Labour slam the Prime Minister for potential security risks. This follows the revelation that Boris Johnson’s personal mobile telephone number has been freely available online for the past 15 years.
The telephone number was published back in 2006 in a think tank press release, but never got deleted. It appears that this is the number the PM still uses.
According to Labour MPs, this has implications for security, lobbying and the risk of blackmail.
However, Chancellor Rishi Sunak defends the PM, saying the fact he is “incredibly approachable” is what makes him so “special”. People feel they can relate to him, talk to him, and tell him what’s on their mind.
Downing Street have declined to comment.
Since the story emerged several attempts were made to call the number, but it appears the phone is now switched off. There is no option to leave a message, only to send a text.
Amid a wider row on lobbying and influence, questions over who has access to ministers’ personal phone numbers were recently raised.
Senior officials reportedly advised the PM to change his number because it is too well known. But last week Downing Street denied this.
Celebrity gossip email newsletter Popbitch were the first to report the availability of Mr Johnson’s number.
The offending think tank press release was related to Mr Johnson’s job at the time as a shadow higher education minister, and MP for Henley. It invited journalists to contact him for further comment.
He became mayor of London two years later.
Safety precautions
It is possible that hostile states with “sophisticated cyber capabilities” or criminal gangs could now have access to Mr Johnson’s number.
You would think that changing your mobile number when becoming PM would be a basic security precaution these days.
The UK’s top civil servant, Simon Case, told MPs that officials “put security packages around all the communications that ministers have”. He says, “the level of encryption and standards of security on everybody’s mobile phone increasing all the time”.
The PM is apparently “aware of his responsibilities” on national security.
Earlier this month the prime minister came under fire for a series of text messages with businessman Sir James Dyson. In the messages, Mr Johnson promised to “fix” a tax issue for Sir James during the pandemic. The PM argued it was to help increase supply of ventilators, and claims he did “the right thing”.
However, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer believes it is wrong that friends “who’ve got the prime minister’s number can access him and ask about tax breaks”.
It was also reported last week that a Universal Credit claimant once contacted the PM directly “asking for help with their benefit claim” after getting his number from a friend.
When ministers get a job in government they are issued with official mobile phones. But they are still allowed to keep their own personal devices.
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