Theresa May under pressure for refusing to discipline aide for 'outing' gay Brexit whistleblower as No 10 email emerges

Prime Minister claimed Stephen Parkinson made a 'personal statement' - but it was sent out by Downing Street and stamped 'OFFICIAL'

Rob Merrick
Deputy Political Editor
Tuesday 27 March 2018 14:21 BST
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Shahmir Sanni says revelations about relationship with Stephen Parkinson forced him to come out to fis family

Theresa May is under pressure over her refusal to discipline an aide blamed for revealing a Brexit whistleblower is gay, after a No 10 email cast doubt on her claim he made a “personal statement”.

Labour MPs and Shahmir Sanni, the whistleblower, have ridiculed the suggestion – one MP arguing the statement was “handled and disseminated by No 10”.

The fresh controversy comes after Mr Sanni – who has called the spending practices of the official Vote Leave campaign “totally illegal” – broke down in tears as he described having to come out as gay to his mother.

Theresa May refuses to sack aide for 'outing' gay whistleblower

He accused Stephen Parkinson, the prime minister’s political secretary, of knowing his family was unaware of his sexuality when he released the statement saying the two men had been in a relationship.

In the Commons on Monday, Ms May acknowledged that being outed could be “difficult” for some gay people “because of their family and circumstances”.

But she dismissed calls to sack Mr Parkinson, insisting: “Any statements issued were personal statements.”

However, an email has now emerged confirming that Mr Parkinson’s statement was emailed to a journalist by one of the prime minister’s special advisers – and was stamped “OFFICIAL”.

Angela Eagle, a former Labour minister, told The Independent: “It appears to have been handled and disseminated by No 10 and it obviously outed a whistleblower putting his family in Pakistan in danger.

“The prime minister is dancing on the head of a pin if she thinks her explanation will wash. She has to sack her political secretary for his role in outing a whistleblower.”

And Ben Bradshaw, another ex-minister, said: “The email evidence is there in black and white that the statement came from No 10 and reports it was approved by May’s communications chief, Robbie Gibb, have not been denied.

“It is rarely appropriate to out someone against their will. It is despicable to do so to try to divert attention from these very compelling allegations of law breaking by the Leave campaign.”

Some Conservative MPs are also uneasy about Ms May’s staunch defence of her aide, fearing him remaining in post will increase the focus on the allegations.

At the weekend, Mr Sanni alleged that Vote Leave used its links with another pro-Brexit group to get around the £7m referendum spending limit imposed by the Electoral Commission.

A 50-page dossier of evidence has now been handed to the election watchdog, alongside a legal opinion that the campaign may have broken electoral law.

Witness statements “strongly suggest” a donation of almost £680,000 made to a youth Brexit group called BeLeave was actually used for Vote Leave’s benefit, the dossier says.

Mr Sanni broke down at a London event on Monday evening, saying: “It was f***ing shit. I had to come out to my mum the day before yesterday.”

Mr Parkinson and Downing Street had “stripped me of the most important conversation for me, to have with my mother and my sisters and my family”, he alleged.

But, asked to sack her aide, the prime minister told MPs on Monday: “No, I’m sorry that is not what I should be doing. My political secretary does a very good job as my political secretary.

Mr Parkinson has said it was impossible for the relationship to have “remained private once Shahmir decided to publicise his false claims in this way”.

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