
I wonder if ‘Tonto in Toronto has a White Helmet ‘ ?
Canada?! Run by arch soy boy Trudeau – nobody takes you remotely seriously.
Ok, Tonto rhymes with Toronto, but in Italian it means fuckwit………in altre parole sei proprio tonto.
Go for it Injun, the phones in the US have always been a decade behind the rest of the world. It’s like trying to hold back the tide Huawei make the best and cheapest telephone equipment, and since Trump stopped component supplies to China, they now make their own, and the US chip industry is collapsing, as is Apple. So now this pathetic attempt to stop free trade.
Interesting speculation (genuine leaks?)………………………..
Posts briefly appeared on both ‘Live Leaks’ and the deep web site ‘Rumour Mill’ on May 01 suggesting that this guy was ‘binned’ (a British term for urgently removed) at the direct request of several senior MOD and Navy Officers.
Apparently he was removed along with at least one unamed Senior Navy Officer and also an unnamed Army Officer.
The urgent removal of these senior Government and Military Officers was apparently due to the planned use of British Marines (SBS no less) and other Royal Navy assets currently deployed in the Black Sea and in Ukraine, to sabotage / target / provoke Russian interests in the Black Sea Region (again) in order to provoke a limited Russian military response.
It is unknown what the nature of the provocation was to be or what the targets of the British Special Operation was to be, but commenters on Live Leak have suggested a second run on the Kerch Strait / Crimea Bridge, whilst commenters on the ‘Rumour Mill’ have suggsted the deployment of (a second) underwater drone against the Classified Russian sea drone facility at Novorosisyk.
Apparently no central government authority was given for these planned and very dangerous provocations / potential acts of war. They were planned to coincide with an upcoming NATO exercise in the Black Sea during a simulated attack phase. That is all that is known for now.
Interestingly, the Hauwai angle / excuse for the removal of ths guy is being used by a joint UK/US team as a legal vehicle to investigate this guy and trace his backers and controllers (which are not believed to be UK or US based at this time).
The continuous British led incitement in the Black Sea and Ukraine may now be coming to a close, but there will be no celebration as any slack is likely to be taken up by the US now.
Is that true ?. I would have thought it more viable that he threatened China (whahaha) by sending a ship with the Yankers into the China Sea -> FACT, by doing so, he wrecked a trade agreement and big economic speech by the UK government.
The new president of Ukraine could well offer Williamson a job now. :)
Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Aye, very inexperienced, perhaps not very shrewd, and a bit of a wannabe. Made quite a few strange statements that looked gaff-like.
What I heard was he had been sacked due to his behaviour with regards to the investigation, and not sacked for the leak.
Your post makes good sense.
The photo of Williamson on the front page of the UK Daily Telegraph somewhat amused me. He was holding two black spaniels in a lame attempt, in my opinion, to portray himself as a Commissioned Military Officer.
That he would never have been, and also explains any antipathy from MOD officers toward his aggressive and churlish stance with Russia.
“I have always trusted my civil servants, military advisers and staff. I believe the assurances they have given me.” There, there’s the answer. Lol!
Do we know what kind of information they “shared”? And im looking for facts, not speculations
1dragoon
2biography