Today’s revelations are the result of an investigation that I was carrying out with Lord Ashcroft for a book we are writing together about the state of the British armed ­forces. Unfortunately, limited material was hacked and passed to third parties. So I have decided to talk to The Sunday Times.

Warfare has never been simply about bombs and bullets. We have been research­ing how else our adversaries seek to weaken us. One way is by cultivating relation­ships with political figures and attempting to turn them into agents of influence. Russia is expert at this. The offer of lucrative business opportunities is a typical tool. The insidious effects of such activities are explored in White Flag?, due to be published this autumn.

Our book will