Intelligence expert: Theresa May is as big a threat to Britain's national security as Jeremy Corbyn

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May 17, 2017 3:26 PM

Professor Anthony Glees believes Theresa May's backing of Donald Trump and handling of the NHS cyber attack have been 'totally adequate.'

A sombre Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May at 2016's Remembrance Sunday Service.

LONDON — Britain's national security is no safer in the hands of Theresa May than it is in Jeremy Corbyn's.

That's the view of Professor Anthony Glees, the director of the Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies at the University of Buckingham, and author of six books on British and international intelligence.

Glees told Business Insider that May's backing of Donald Trump, following a string of revelations about his links to Russia, and her handling of the NHS cyber attack, have been "totally inadequate."

The Washington Post reported this week that Trump shared top secret details of an ISIS terrorist plot with Russian officials — details that had yet to be shared with America's key allies, the newspaper said. It prompted questions over whether the president can be trusted with British intelligence.

But May defended Trump in a press conference on Wednesday. "We continue to work with the United States and we continue to share intelligence with the United States," she said.

Glees believes this is a dangerous attitude.

"To simply say 'We'll let Trump have everything' is simply not good enough," he said. "It gives our allies — in Europe and in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand — the impression that the UK puts the political advantage of cosying up to Donald Trump higher than the need to maintain our national security."

The professor said this, coupled with the huge attack on the NHS's technology infrastructure last week, raises serious questions about her record on security.

"If the [Conservative election] pitch on security is that we can't trust Jeremy Corbyn with our national security, then [I would say] Theresa May is no more competent," he argued.

The Conservative party has consistently ridiculed Corbyn's defence policies. May has accused Corbyn of wanting to cut defence spending, undermine NATO and scrap the nuclear deterrent. Labour's manifesto, published on Tuesday, dispelled some of these accusations, backing Trident and NATO among other pledges.

Meanwhile, Boris Johnson famously rounded on Corbyn last month, calling the Labour leader a "mutton-headed old mugwump" in an article for The Sun. "It is absolutely vital for Britain's security that we have the strong, stable and decisive leadership of Theresa May," he added.

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