Boris Johnson's failure to release report on Russian election interference is an 'affront to democracy' say opponents

• A cross-party group of Members of Parliament is urging Prime Minister Boris Johnson to publish a long-delayed report into Russian interference in UK elections.
• The report was sent to Johnson last October, but he refused to publish it before the general election.
• Eight months on, his UK government is yet to release the report.
• The group of MPs have written to Johnson, warning him that failure to release it "raises serious concerns and questions about the transparency and integrity" of UK democracy.
• The letter, organised by the Liberal Democrats, says it'd be "untenable" for the report to stay confidential.

Boris Johnson's failure to publish a long-delayed report into Russian interference is an "affront to democracy," a cross-party group of Members of Parliament has told the prime minister.

The report was presented to Johnson last October, but was reportedly held back by his government in advance of last year's general election due to the "embarrassing" links it revealed between the Russian secret service and donors to the Conservative party.

MPs on Tuesday wrote to the UK prime minister to tell him it "is untenable for you to continue to block the publication of the Russia report," adding that "the situation is an affront to democracy."

The letter, shared exclusively with Business Insider, tells Johnson "your refusal to allow publication of this crucial document raises serious concerns and questions about the transparency and integrity of our democratic process."

Organised by the Liberal Democrats and signed by MPs from Labour, the Scottish National Party, and other opposition parties, the letter says Johnson's failure to publish the report is a "is a matter of urgency."

The House of Commons' Intelligence and Security Committee wrote the report and sent it to Johnson in mid-October, former Conservative MP Dominic Grieve, who at the time was chair of the committee, said that month.

Grieve and other MPs called for its publication before the UK went to the polls for the December general election.

Speaking in the House of Commons on October 31, 2019, Grieve said: "The Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, of which I am the chair, has been investigating the threat posed to this country by Russia.

"Parliament ought to have and must have access to this report in light of the forthcoming election and it is really unacceptable for the prime minister to sit on it and deny them that information."

However, Prime Minister Johnson refused their request and said his government would not publish the report until after the election. Eight months on, the UK government is yet to publish it.

A spokesperson for Johnson last week said that the prime minister could not publish the report until the House of Commons had formed a new Intelligence and Security Committee.

"The report itself has been cleared for publication by the prime minister.

"It awaits the formation of the ISC before they can take a decision on its release," his spokesperson said.

However, the letter sent to Johnson today states that it is highly-unusual for the committee to not be formed this long after a general election, pointing out: "It is the only committee that this Parliament has yet to appoint."

Johnson faces fresh pressure to publish the report after the Electoral Commission last week published new data showing continued financial support for the Conservative party from the wife of a former minister in Vladimir Putin's Russian government.

Lubov Chernukhin, who is married to ex-Russian finance minister Vladimir Chernukhin, donated £325,000 to Johnson's party in the first quarter of 2020, according to the latest data, making her the biggest ever female political donor in the UK.

In 2014, she paid £160,000 for a game of tennis with Johnson and then-prime minister David Cameron, as well as a further £30,000 for dinner with the UK government's current education secretary, Gavin Williamson.

In May last year, Chernukhin dined with ex-prime minister Theresa May and numerous female members of the Cabinet at the time, after donating £135,000 to a Conservative Party fundraising event.

The letter to Johnson says this new information highlighted "the party's deep connections to Russian oligarchs," and "further questions as to why you are so reluctant to reconstitute the Intelligence and Security Committee."

Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP who helped organise the letter, said: "With the threat of the coronavirus pandemic at the forefront of our minds, the Government should be making every effort to win the trust of the people.

"Instead, all we have had is the same old murky backroom politics."

She told Business Insider: "The prime minister has an opportunity to claw back some confidence by finally publishing the intelligence committee's report into Russian interference of our democracy.

"MP's from across the political spectrum have joined me with this plea. To refuse raises serious questions as to why."

Business Insider has asked the UK government for comment.

Read the cross-party letter to Johnson in full:

Dear Prime Minister,

Prior to the 2019 General Election, your government delayed the publication of the Intelligence and Security Committee's report into Russian interference in UK democracy.

The Chair of the Committee at the time, Dominic Grieve QC, told MPs that the report had been sent to 10 Downing Street on 17th October 2019 and was ready for publication once it had been signed off. This process usually takes up to 10 days. Eight months later, the Security Committee has yet to be reconstituted and thus the report still has not been published.

Your refusal to allow publication of this crucial document raises serious concerns and questions about the transparency and integrity of our democratic process. The publication last month of the latest donations to the Conservative party has highlighted once again the party's deep connections to Russian oligarchs, raising further questions as to why you are so reluctant to reconstitute the ISC.

According to the Hansard Society, 'at nearly six months, the time taken to appoint the ISC on this occasion has now exceeded that taken to appoint the Committee after every previous general election since the Committee was established in 1994'.

It is the only committee that this Parliament has yet to appoint.

As Hillary Clinton highlighted seven months ago, every person in this country deserves to see this report. As she noted, there is evidence that Russia played a role in the outcome of the Brexit referendum.

It is untenable for you to continue to block the publication of the Russia report. The situation is an affront to democracy. We therefore call on you to immediately reconstitute the Security Committee so the report can be published. This is a matter of urgency.

Yours sincerely,

Wera Hobhouse MP
Deirdre Brock MP
The Rt Hon Alistair Carmichael MP
Wendy Chamberlain MP
Daisy Cooper MP
The Rt Hon Sir Ed Davey MP
Colum Eastwood MP
Tim Farron MP
Stephen Farry MP
Andrew Gwynne MP
The Rt Hon Dame Margaret Hodge MP
Christine Jardine MP
Dame Diana Johnson DBE MP
Ben Lake MP
Clive Lewis MP
Caroline Lucas MP
Kenny Macaskill MP
Ian Mearns MP
Layla Moran MP
Sarah Olney MP
Virendra Sharma MP
Jamie Stone MP
Richard Thomson MP
Dr Philippa Whitford MP
Munira Wilson MP
Mohammad Yasin MP