Andrew Sabisky ‘was not security vetted but attended meetings with Boris Johnson and defence officials’ as pressure grows on Number 10 to explain how controversial ex-adviser was hired
- Andrew Sabisky quit as government adviser after furious backlash over remarks
- Made controversial comments about black people and enforced contraception
- It has been claimed Mr Sabisky attended meetings with PM without being vetted
- Number 10 under growing pressure to explain process followed for hiring him
Controversial former government adviser Andrew Sabisky attended meetings with Boris Johnson and Ministry of Defence officials but was not security vetted, it was claimed today.
Mr Sabisky quit his role on Monday this week amid a rising backlash after it emerged he previously suggested enforcing the uptake of contraception and claimed black people are mentally inferior.
He is believed to have been recruited to Number 10 as part of a drive by the PM’s top aide Dominic Cummings to bring ‘misfits and weirdos’ into the government.
But Downing Street is now facing growing pressure to explain the process it followed when Mr Sabisky was hired amid claims he attended high level meetings without being vetted.
Andrew Sabisky stepped down as a government adviser on Monday after a backlash over his previous comments
Boris Johnson is now under pressure to explain how Mr Sabisky came to be hired by Number 10
A senior government source told The Times that the ex-adviser had attended a meeting with the PM on his first day and also took part in a sit down with defence officials.
The newspaper reported it was ‘likely’ that classified material may have been discussed.
The claims came as Labour wrote to Mr Johnson asking him if he agreed with the views expressed by Mr Sabisky and to seek answers on how he was appointed.
Ian Lavery, the chairman of the Labour Party, said in a letter to the PM: ‘Andrew Sabisky has thankfully left your Government.
‘However, the disturbing nature of his previous comments on eugenics, race and women, which have been well documented in the press, raise very serious concerns about your own views.
‘Furthermore, there are unanswered questions about how somehow with such abhorrent views was ever considered for employment in the first place.’
Mr Sabisky, who once suggested enforcing the uptake of contraception to stop unplanned pregnancies from creating a ‘permanent underclass’, announced he was standing down on Monday evening.
Ian Lavery, the chairman of the Labour Party, has written to the Prime Minister to demand answers on the hiring of Mr Sabisky
He said he did not want to be a distraction to the government after previous comments made by him, including that black people had IQs that were ‘close to the typical boundary for mild mental retardation’, were unearthed.
Ministers said Mr Sabisky ‘jumped before he was pushed’ following a slew of ‘reprehensible’ past comments.
Mr Sabisky, when announcing he was quitting, described media reports about his previously-aired opinions as ‘mad’.
But Business Minister Kwasi Kwarteng blasted Mr Sabisky’s past remarks as ‘offensive’ and ‘racist’, and alleged the aide walked out on the government before he could be sacked.