Officials call for probe into alleged hack of Liz Truss' phone

Oct. 31 (UPI) -- Calls on Monday grew for an investigation into an alleged hacking incident connected with former British Prime Minister Liz Truss when she served as foreign secretary.

On Sunday, the Daily Mail reported that Truss' personal phone was hacked earlier this year by foreign agents that could have revealed details of arms shipments to Ukraine. The report said the hack was suppressed by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and then Cabinet Secretary Simon Case. Russia was suspected of being behind the hack.

"I don't know the full details of what security breach, if any, took place," Britain's Housing Secretary Michael Gove said on Monday. "I'm sure that the right protocols were followed. I'm sure that more information, as appropriate, will be released.""

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the hack brings up serious national security issues that the Conservative Party must answer for.

"There are immensely important national security issues raised by an attack like this by a hostile state which will have been taken extremely seriously by our intelligence and security agencies," Cooper said. "There are also serious security questions around why and how this information has been leaked or released right now which must also be urgently investigated."

The Liberal Democrats' foreign affairs spokesperson Layla Moran questioned why the report was suppressed from the public. She hinted it may have been done to improve Truss' rise to eventually become prime minister rather than any security concern.

"We need an urgent independent investigation to uncover the truth," Moran said. "If it turns out this information was withheld from the public to protect Liz Truss' leadership bid, that would be unforgivable."