UK security chiefs warn May's brexit deal ‘threaten national security’ - Reports

LONDON, 10 Jan. - (ANA) - Reactions followed after the announcement that former chief of the British Secret Intelligence Service Sir Richard Dearlove and the former Chief of Defence Staff Lord Guthrie suggested the Brexit deal debated by UK lawmakers "will threaten the national security of the country in fundamental ways."

Sir Dearlove wrote to the Conservative chairs, warning them against supporting the current Brexit withdrawal agreement because it represents a threat to national security, it has been reported on Thursday.   

The letter from Sir Richard Dearlove, "obtained" by Sky News, allegedly suggested the Brexit proposal by the Prime Minister Theresa May "abrogates" Britain's security and places aspects of it in "foreign hands".

Last month an MP in the UK Ministry of Defence has spoken out against a no-deal Brexit and warned severing ties with the European Union without an agreement in place would have implications for national security.

"Leaving without a deal would mean access to around 40 international security programmes would be significantly reduced. Exchanges of critical intelligence data would halt until new arrangements are in place. We would immediately reduce our ability to tackle threats from terrorism to cybercrime, modern slavery to fraud," Tobias Ellwood, one of the defence ministers, said.

AB/ANA/10 January 2019 - - -