The leak from a National Security Council meeting is “very serious”, “a complete outrage” and “beyond the pale”, the former head of the civil service has said.
Lord O’Donnell told the Today programme that the leak “breaks down trust” within the cabinet and could change the whole framework of how the government is managed.
It comes after Tuesday’s meeting of the National Security Council, when it was reported that it had agreed to allow Huawei limited access to help build Britain’s new 5G network, amid warnings about possible risks to national security.