Starmer Calls For Inquiry Into Lebedev Peerage After PM's Role Is Questioned

The Labour leader, Keir Starmer, has said parliament’s intelligence and security committee should investigate the circumstances surrounding Boris Johnson’s elevation of the Russian-born businessman Evgeny Lebedev to the House of Lords .

- Dan Sabbagh Luke Harding

The demand came after a fresh report said intelligence agencies had reframed an assessment that Lebedev’s appointment would pose a security risk after an intervention from Johnson in early 2020.

Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday Morning, Starmer said he was very concerned: “There’s at least the suggestion that the government and the prime minister were warned that there was a national security risk in this particular appointment.”

Starmer said the case should be referred to the all-party committee,which acts as a watchdog on intelligence matters, “so they can look into this story, this allegation, which is very serious, because of course, it’s a matter of national security ”.

Later, Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, wrote to Johnson asking that he make available to the intelligence and security committee all “advice and information” he received regarding the appointment of Lebedev and that he should cooperate with any further inquiries the watchdog wanted to make.