Leaked Russian interference report raises UK vote questions
LONDON — Questions about the British government’s failure to release a report on Russia’s interference in the country’s politics continued to dog Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday as critics said leaks from the document raised concerns about the security of next month’s election.
The report from Parliament’s intelligence committee concludes that Russian interference may have affected the 2016 referendum on Britain’s departure from the European Union, though the impact is “unquantifiable,” the Times of London reported without saying how it got the information.
The committee said British intelligence services failed to devote enough resources to counter the threat and highlighted the impact of articles posted by Russian news sites that were widely disseminated on social media, the newspaper reported.
Emily Thornberry, the opposition Labour Party’s foreign affairs spokeswoman, said the leaks raise questions that deserve answers.
“Boris Johnson therefore needs to clear up the confusion, spin and speculation around this (intelligence committee) report by publishing it in full at the earliest opportunity,’’ she told the Times. “If not, people will rightly continue to ask: what is he trying to hide from the British public and why?”
Johnson’s government has said it needs more time to review the security implications of the report, but it will be released after the election. Critics have alleged the report is being withheld because it shows Russians have made large donations to the Conservative Party, which is seeking to win a majority that would allow Johnson to push his Brexit deal through Parliament.
Security Minister Brandon Lewis dismissed such criticism and in turn accused Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn of failing to back the government in the aftermath of a Russian-sponsored nerve agent attack against a former spy on the streets of an English city.
Asked about Russian donors to the campaign, Lewis told Sky television on Sunday that all contributions are reported to the proper authorities and the donors in question have British citizenship.
“We should not prevent British citizens from taking and playing their full part in British political life,” he said.