Government leakers could lose pension, UK MPs suggest

‘Zero-tolerance’ approach needed to stop breaches following the Sir Kim Darroch affair

FILE - In this Friday, Oct. 20, 2017, file photo, British Ambassador Kim Darroch hosts a National Economists Club event at the British Embassy in Washington. Britain's ambassador to the United States resigned Wednesday, July 10, 2019, just days after diplomatic cables criticizing President Donald Trump caused embarrassment to two countries that often celebrate having a "special relationship." The resignation of Kim Darroch came a day after Trump lashed out at him on Twitter describing him as "wacky" and a "pompous fool" after leaked documents revealed the envoy's dim view of Trump's administration. (AP Photo/Sait Serkan Gurbuz, File)
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Punishments for leaking sensitive UK government information must be severe enough to deter future breaches, MPs have urged.

In a report released on Thursday, the UK foreign affairs committee said the government should consider alternative sanctions such as loss of pension or force leakers to pay for the costs of any investigation.

Those who are convicted of breaking the UK Official Secrets Act currently face a maximum of two years in jail and a fine. The committee said leakers were betraying the trust of the public.

The report by backbench MPs came after the resignation of Sir Kim Darroch, the former ambassador to the US, following a data leak where he described the administration of President Donald Trump as “inept.”

“The unauthorised disclosure of material sent by Sir Kim Darroch makes one thing very clear: those who leak are reckless and dangerous,” the report said.

“In this case they have caused the resignation of a dedicated and skilled public servant, undermined the influence of the United Kingdom around the world and, potentially, caused a damaging rift with our most important ally.”

The civil service was urged to adopt a “zero-tolerance” approach to leaks including those that showed it in a favourable light. A failure by the foreign office in particular to punish leakers in the past had allowed a culture of breaches to flourish, it said.

“Leaks are a canker in the civil service and if permitted at any level will corrode the heart of the institutions that deliver Government policy,” the report said.

The committee heard from an array of senior figures, including the head of the diplomatic service and former foreign secretary Lord Hague.