Dominic Cummings Accuses Boris Johnnson Of Lying In Lebedev Peerage Row

Dominic Cummings has accused Boris Johnson of lying over his denials that he ignored security concerns to ensure Evgeny Lebedev received a peerage.

The newspaper proprietor, whose father is an ex-KGB agent, became Lord Lebedev of Hampton and Siberia in December 2020.

Johnson has insisted it is “simply incorrect” to suggest he personally intervened to ensure the peerage went through.

According to The Sunday Times, security officials recommended that Lebedev’s peerage be turned down.

In March 2020, the House of Lords Appointments Commission, which vets peerages, reportedly wrote to Johnson advising him not to grant Lebedev – who owns the Evening Standard and Independent newspapers – a seat in the Lords on security grounds.

By June, however, those security concerns were dropped and Lebedev’s ennoblement was approved.

Asked about the allegations that he was personally involved in the process, the prime minister said: “That is simply incorrect. But what I can tell you is, it suits Putin’s agenda to try to characterise this as a struggle between the West and Russia.

“It suits his agenda to say that the UK, that we in Nato countries, are anti-Russia, European countries are now anti-Russian.”

But writing on his blog, Cummings – who was once the prime minister’s top adviser – said: “I was in the room when the PM was told by Cabinet Office officials that the intelligence services and other parts of the deep state had, let’s say, serious reservations about the PM’s plan.

“I supported these concerns and said to the PM in his study explicitly that he should not go ahead. He was very cross and as he does when cross he blustered nonsense.”

Cummings said Johnson “got a stooge to creep into the Cabinet Office labyrinth and cut a deal”.

“I’m confident in predicting nobody would swear under oath the PM is telling the truth – including the PM,” he added.