.BorisJohnson says the media should 'feel free to bring important facts into the public domain'. His comments come after police warned the media against publishing leaked government documents:
Sir Kim Darroch's emails, in which he said the Trump administration was"inept", were released to a newspaper last weekend.Boris Johnson defends the right of the press to publish leaked diplomatic memos.Boris Johnson has told Sky News it is wrong for police to tell the media not to publish further leaks after Scotland Yard urged news services to hand over the information instead.
His comments came shortly after his Tory leadership rival, Jeremy Hunt, tweeted to also criticise the Metropolitan Police for its warning to journalists. These leaks damaged UK/US relations & cost a loyal ambassador his job so the person responsible MUST be held fully to account. But I defend to the hilt the right of the press to publish those leaks if they receive them & judge them to be in the public interest: that is their jobSir Kim Darroch's emails, in which he said the Trump administration was"inept", were released to the Mail on Sunday last weekend.
The Met's assistant commissioner Neil Basu, who is investigating allegations of criminal breaches of the Official Secrets Act, has asked the person behind the leaks to turn themselves in and avoid wasting detectives' time, saying:"You can stop this now.Advertisement Mr Basu issued a warning to the media, suggesting they could face prosecution if they publish any more leaked government memos.But before the latest Tory leadership hustings, in Wyboston, Bedfordshire, Mr Johnson told Sky News:"I think it's very very important that whoever leaks diplomatic telegrams and whoever leaks confidential stuff from the Civil Service - they should be prosecuted, they plainly are breaking the terms of their employment.
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