Two Cabinet ministers have publicly denied leaking details of the Huawei controversy as Theresa May launched a formal inquiry into the affair.
The Telegraph reports that Jeremy Hunt and Gavin Williamson both took the “unusual step of insisting they had not been the source of information about Huawei’s future role in the UK’s 5G mobile network, putting pressure on other ministers to follow suit.
The row threatened to become a proxy battleground for Tory leadership rivals as Conservative MPs clamoured for the source of the leak to be rooted out and sacked, prompting accusations that they were motivated by a desire to kill off the leadership hopes of ministers they do not support.
The story was leaked by The Telegraph. The political editor of the newspaper said in an article that as the journalist who first reported on Theresa May’s decision to give Huawei the green light to help build Britain’s 5G network, I am acutely aware of the political repercussions.
The involvement of Huawei in supplying technology for Britain’s 5G infrastructure is undeniably a matter of significant public interest.
It is a decision that has already led to bitter divides between ministers and MPs on all sides of the Commons, and has the potential to open a rift between Britain and its most significant ally – the United States.
The technology itself is potentially revolutionary and could transform our everyday lives. It is likely to underpin radical changes to both public services and the private sector, ushering in everything from driverless cars and telemedicine to automated manufacturing.
So the idea that a Chinese telecoms giant could play a role in building the 5G network – billed as the future of the internet – matters.”
Via the Telegraph
