Sir Keir Starmer has set up a high-level parliamentary committee to investigate the claims that Boris Johnson pushed for a Russian-born businessman to be given a peerage, despite security concerns.
The Sunday Times reports that the security services have withdrawn an assessment that the tribute to Evgeny Lebedev posed a security risk after the Prime Minister intervened.
The Labor leader said he was “very concerned” about the case.
However, Justice Secretary Dominic Raab insisted there was no “inappropriateness”.
Speaking to the BBC’s Sunday Morning programme, Mr Raab said: “There is a very strict and rigorous process when someone is awarded a peerage.”
He added that the rules surrounding the honors process “were applied very strictly in this case”.
“This has been done properly and correctly and we have procedures and systems in place to ensure this is the case.”
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Evgeny Lebedev, owner of the Independent and London Evening Standard newspapers, was knighted in July 2020.
The son of Alexander Lebedev, a Russian billionaire and former KGB officer, came to London at the age of eight when his father started working at the Soviet embassy.
He holds both Russian and British citizenship.
Earlier this week, Lord Lebedev published a letter to Vladimir Putin calling on the Russian President to “end this terrible conflict in Ukraine”.
“As a citizen of Russia, I ask you to stop the Russians from killing their Ukrainian brothers and sisters.”
The Sunday Times reports that in March 2020 the commission examining peerage appointments advised the Prime Minister against granting the newspaper owner a seat in the House of Lords – also known as a peerage – for security reasons.
Mr Johnson reportedly responded to the advice by claiming it was “anti-Russia”.
Lord Lebedev replied to the Sunday Times that the allegations were false.
Asked about the story, Sir Keir said he was “very concerned” and that it was “appropriate” to forward the reports to Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee.
He said the cross-party group of MPs and colleagues could see confidential material and “come to an opinion on what actually happened”.
A Government spokesman said: “All persons nominated for a peerage are nominated in recognition of their contribution to society and all peerages are reviewed by the House of Lords Appeals Committee.”
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