‘Russia Brexit meddling wasn’t fully investigated’

MINISTERS did not fully investigate alleged Russian meddling in the Brexit referendum, a long-awaited report will claim today.

MPs and peers on the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) carried out an investigation into the threats Moscow poses to Britain.

Their delayed report on Russia is expected to say not enough was done in Whitehall to establish what role Russia played in the June 2016 vote on whether the UK should stay in the EU.

Russia may also have interfered in the Scottish independence referendum, according to the report, which follows an 18-month inquiry.

It will also question whether Britain has gone far enough in clamping down on the offshore wealth of Russian oligarchs and imposing tough sanctions on those linked to Vladimir Putin.

Boris Johnson has come under criticism for delaying the publication of the report after it was cleared for release by spies in October last year.

A Whitehall source who has read the

‘Parts of findings been removed’

paper said the more ‘interesting’ parts of the findings have been removed for security reasons. This had apparently added to concerns in Downing Street that the redacted sections would ‘fuel suspicion’ in the weeks leading up to the general election in December last year.

The comprehensive report will outline ways that Moscow has allegedly attempted to interfere in Britain’s affairs.

Sources said the document had ‘no smoking gun’ but it did detail extensive claims of Russian meddling spanning a number of years.

It will point to allegations of involvement from Moscow in 14 suspicious deaths on British soil, a third source confirmed. A Whitehall source who has read the findings said it raised concerns that not enough was done to probe Russian interference during Brexit.

Dominic Grieve, former chairman of the ISC, said: ‘Now people will have a better understanding on the threat Russia poses and if we are doing enough to counter it.’