British Lawmakers Accuse Johnson of Delaying Russian Influence Report

British lawmakers on Tuesday accused the government of a politically motivated delay in publishing a report on possible Russian influence before the 2016 Brexit referendum, in a bid to withhold potentially embarrassing details until after the election.

Independent lawmaker, Dominic Grieve asked an urgent question on Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s refusal to publish the report by parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee before the Dec. 12, general election.

Former Conservative Grieve, who chairs the committee, told lawmakers the report was completed in March and a vetting process was completed in early October.

“For what purpose is the prime minister still considering it?’’ he asked, adding that there was a long-standing agreement that the prime minister should respond within 10 days.

Replying for the government, junior foreign office minister Christopher Pincher accused critics of stirring the pot and fantasizing about the content of the report.

“The turnaround time of this report is not unusual, Pincher said, adding that there was no evidence of successful Russian interference in British elections.

Conservative Keith Simpson, another member of the intelligence committee, said the publication was a question of principle.

“This report has been cleared by the intelligence and security services, it’s been cleared by the cabinet office,” Simpson said.

Emily Thornberry, foreign affairs spokeswoman for the main opposition Labour party, said the refusal to publish the report before the election was clearly politically motivated.

“This is nothing less than an attempt to suppress the truth,’’

Thornberry said.

She said the government appeared to fear the report will lead to other questions, citing alleged Russian links to Johnson and his controversial senior aide Dominic Cummings, who worked with Johnson on the Vote Leave campaign for Brexit.

Chuka Umunna, the Liberal Democrats’ foreign affairs spokesman, called Pincher’s response “utterly shameful.’’

“There are serious questions to be answered here,including in relation to the role of Dominic Cummings,’’ Umunna told lawmakers.

But Conservative right-winger Steve Baker, a prominent supporter of Johnson, accused the intelligence committee of trying to `bully’ the prime minister into releasing the report.

Cummings was found in contempt of parliament in 2018 for refusing to give evidence on the Brexit campaign to parliament’s Digital, Culture, Sport and Media Committee.

He was also accused of leaking a report by the committee and producing misleading campaign information for Vote Leave in 2016.

The misleading information included the claim, still defended by Johnson, that Britain would save 350 million pounds (450 million dollars) per week in payments to the EU budget if it left the bloc.

According to The Guardian, which cited no sources, the intelligence committee’s report examines allegations that Russian money has flowed into

British politics in general and the Conservative party in particular.

And that investigation claims that Russia launched “a major influence operation” to support Brexit in 2016.

Thornberry has written to Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to raise concerns about what relationships Cummings might have cultivated while working in Russia from 1994 to 1997, The Sunday Times said. ( dpa/ NAN) HS/ AFA