The government could be forced to reveal private advice over the appointment of Evgeny Lebedev to the House of Lords, amid evidence the security services had concerns about the peerage.
Labour will force a binding vote on releasing information about Boris Johnson’s involvement in the decision to award the peerage to the Evening Standard owner. Angela Rayner, the party’s deputy leader, will demand the information concerning the appointment from the Cabinet Office.
The Guardian revealed in October 2020 that Johnson met Lebedev in March, shortly before the House of Lords appointments commission, which scrutinises all nominations, wrote to the prime minister. It is understood to have expressed concerns about Lebedev’s proposed peerage and asked Downing Street to reconsider.
Peers were said to have had confidential briefing from the UK security services, which suggested the appointment was a potential security risk because of Lebedev’s father, Alexander Lebedev, a former KGB agent who worked undercover at the Soviet embassy in London. » | Jessica Elgot, Chief political correspondent | Monday, March 28, 2022
