Gavin Williamson has been sacked as defence secretary following an inquiry into a leak from a top-level National Security Council meeting
Downing Street said the PM had "lost confidence in his ability to serve" and Penny Mordaunt will take on the role.
The inquiry followed reports over a plan to allow Huawei limited access to help build the UK's new 5G network.
Mr Williamson, who has been defence secretary since 2017, "strenuously" denies leaking the information.
In a meeting with Mr Williamson on Wednesday evening, Theresa May told him she had information that provided "compelling evidence" that he was responsible for the unauthorised disclosure.
In a letter confirming his dismissal, she said: "No other, credible version of events to explain this leak has been identified."
Responding in a letter to the PM, Mr Williamson said he was "confident" that a "thorough and formal inquiry" would have "vindicated" his position.
"I appreciate you offering me the option to resign, but to resign would have been to accept that I, my civil servants, my military advisers or my staff were responsible: this was not the case," he said.
BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said sources close to the former defence secretary had told her Mr Williamson did meet the Daily Telegraph's deputy political editor, Steven Swinford, but, she pointed out "that absolutely does not prove" he leaked the story to him.
According to Sky News defence and security correspondent Alistair Bunkall, Mr Williamson swore on his children's lives that he was not responsible for the leak.
Security correspondent Frank Gardner said the BBC had been told "more than one concerning issue" had been uncovered regarding Mr Williamson during the leak inquiry and not just the Huawei conversation.
Posted: Thu May 02, 2019 1:53 am
