We want scrutiny We want answers We want the truth
MPs demand probe into tweet attack on Labour
An MP has accused Foreign Office minister Alan Duncan of misleading Parliament over a Government-funded infowars unit that attacked the Labour Party.
Chris Williamson made the claim after an urgent debate in the House of Commons sparked by the Sunday Mail’s exclusive report on shadowy Scottish “charity” the Institute for Statecraft (IfS).
The organisation – run by military intelligence experts – is now being probed by the Off ice of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR).
Labour want a full independent investigation and the Tories claim they are reviewing its social media policies.
We revealed a series of tweets from the IfS’s Integrity Initiative – which claims to be based in a dilapidated Victorian mill in Fife and is supposed to counter Russian disinformation.
But one post from its official account quotes a newspaper article calling Corbyn a “useful idiot” and went on to state: “His open visceral anti-Westernism helped the Kremlin cause as surely as if he had been secretly peddling Westminster tittle-tattle for money.”
Another promotes an article that said: “Corbyn does not scream conspiracy, he implies it”, while yet another added: “It’s time for the Corbyn left to confront its Putin problem.”
Hacked documents reveal the organisation – which has received more than £ 2million from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office – specified money for its social media operation in an FCO funding application.
Duncan promised an immediate investigation when confronted with our story.
But Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry – who tabled an urgent parliamentary question – was left visibly stunned on Wednesday as the minister said he had “established the facts” and was “satisfied that our money does not go towards funding any kind of UK domestic activity”. He went on to insist that his department had not funded “the management of the Integrity Initiative’s social media account”. Afterwards, Thornberry wrote an open letter to Duncan citing key passages from the leaked Integrity Initiative documents that contradicted his claims. Labour MP for Derby North Williamson said: “Mr Duncan was very categorical and direct in saying there was no truth at all that this organisation has effectively smeared Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party and that the social media hasn’t been funded by the Foreign Office. “I think there is a real concern given what we know t hat he wa s misleading Parliament whether that was wittingly or unwittingly.” Williamson put it to Duncan in Parliament that the Integrity Initiative was also orchestrating a shocking online campaign to stop a Spanish army reserve colonel from being appointed the country’s National Security Director.
Pedro Banos appears to have been lined up for the job before the Integrity Initiative’s “Spanish cluster” created “significant noise on Twitter” resulting in the appointment being blocked.
Williamson added: “There seems to be no question that this organisation has been engaged in domestic political attacks and indeed meddling in the affairs of our European partner Spain as well.
“I think Alan Duncan needs to realise that this isn’t going to go away and he must come up with some real answers rather than burying his head in the sand.”
Thornberry told the Sunday Mail: “What Alan Duncan said just didn’t make sense and I am really surprised that he was saying it with such confidence. I found it
genuinely confusing. I have never heard a minister say with such confidence that he is telling the truth.
“I’m not saying that he didn’t think he was tel l ing the truth but he isn’t inexperienced. I think the officials must have given him answers and they just don’t stack up.
“It doesn’t make sense what they’re saying and they need to answer further questions. The Foreign Office should have been monitoring this.
“Either they were monitoring this and they knew what was going on or they weren’t monitoring it and they didn’t. It isn’t good either way.
“He also said in his answer that the Twitter account just blanket Tweeted anything to do with Russia and that just isn’t the case.”
MSP Neil Findlay said: “The reaction of Foreign Office minister Alan Duncan to these revelations has been extraordinary. Despite the evidence presented he appears to be living in a similar fantasy land to his boss Theresa May. What we need is a thorough independent investigation, and ultimately it may mean Mr Duncan cannot remain in his position.”
At the time of publication, the Sunday Mail counted nine tweets from the Integrity Initiative promoting material critical of Jeremy Corbyn or Labour.
A further two which were heavily critical of Corbyn’s advisor Seamus Milne appeared to have been removed. There are also claims individuals named as Integrity Initiative “cluster members” have been the source of media reports linking Corbyn to Russia. A search of Twitter meanwhile revealed four messages from the organisation promoting positive coverage of Theresa May, while just one criticised an unelected Tory Lord and a further one took aim at a Tory funder.
There have been unconfirmed reports Russia is behind the hack that led to the Integrity Initiative’s internal documents being published online.
OSCR said: “We can confirm OSCR has opened an inquiry into the charity, The Institute for Statecraft. As such it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.”
We emailed the Foreign Office and the Integrity Initiative key questions we believe need answered, including whether the Pedro Banos allegations were being investigated, who managed the Integrity Initiative Twitter account, where the organisation is actually based and whether any politicians were due an apology.
The Integr it y Initiative failed to respond while the Foreign Of f ice repl i ed wi th a statement that failed to address our questions.
They said: “The Integrity Initiative is a non- partisan programme run by the IfS, an independent UK-based charity.
“The Institute was hacked several weeks ago and numerous documents were pub l i shed and amp l i f i e d b y K reml in news channels.
“The FCO provides fundi n g to the I f S ’s I nt e g r i t y Initiative to bring together groups of independent ex per t s acros s Europe to highlight and analyse t he pa r t icu la r chal lenges posed by Russian disinformation. The FCO has never sought editorial control over any of the projects run by third parties.”