‘Badenoch has questions to answer over car hire security concerns'
Kemi Badenoch has questions to answer about her use of a car and driver that were not part of an official government service, Labour has said.
The Conservative leader has denied there were security concerns about a private car hire arrangement she had when she was a senior minister, first reported by the Sunday Times.
According to the newspaper, Mrs Badenoch had access to a black Jaguar XJ and a driver throughout her time as business secretary through a car hire firm in her constituency at the time, Saffron Walden.
Officials wrote to her and said the arrangement was 'not recommended', and repeatedly warned her of the security risks of not using a car and driver provided by the Government Car Service (GCS), the Sunday Times said.
Civil servants were said to be wary the car could be bugged, and were concerned it was not maintained in a Government garage.
Mrs Badenoch was asked about the story as she appeared on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.
She told the BBC: 'I never ignored security advice – the driver was security cleared. Actually, recommended by GCS.
'It was a contract that had been in place for about five years, and I renewed that contract.
'A memo was sent by someone who was unfamiliar with the contract asking about security concerns, and other civil servants said there were no security concerns, and that's the end of the matter,' Ms Badenoch said.
Leaking of the memo from civil servants warning of the security concerns was 'destructive', she said, adding: 'It's a nonsense story.'
But a Labour party spokesperson suggested the opposition leader still had questions to answer.
They said: 'Kemi Badenoch must explain why she hired a private chauffeur at taxpayers' expense rather than relying on the Government Car Service like other ministers.
'The Tory leader cannot just dismiss the security concerns that were raised at the time and hard working families deserve to know how much this extravagant arrangement cost.
'Kemi Badenoch has no plan for our country. The Tories have not listened and have not learned from their defeat last year.'
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