Calling for an urgent investigation following reports that Liz Truss’ phone was hacked | News about politics

The Government is facing calls for an urgent inquiry after reports emerged that a phone belonging to Liz Truss was hacked by Russia.

The Liberal Party and the Labor Party have described the allegations as “extremely serious” and “worrying”.

Agents suspected of working for Russian President Vladimir Putin allegedly hacked the former prime minister’s personal phone during the summer’s Tory leadership campaign, gaining access to details of negotiations with key international allies.

Private messages between the then foreign minister and cabinet minister Kwasi Kwarteng were also opened, according to the Mail on Sunday.

These details were allegedly suppressed by Boris Johnson, who was Prime Minister at the time, and Secretary of State Simon Case.

The government has not confirmed the reports and Sky News has not been able to independently confirm the claims.

Speaking to Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday, Secretary of State for Equalization Michael Gove insisted the Government is taking security issues “incredibly seriously”.

He said: “I don’t know the full details of what security breach, if any, took place.

“What I do know is that the government has very robust protocols in place to ensure that individuals are protected, but also that government security and national security are also protected.

“I think we all have to be sensitive, especially those of us in government, to the fact that the more we talk in detail about these things, the more we risk giving information to people who wish this country and its citizens harm.”

Speaking to Sky News, the chairman of the defense committee, Tobias Ellwood, said he was not aware of the incident but had seen the reports.

“This is a constant threat from Russia, they are getting better and better at these cyber attacks and hacking. We are taking the strictest measures to make sure that doesn’t happen,” he told Sky News.

— It is something for the Intelligence and Security Committee to investigate further.

‘Serious questions’ must be answered

Responding to the report, shadow minister Yvette Cooper said it showed the “seriousness of the threats” from countries seeking to harm the UK.

“There are enormously important national security issues raised by an attack like this from a hostile state, which would have been taken extremely seriously by our intelligence and security agencies,” she said.

“There are also serious security questions surrounding why and how this information has been leaked or released right now, which also need to be investigated immediately.”

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‘Unforgivable’ whose information was withheld to protect Truss

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats called for an urgent inquiry, saying the allegations raise “serious questions” for Johnson.

The party’s foreign affairs spokeswoman Layla Moran asked: “Was Liz Truss’s phone hacked by Russia, was there a news blackout and if so why?

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“If it turns out that this information was withheld from the public to protect Liz Truss’s leadership bid, it would be inexcusable.

“We cannot allow the Conservative Party’s political games to be put before the country’s interests and national security,” she added.

A government spokesperson said there are “robust systems” in place to protect against cyber threats, including regular security briefings for ministers and advice on how to protect their personal data.

But, they added: “We do not comment on individuals’ security arrangements.”