UK politics news: Government 'did not want to know' about evidence of Russian interference in Brexit vote as long-awaited report released
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The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) has judged it “credible” that Russia tried to interfere in the Scottish independence referendum as part of an effort to influence political life in the UK.
MPs setting out the Russia report have told Boris Johnson to order an assessment of “potential” Russian meddling in the Brexit referendum. The government “did not want to know” if there been interference in the 2016 vote – and had “actively avoided looking for evidence”, they said.
However the government quickly rejected the call for further enquiries, with foreign secretary Dominic Raab describing a retrospective investigation as “unnecessary”.
PM urged to reveal influence of Russian donors
Lib Dem leader Ed Davey has called on the prime minister to reveal the Russian donors to the Tory party believed to be named in the classified section of the report.
"I believe the public has a right to know whether Russian money is buying influence in the Conservative Party," he writes.
Minister says appealing Shamima Begum judgement 'right thing to do'
Justice and home office minister Chris Philp has responded to the recent Court of Appeal ruling that Shamima Begum should be allowed to return to the UK to appeal against the removal of her British citizenship.
He told MPs: "Isis, or Daesh, are a murderous organisation. It was publicly and well known that they were committing mass murder, mass rape, victimising and torturing people and persecuting people simply because, for example, they happened to be gay.
"They were a dangerous and ruthless organisation and the government will almost certainly be energetically appealing the recent court decision.
"We believe that is the right thing to do and that it will keep our fellow citizens safe."
Russian integration has failed, admits UK intelligence
For decades, the UK government invested in a strategy to influence Russia’s political and business elite — closely integrating them into Britain, and especially its stock market, in the hope that laws, rights and rules would be reflected back home.
The long-awaited “Russia report” all but confirms the end of that quixotic strategy. If anything, it suggests the opposite was true: Russian business practices were exported much more successfully into the UK.
Home secretary promises review of hostile environment policy
Priti Patel has promised a review of the government's hostile environment in light of the Windrush scandal, pledging a more compassionate and “people first” approach to immigration.
The home secretary told MPs on Tuesday that a “full evaluation” would be undertaken into the widely criticised hostile environment policy, in a bid to bring about "sweeping reforms" to the culture and working practices to reach within the Home Office.
UK democracy 'too often let down by British politicians'
The head of fact-checking organisation Full Fact, has called for a reform of UK election laws following the release of the Russia report.
Will Moy, Chief Executive of Full Fact, said: “Misinformation and disinformation cause real harm to people’s lives, health, finances and to our democracy.
“Our dangerously out of date election laws have left our elections wide open to disinformation and abuse.”
He called on the UK government to follow the example of other countries such as Canada in protecting their elections from foreign interference.
Mr Moy added: “While the UK government has been a world leader in seeking to develop a proportionate response to the risks and harms from disinformation, unfortunately, it has not yet taken the urgent action needed to safeguard elections and we are dangerously exposed. We need to act now.
“At a time when there is more information than ever, it can be hard to know what to trust. The influence of malicious foreign actors—both real and perceived—may further undermine confidence in our democracy.
"But if politicians really want to protect democracy in the UK then what they do matters more than what any foreign country does. They need to get their facts right, back up what they say with evidence, and correct the record when they need to. Too often British democracy is let down by British politicians, not foreign interference."
Sketch: The scandal is what is not in the Russia report
The Russia report's chief conclusion is a Socrates/Rumsfeld mishmash, says political sketch writer Tom Peck. The main worry, though, is that no one has a clue what to do about it
Attorney General defends tweet supporting Cummings
The attorney general has denied that she offered a “legal view” by tweeting her support for Dominic Cummings while he was under police investigation.
Suella Braverman faced calls to resign after the prime minister’s chief adviser was found to have broken coronavirus laws with his trip to Barnard Castle.
Ministers warned over use of lie detectors
Lie detector tests should not be allowed to creep further into the criminal justice system, ministers have been told.
The Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill would introduce mandatory polygraph tests for serious terrorist offenders, a measure already in use in connection with sex offenders released on licence.
But senior Conservative Bob Neill, who chairs the Justice Select Committee, advised caution and highlighted the risk of "unintended mission creep" as a result of increased use of the tests.
Speaking in the Commons as MPs considered the counter-terror measures, Mr Neill said: "The Law Society make the point that the suggestion of the use of polygraphs in some of these circumstances is more to persuade people, almost psychologically is the phrase they use in their briefing, against breaching the orders.
"Well that may be valuable in itself but we ought to be wary of the limits of where polygraphs can be useful.
"There are mixed views amongst academic, scientific and legal circles about the reliability of polygraph.
"I don't have a fixed view on it myself but I think we should approach their use with caution and proportionality."
Justice minister Chris Philp replied: "We do understand and accept they have limits, and that is why a negative polygraph result on its own can never result in a recall to prison, it can never result in licence conditions being deemed to have been broken.
"All a negative polygraph result could do is prompt further investigation by other means, which I hope provides the member with the reassurance he's seeking."
Press Association
PM 'giving green light' to Russian interference
Boris Johnson has been accused of giving the Kremlin the green light to meddle in UK politics after throwing out the recommendations of a long-suppressed report which found it is “the new normal”.
Security experts, campaigners and politicians united in criticism after the Russia report’s findings – including of “potential” interference in the Brexit referendum – were dismissed within hours.
Tory MP investigated over inappropriate behaviour
The Conservatives have been urged to suspend MP Rob Roberts after he was accused of propositioning a female intern and acting inappropriately towards a male parliamentary worker.
Mr Roberts, elected as MP for Delyn in north Wales in December 2019, has been referred to Parliament’s standards and complaints watchdog over his conduct, while politicians from Labour and the Liberal Democrats have called for his party whip to be removed.
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