Report into Russian interference in UK politics to be published next week
A long-awaited report into Russian interference in British politics will be published by Westminster’s Intelligence and Security Committee within the next week.
The committee announced this morning that the report would be released before the summer parliamentary recess, which begins next Thursday.
It comes just a day after Julian Lewis prompted a mini-coup to win the chair of the committee from Boris Johnson’s handpicked candidate Chris Grayling.
Lewis promptly had the Tory party whip removed for colluding with Labour and SNP MPs to win the position.
Lewis spoke out this morning, telling PA that a 2013 law “removed the right of the prime minister to choose the ISC chairman and gave it to the committee members” and that its attempts to parachute a candidate in was “improper”.
A spokesperson for the committee said in a statement this morning: “The committee has unanimously agreed this morning that it will publish the Report on Russia prepared by its predecessor before the house rises for the summer recess.”
Lewis will now oversee the release of a report that has been held back from the public’s eyes for almost a year, after delays to the Downing Street approval process and delays to the committee’s formation after the December election.
The report was written by Lewis’ predecessor Dominic Grieve and was given to Downing Street to approve last October.
It allegedly contains details of the Kremlin’s attempts to wield influence in the UK political system and interfere with General Elections and referendums, including the 2016 Brexit vote.
The delay of the report’s release has prompted speculation that it contains damaging information for the Conservative party.