Russia report to claim Moscow intervened in UK general election and Scottish referendum
But report expected to claim ‘no evidence’ of meddling in Brexit vote
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Your support makes all the difference.Moscow tried to manipulate the last general election and the Scottish independence referendum 5 years prior – but there is no evidence it worked to steer the EU referendum, the Russia report is expected to say, according to reports.
The Intelligence and Security Committee’s long-awaited report on Russian interference in British democracy had been completed in early 2019, according to former MP Dominic Grieve, who was among the figures to draft it.
However, the release of the paper was ultimately delayed by intelligence service clearance and the general election, despite calls for it to be shared with the public amid claims it contained relevant information for those heading to the ballot box.
Now a leak to the Daily Telegraph has claimed the paper, due to be published today, contains details of Russian involvement in the Scottish independence referendum, but none on the Brexit referendum that took place two years later.
The report is expected to describe the meddling in the Scottish poll as the “first post-soviet interference in a western democratic election”, according to the newspaper – however it is also expected to state there no direct evidence of any such interference in the Brexit vote.
It comes days after foreign secretary Dominic Raab reiterated that unnamed “Russian actors” were behind a leaked UK government document detailing the progress of talks with the US on a post-Brexit trade deal, which was was picked up by Labour’s then leader Jeremy Corbyn.
It had been feared the report might never see the light of day, however publishing the paper stood as a key priority of the ISC’s new chair Dr Julian Lewis – who had the conservative whip removed after beating Downing Street’s choice Chris Grayling to the role.
Russia’s ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin dismissed the accusations of Russian interference in elections amid claims his country was also hacking coronavirus research facilities in a BBC News interview.
He said his country had no interest in interfering in British domestic politics. “I do not see any point in using this subject as a matter of interference,” he said.
“We do not interfere at all. We do not see any point in interference because for us, whether it will be (the) Conservative Party or Labour’s party at the head of this country, we will try to settle relations and to establish better relations than now.”
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