Boris Johnson leads the condemnation of Scotland Yard's threat to PROSECUTE the Mail over Washington Files: Fury at commissioner Neil Basu's 'ill-advised' and 'stupid' infringement of the free press

Conservative leadership rivals Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt are leading the condemnation against Scotland Yard after a senior officer threatened to prosecute the Mail on Sunday for publishing leaked cables written by British ambassador Sir Kim Darroch.

The leaked documents revealed how Sir Kim, the UK's man in Washington, called US president Donald Trump 'inept', 'insecure' and 'incompetent'.

The Metropolitan Police launched a criminal probe into the leak of the memo with Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu [a Hindu] saying publication could be a 'criminal matter'.

His comments triggered an extraordinary row over the freedom of the press this weekend, with Mr Johnson and Jeremy Hunt leading the condemnation. 

Health Secretary Matt Hancock called on the police to withdraw Mr Basu's statement while former Chancellor George Osborne branded the comments 'very stupid and ill-advised.'

Conservative leadership rival Jeremy Hunt joined Mr Johnson and said he would 'defend to the hilt the right of the press to publish those leaks if they receive them and judge them to be in the public interest'

Mr Johnson said prosecution 'would amount to an infringement on press freedom and have a chilling effect on public debate'.

Mr Hunt said that he would 'defend to the hilt the right of the press to publish those leaks if they receive them and judge them to be in the public interest'.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock goes further today by calling on the police to withdraw Mr Basu's statement. Writing in this newspaper, he says: 'The press must be free to publish what it believes to be in the public interest.

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