Long-delayed report into Russian influence on UK politics could soon be cleared for publication

Downing Street has approved list of nominees for membership of Westminster committee which scrutinises work of security and intelligence agencies

The long-awaited report into Russian influence in British politics could soon be cleared for publication, after Downing Street confirmed that MPs will vote on Monday on the establishment of a new Intelligence and Security Committee.

Boris Johnson has been widely accused of delaying the report’s publication ahead of last December’s election in order to avoid possible embarrassment over evidence of Moscow’s attempts to exert influence among senior Conservatives.

Unusually, the ISC has not sat in the seven months since the election, as Number 10 failed to approve list of MPs and peers nominated for membership. Unlike other Westminster committees, the ISC - which scrutinises the activities of security and intelligence agencies MI5 and MI6 and government listening post GCHQ - reports not to parliament but to the prime minister, who must clear its reports for publication.

Mr Johnson has already given the Russia report the green light, but it could not be made public so long as the committee was not sitting. The PM's spokesman today said Mr Johnson would encourage the new committee to publish "as soon as possible".

The list of nominees to the committee will be released later today, with the Commons voting on Monday and Lords on Tuesday on whether to accept it. Once approved by parliament, members themselves then vote on a chair, with the job all but certain to go to Mr Johnson's preferred candidate - thought to be former cabinet minister Chris Grayling.

The 50-page dossier on allegations of Russian meddling in the UK’s democratic process was completed in March last year and submitted to the prime minister last October after completing the process for clearance on security grounds.

Former ISC chair Dominic Grieve appealed last year for Mr Johnson to clear it for publication ahead of the election, saying it contained knowledge which would be “germane” to voters deciding who to back.

But the PM’s clearance came after the dissolution of parliament, at which point the committee formally ceased to exist and could therefore not press ahead with publication.

It is understood that the report examines allegations that Russian money has flowed into British politics in general and to the Conservative party in particular. It also includes claims that Russia launched a major influence operation in 2016 in support of Brexit.

Asked whether the long-awaited document could now see the light of day before parliament breaks up for the summer recess later this month, Mr Johnson's spokesman said: “The publication will be a matter for the new committee but we will encourage them to publish it as soon as possible.”

Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse, who earlier this month tabled a parliamentary motion demanding the urgent reinstatement of the ISC so that it could publish the report, said: “I am glad the committee is due to be restored. However, it should never have needed this fight. The prime minister has a lot to do to claw back public confidence.

“At the top of the list for the intelligence committee must be forcing the Government to publish the report into Russian interference of our democracy, and before the summer recess so MPs can scrutinise it.

“A failure to do so would damage the UK’s standing in the world and continue to raise further questions about the Conservative Party’s deep connections to Russian oligarchs.”