Deputies voted last month to release the material after reports that MI5 had caused security concerns when the owner of the Evening Standard and the son of a KGB officer were nominated by Boris Johnson to join the House of Lords in March 2020. . Labor used a day of opposition in the Commons to deliver a “humble speech” – a move that forces the government to release documents that were rarely used until a few years ago. Conservative whips were initially expected to order their MPs to vote against the move, but ensuring they would fail – but a significant number of rebels made it clear they were unwilling to do so, forcing the government to allow the abstention. The deadline for the publication of the advice on Lord Lebedev’s conspiracy was 28 April. Subscribe to the First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am But the cabinet minister admitted after parliament adjourned in preparation for the queen’s speech that work to withdraw some pieces of information had not been completed. Michael Ellis argued that corrections had to be made “for national security purposes”, which he said was “a thought which is of the utmost importance given the government’s responsibility to protect information when disclosure is not in the public interest”. ». The minister said the government was “also considering other principles, such as the need to protect private data, communications with His Majesty and also the awarding of any honor or dignity by the crown”. He confirmed that all the advice of the security services “has been gathered now”, but said that “all the necessary assessments” had not been completed and that he regretted that he missed the deadline. Angela Rayner, Labor’s deputy leader, claimed that by failing to release the documents, the government was “once again bending the rules to avoid scrutiny”. He said: “This last-minute delay is just kicking the pot down and has all the hallmarks of a government with something to hide. “If the prime minister did not participate in forcing the appointment of a person interested in our intelligence services, why would he not clarify and publish the instructions in full, as parliament voted?” Dominic Cummings, a former top adviser to the prime minister, said last month he was in the room when Cabinet officials told Johnson that intelligence services had “serious reservations about the prime minister’s plan”. Johnson had previously denied that he had intervened to secure a conspiracy, and Lebedev said he was not a “Russian agent.”
