Report was sent to Downing Street in October last year, in time for publication before the general election
- Full story: Russia report reveals UK government failed to investigate Kremlin interference
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1.27pm BST
This is from Julian Knight, the Conservative MP who chairs the Commons culture committee, on the ISC report.
That the intelligence and security committee has released its report on Russian interference on the day that we’re urging the government to get on with long promised legislation to protect against online harms piles on the evidence, should it be needed, that there can be no excuse for further delay.
The predecessor DCMS committee [see 12.12pm] repeatedly sought information from the government about the level of suspected Russian interference in politics and called for an independent investigation to uncover the impact of disinformation here in the UK and globally.
1.23pm BST
Russian officials have angrily protested the conclusions of the ISC’s Russia report, accusing the UK of taking a “leading role in Russophobia”. But they have also claimed it cleared Moscow of attempts to influence the 2016 Brexit referendum, echoing a talking point popular among Brexit backers in the UK who don’t want to see the results of the vote undermined.
“The charges are once again unfounded, unsubstantiated and unconvincing,” said Konstantin Kosachev, the head of the foreign affairs committee of Russia’s Federation Council, a lawmaking body, in written remarks on Tuesday.
Continue reading…Report was sent to Downing Street in October last year, in time for publication before the general electionFull story: Russia report reveals UK government failed to investigate Kremlin interferenceGlobal coronavirus updates – live 1.27pm BSTThis is from Julian Knight, the Conservative MP who chairs the Commons culture committee, on the ISC report.That the intelligence and security committee has released its report on Russian interference on the day that we’re urging the government to get on with long promised legislation to protect against online harms piles on the evidence, should it be needed, that there can be no excuse for further delay.The predecessor DCMS committee [see 12.12pm] repeatedly sought information from the government about the level of suspected Russian interference in politics and called for an independent investigation to uncover the impact of disinformation here in the UK and globally. 1.23pm BSTRussian officials have angrily protested the conclusions of the ISC’s Russia report, accusing the UK of taking a “leading role in Russophobia”. But they have also claimed it cleared Moscow of attempts to influence the 2016 Brexit referendum, echoing a talking point popular among Brexit backers in the UK who don’t want to see the results of the vote undermined. “The charges are once again unfounded, unsubstantiated and unconvincing,” said Konstantin Kosachev, the head of the foreign affairs committee of Russia’s Federation Council, a lawmaking body, in written remarks on Tuesday. Continue reading…