Attorney general Suella Braverman seeks injunction to stop BBC broadcasting story about British spy

The BBC said the news story is ‘overwhelmingly in the public interest,’ the Daily Telegraph has reported.

But the government has hit back and insisted that, should the BBC broadcast its report, it would present a ‘risk to people’s lives’.

Fareham MP Mrs Braverman will now appeal to the High Court to grant an injunction at a hearing held in secret in the coming days.

The legal row revolves around a highly sensitive case, understood to concern British intelligence activities overseas.

A source told the Telegraph there were huge risks, should the BBC broadcast the article. ‘It is really serious – there are serious risks. The programme would be a massive compromise for our security,’ the insider said.

The clash comes amid growing tension between the BBC and government.

Relations have soured between the two, following the announcement by culture secretary Nadine Dorries, about the freezing of the licence fee for the next two years.

The top Tory even threatened on social media to scrap the licence fee in a move BBC executives branded ‘profoundly damaging’.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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