Top Tories have scrambled to defend Boris Johnson from fresh criticism over his decision to hand a peerage to a Russian-born media mogul.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid insisted anyone who receives a peerage had been properly vetted after a report claimed the head of MI6 held security concerns over Evgeny Lebedev being elevated to the House of Lords.
Boris Johnson said last week that it was "simply incorrect" that he had overruled security concern to ennoble Lord Lebedev in 2020.
