Government refuses to release Lebedev peerage details despite MPs’ instruction

Evgeny Lebedev was awarded a peerage by Boris Johnson, a close friend. Photograph: Neil Hall/Reuters

The government has declined a Commons instruction to release information about the decision to make Evgeny Lebedev a peer, saying this would undermine the confidentiality of those nominated and could degenerate into “political point-scoring”.

Labour called the decision “a cover-up” and promised more action over what it called a contempt of parliament.