Liz Truss 'obsessed with wind charts and weather forecasts because she feared nuclear fallout' in final days in office
30 October 2022, 11:00
Liz Truss 'became obsessed with wind charts and weather forecasts' during the final days of her premiership as fears mounted over the threat of nuclear attack in Ukraine.
Ms Truss left office just 50 days after succeeding Boris Johnson, after her financial plan sparked economic turmoil.
Now it has been revealed she was warned Vladimir Putin could 'go nuclear' after Ukrainian forces blew up the road bridge connecting Russia and Crimea.
She spent her final days in office monitoring the weather conditions, according to Mail Online, as wind speed and direction would determine whether radiation from a nuclear attack in Ukraine would have an impact in the UK.
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A source told the paper she was "obsessed with the prevailing wind, watching the forecasts to see if she needed to trigger a Protect and Survive plan" - a public information campaign in the 1970s and 80s advising people how to protect themselves in a nuclear attack.
Ms Truss was particularly warned Putin might explode a nuclear weapon in the air above the Black Sea, with the aim of demonstrating his capability to the West without starting a full-out nuclear war.
The source also told the paper Ms Truss was dealing with this threat at the same time as worrying news about her phone being hacked would come out.
It was reported on Sunday that her phone was hacked by Russian spies during her successful leadership bid over the summer.
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The source said she worried the hack "looked almost symbolic of national weakness".
"Then, as her government was collapsing, she had to worry about nuclear clouds as well," the source said.
Labour and the Lib Dems have called for an urgent investigation into the alleged hacking of Ms Truss' phone when she was Foreign Secretary.
The Kremlin hackers are reported to have gained access to negotiations with international allies about arms shipments to Ukraine, as well as Ms Truss' personal messages to key ally Kwasi Kwarteng.
The phone was reportedly so compromised that officials had to lock it away in a safe.
A claim that Boris Johnson and civil service boss Simon Case learned of the hack and deliberately kept it a secret has only added more questions.
Labour's shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: "There are immensely important national security issues raised by an attack like this by a hostile state which will have been taken extremely seriously by our intelligence and security agencies.
"There are also serious security questions around why and how this information has been leaked or released right now which must also be urgently investigated.
"It is essential that all of these security issues are investigated and addressed at the very highest level and we need to know that the Government recognises the gravity of this and the importance of fully protecting our national security."
Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson Layla Moran said: "We need an urgent independent investigation to uncover the truth. Was Liz Truss's phone hacked by Russia, was there a news blackout and if so why?
"If it turns out this information was withheld from the public to protect Liz Truss's leadership bid, that would be unforgivable."
A UK government spokesperson said: "We do not comment on individuals' security arrangements.
"The Government has robust systems in place to protect against cyber threats. That includes regular security briefings for Ministers, and advice on protecting their personal data and mitigating cyber threats."