Russia’s “interference” report to be released

A highly anticipated report on alleged Russian interference in the 2017 general election and the 2016 Brexit vote will be released next week.

The Intelligence and Security Committee voted unanimously for it to be published before Parliament’s summer break.

The delay in publishing the report, which was completed last year, has led to speculation that it contains embarrassing details for conservatives.

But the government denies that there are political considerations involved.

The report is believed to look at a wide range of Russian activities, from traditional espionage to subversion, but the biggest interest is in possible interference in the 2016 and 2017 voting.

Downing Street authorized its publication last fall, but this was delayed in the December general election and then the creation of the committee was delayed.

The ISC, which meets behind closed doors, obtained evidence from independent experts and MI5, MI6 and GCHQ.

What is in the Russian report?

By Gordon Corera, Security Correspondent

Espionage, subversion and influence – that’s what the Russia Report is all about. To what extent has Russia carried out such activities and done enough to stop them?

It’s not just about the traditional intelligence gathering of spies against spies to steal secrets, but also Russia’s use of new techniques such as cyber espionage and social media campaigns to interfere in political life.

But it’s also about Russian influence, especially through money, which critics say has infiltrated public life and compromised various institutions.

The information in the report came from intelligence agencies, but also from independent experts. Some of them are believed to have painted a stark picture of a long-term failure to deter Moscow, from the weak response to Alexander Litvinenko’s poisoning with radioactive polonium in 2006.

How many details are there and how cursed are they? We are about to find out.

The nine-member ISC’s decision to present the report follows the election of Julian Lewis, a conservative MP since 1997, as president on Wednesday.

He appeared for the role, apparently against the wishes of Downing Street, who had preferred Chris Grayling for the job.

All three Labor members and one SNP member supported Mr. Lewis, who was immediately expelled from the Conservative Parliamentary Party.

But in a statement, Lewis, a New Forest East deputy, said the Justice and Security Act of 2013 had “explicitly removed the prime minister’s right to elect the ISC president and given it to committee members.”

He added: “It was only yesterday afternoon [Thursday] I received a text message asking me to confirm that I would vote for the Prime Minister’s preferred candidate for the ISC presidency.

“I did not respond because I considered it an incorrect request. At no previous stage did I commit to voting for a particular candidate.”

Lewis also said the government had denied wanting to “parachute” to a preferred candidate for the presidency, adding: “Therefore, it is strange to have the whip removed for not voting for the government’s preferred candidate.”

But the head of the House of Commons, Jacob Rees-Mogg, accused him of “playing ducks and drakes with the Labor Party” and said that was why he had withdrawn the conservative whip.

However, Conservative MP Peter Bone said Lewis was “exceptionally well qualified” to become president and “would do an excellent job,” while some on Downing Street had had a “big whistling attack.”