Government misses deadline to publish Lord Evgeny Lebedev security advice

Ministers have missed the deadline to publish security advice linked to the peerage of Russian-born businessman Evgeny Lebedev.

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said the “whole thing reeks of a cover-up” by Boris Johnson amid questions over his involvement in sending the media mogul to the Lords.

The House of Commons approved a Labour motion last month seeking to force the Government to release documents about the Prime Minister’s involvement.

But ministers missed Thursday’s deadline, with Paymaster General Michael Ellis saying more time was needed to consider whether redactions must be made over “national security”.

Questions have been raised over whether the Prime Minister asked anyone in the security services to revise, reconsider or withdraw their assessment of Lord Lebedev ahead of his appointment in November 2020.

The media mogul’s father, oligarch Alexander Lebedev, was a former KGB agent.

Ms Rayner said: “By failing to comply with the democratic will of Parliament and release these important documents, the Government is once again bending the rules to dodge scrutiny.

“This last-minute delay just kicks the can further down the road, and has all the hallmarks of a government with something to hide.

“If the Prime Minister wasn’t involved in forcing through the appointment of an individual of concern to our intelligence services, why won’t he come clean and publish the guidance in full, as Parliament voted for?”