London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 05, 2025

No-one raised security concerns over Lord Lebedev with me, says Michael Gove

No-one raised security concerns over Lord Lebedev with me, says Michael Gove

Michael Gove has said no-one raised security issues with him about Lord Lebedev after reports security services had long-held concerns about him.

The Sunday Times claimed the head of MI6 was worried about the Russian-born businessman, and concerns were raised with Boris Johnson in 2020.

But the PM has denied he intervened to ensure Lord Lebedev's peerage.

Housing Secretary Mr Gove told the BBC the process for appointing peers was "rigorous".

He said he had dinner with Lord Lebedev at Boris Johnson's house before the Brexit referendum, but did not know of any possible security concerns.

But Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the PM had "serious questions to answer" about the appointment, and has asked the House of Lords Appointment Commission to release the vetting advice they gave to Mr Johnson.

And speaking at his party's spring conference, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called for a full public inquiry into the PM's decision to give Lord Lebedev a peerage.

He told party members: "The cosy relationship between Putin's oligarchs and the Conservative political elite has been the dirty secret of the British establishment for far too long."

Lord Lebedev was given his peerage in July 2020.

He has denied posing a "security risk" to the UK, writing an article in the Evening Standard newspaper - which he owns - saying: "I am not some agent of Russia."

The son of billionaire Russian banker and former KGB officer Alexander Lebedev, who moved to the UK as a child, has condemned President's Putin's actions in his newspaper, writing: "I plead with you to stop Russians killing their Ukrainian brothers and sisters."

And he has warned it is "crucial we do not descend into Russophobia" during the war in Ukraine.

Newspaper claims


An article in the Sunday Times last week claimed security services withdrew their assessment that giving the honour to Lord Lebedev posed a security risk after the PM got involved.

The newspaper said that in March 2020, the commission that vets peerage appointments advised the prime minister against granting the newspaper owner a seat in the House of Lords, due to security concerns.

But Mr Johnson, who ultimately decides who gets a peerage, is said to have responded to the advice by claiming it was "anti-Russianism".

The PM denied the report, saying it would "obviously be extraordinary" if he had intervened, "but that's not the case".

But in another Sunday Times article, the newspaper claimed the head of MI6 had held concerns about the businessman for as long as a decade.

Boris Johnson - pictured here with Lord Lebedev in 2009 - denied he intervened over security concerns with the peer


Asked on the BBC's Sunday Morning programme about the reports, Levelling Up Secretary Mr Gove said he was "not aware of any of the concerns that had been expressed until they appeared in the newspapers".

He added: "Of course there are questions that are going to be asked, but no one has ever said to me that there are any specific security concerns that they have about Lord Lebedev."

The government minister also pointed to the fact Lord Lebedev was a British citizen, adding: "I think it is important to draw a distinction between Evgeny Lebedev's father, who obviously... worked for the KGB, and Lord Lebedev himself, who is someone who has made his home in this country.

"There is a distinction to be drawn between the actions of parents and the actions of children."

But Labour leader Sir Keir has written to the chair of House of Lords Appointment Commission, Lord Bew, asking for vetting information to be made public, and for him to "commit to a review of the propriety of Lord Lebedev's place in the House of Lords".

Speaking to Sky News' Sophy Ridge, he said: "I think the prime minister has got serious questions to answer. What did he know? And did he override security advice?

"Let's have a process to look into what actually happened, what did the prime minister know and what did he do in response to that. I think that is the least we are entitled to in relation to this appointment."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
×