Prime Minister Theresa May fires defense secretary over leaks from secret government meeting

Image: FILES-BRITAIN-CHINA-POLITICS-HUAWEI
Britain's Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson arrives in Downing Street in London for a cabinet meeting on April 2, 2019. Copyright Adrian Dennis
Copyright Adrian Dennis
By Associated Press with NBC News World News
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Prime Minister Theresa May's office says May has "lost confidence" in Gavin Williamson.

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LONDON — British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson has been fired after an investigation into leaks from a secret government meeting about Chinese telecoms firm Huawei.

Prime Minister Theresa May's office says May has "lost confidence" in Williamson.

Downing St. says "the prime minister's decision has been informed by his conduct surrounding an investigation into the circumstances of the unauthorized disclosure of information from a meeting of the National Security Council. "

An investigation was launched last week after newspapers reported that the security council, which meets in private, had agreed to let Huawei participate in some aspects of Britain's new 5G wireless communications network.

The government insists no decision has been made about that.

Penny Mordaunt was announced as the new defense secretary.

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