Liz Truss has been blasted by a former British Army chief who accused her of "ill discipline" after the Kremlin phone hack scandal came to light.
Sensational reports emerged last night claiming that the former Foreign Secretary's personal phone was compromised.
It is reported that there were messages with former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng on the phone, as well as details about support for Ukraine.
According to the Mail on Sunday, agents thought to be working for the Kremlin downloaded a year’s worth of messages and top secret discussions with international allies.
Lord Dannatt, who was Chief of the General Staff from 2006 to 2009, told Times Radio: "Our leaders must be sufficiently disciplined to only communicate through authorised means which themselves are encrypted and are secure.
"We've seen it with Suella Braverman, apparently sending messages that she shouldn't have done on a personal email, and now we get it with Liz Truss.
"This, frankly, is not good enough."
He added that politicians failing to use secure means of communicating "is ill discipline and, frankly, reflects very poorly on their judgment".
A cabinet minister today did not deny that Ms Truss's phone was hacked by Russian spies - but claims the ex-PM would have "followed the advice she was given" by intelligence advisers.
But it’s claimed Boris Johnson and Cabinet Secretary Simon Case agreed to suppress information about the cyber-attack, which was discovered during the Tory leadership campaign.
Allies were worried that if the news broke it could derail her chances of becoming Prime Minister - and it’s claimed she “had trouble sleeping” until Mr Case “imposed a news blackout.”
This morning Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove did not deny the compromise happened when given the opportunity - instead claiming to know nothing about it.
He told Sky News's Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme: "I don't know the full details of what security breach, if any, took place.
"What I do know is that the Government has very robust protocols in place in order to make sure that individuals are protected, but also that Government security and national security are protected as well."
Asked about reports the alleged breach was covered up by the Cabinet Secretary, Mr Gove said: "I'm sure that Liz both as foreign secretary and as prime minister will have followed the advice that she was given by the intelligence and security communities.
"I think all of us have to be sensitive, particularly those of us in Government, to the fact that the more that we talk in detail about these things, the more that we risk giving information to people who wish this country and its citizens harm.
"We do take security issues incredibly seriously. That's why, again, I have to be cautious in responding to the point that you understandably made about Liz's phone."
It’s claimed the messages that were downloaded included discussions with international allies regarding the war in Ukraine, including detailed information about arms shipments.
And further exchanges between Ms Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng, who would later be named Chancellor, criticising Mr Johnson - disclosures that could have left them open to blackmail.
According to the Mail, one source claimed the phone was so heavily compromised it is now “in a locked safe inside a secure government location.”
A source with knowledge of the cyberattack is quoted as saying the incident caused “pandemonium”, adding: “Boris was told immediately, and it was agreed with the Cabinet Secretary that there should be a total news blackout.“
Yvette Cooper, Labour's Shadow Home Secretary, said: "This is extremely serious - it shows the severity of the threats from countries that would do us harm and why cyber-security needs to be taken so seriously by everyone in Government.
“There are immensely important national security issues raised by an attack like this by a hostile state which will have been taken extremely seriously by our intelligence and security agencies.
“There are also serious security questions around why and how this information has been leaked or released right now which must also be urgently investigated.
“It is essential that all of these security issues are investigated and addressed at the very highest level and we need to know that the Government recognises the gravity of this and the importance of fully protecting our national security.”
Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Layla Moran MP said: "These allegations are extremely concerning and raise serious questions for Boris Johnson and those at the heart of this government.
"We need an urgent independent investigation to uncover the truth. Was Liz Truss's phone hacked by Russia, was there a news blackout and if so why?
"If it turns out this information was withheld from the public to protect Liz Truss's leadership bid, that would be unforgivable.
"We cannot allow the Conservative Party's political games to be put ahead of the country's interests and national security."
