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British PM dismisses defense secretary due to security leakage - PM’s office

Theresa May has appointed former Secretary of State for International Development Penny Mordaunt as new British Defense Secretary

Gavin Williamson EPA-EFE/NEIL HALL

Gavin Williamson

© EPA-EFE/NEIL HALL

LONDON, May 1. /TASS/. British Prime Minister Theresa May has dismissed Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson due to unauthorized security leakage from a session of the National Security Council (NSC), the prime minister’s office reported on Wednesday.

"The Prime Minister has this evening asked Gavin Williamson to leave the Government, having lost confidence in his ability to serve in the role of Defense Secretary and as a member of her Cabinet. The Prime Minister’s decision has been informed by his conduct surrounding an investigation into the circumstances of the unauthorized disclosure of information from a meeting of the National Security Council," the statement said.

In her letter to Williamson May called the leakage unprecedented and deeply disappointing. The former defense secretary called the decision politically motivated and swore that neither he nor anyone from the ministry he headed was not involved in the security leakage, TV channel Sky News reported.

The new defense secretary

The prime minister’s office reported after that Theresa May appointed Penny Mordaunt as new Secretary of State for Defense. Mordaunt previously served as Secretary of State for International Development, which now heads former Minister of State for Prisons Rory Stewart.

Queen Elizabeth II was pleased to approve the appointment of Penny Mordaunt as Secretary of State for Defense, according to the statement.

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