Downing Street has mounted a retaliation against “sleaze” accusations by planting articles in newspapers supporting the Tories accusing Dominic Cummings of leaking texts from Issue 10.
The Times, Daily Telegraph and The Sun cite anonymous Downing Street sources as saying Mr. Cummings leaked texts about tycoon Sir James Dyson and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.
The main Times front page article appears under a headline: “Cummings accused of leaking PM’s texts. Johnson ‘saddened by former adviser’s bitterness.”
The headline of the Daily Telegraph, as well as its main article, is: “Cummings accused of leaking No 10 texts. Sources in Downing Street say the former chief adviser published the Prime Minister’s messages out of spite . “
And the headline of the Sun’s front page, alongside photos of Mr Cummings and the Prime Minister, is: “Prime Minister accuses ex-adviser of leaks. Boris: Dom is text freak.”
In texts disclosed to Sir James, Mr Johnson promised he would “fix” a tax problem for Dyson staff is working to develop ventilators at the height of the coronavirus crisis last year.
Dyson staff were developing ventilators for the coronavirus crisis last year
A text message to the Prime Minister from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was also leaked as a Newcastle United takeover bid ran into trouble last June.
Sky News attempted to contact senior No 10 officials and Mr Cummings, who left Downing Street last November after a bitter power struggle, but none responded to our requests.
After the reports were released, The Guardian said: “In what appeared to be a coordinated attack on Cummings, The Telegraph, The Times and Sun reported the same criticism from an anonymous insider accusing him of being ‘bitter’ of leave the government. “
Opposition MPs will claim Number 10 is trying to deflect attention from allegations of “sleaze” and “cronyism” against Mr Johnson and his superiors …
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Source: news.sky.com
This notice was published: 2021-04-22 23:33:00
