Russia meddled in Scottish vote, unclear on Brexit - UK parliamentary report

 

The Union flag and Saltire are seen flying side by side at Bankfoot in Perthshire ,Scotland January 10, 2012. REUTERS/Russell Cheyne/Files

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Russia meddled in the 2014 Scottish referendum and the British government failed to ask for a deep assessment of possible Kremlin-directed interference in the Brexit vote, the British parliament's intelligence and security committee said.

 

"There has been credible open source commentary suggesting that Russia undertook influence campaigns in relation to the Scottish independence referendum in 2014," the report, which was finished in March 2019 but shelved until Tuesday, said.

 

It said there were open source indications that Russia sought to influence the Brexit campaign but that the British government had not sought deep evidence of meddling.

 

The report cast Russia as a hostile power which posed a significant threat to the United Kingdom and the West across a range of fronts, from espionage and cyber to election meddling and laundering dirty money.

 

"It appears that Russia considers the UK one of its top Western intelligence targets," the report said.

 

The report, which was leaked ahead of its publication time by the Guido Fawkes website, said the British government failed to delve deeply enough into possible Russian meddling in the 2016 Brexit referendum.

 

The Kremlin said Russia has never interfered in another country's electoral processes. Russia has repeatedly denied meddling in the West, casting the United States and Britain as gripped by anti-Russian hysteria.

 

When discussing the EU referendum, the UK parliamentary report is heavily redacted and there was a classified annex that was not published, but the lawmakers called for a proper investigation.

 

"In response to our request for written evidence at the outset of the Inquiry, MI5 initially provided just six lines of text. It stated that ***, before referring to academic studies," the redacted version reads.

 

"It is nonetheless the Committee’s view that the UK Intelligence Community should produce an analogous assessment of potential Russian interference in the EU referendum and that an unclassified summary of it be published," the report said.

 

The committee cast Russia, which haemorrhaged the capital of a former superpower following the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union, as a source of corrupt money that had been welcomed in London, the world's premier international financial capital.

 

"The UK welcomed Russian money, and few questions – if any – were asked about the provenance of this considerable wealth," the report said. "The UK has been viewed as a particularly favourable destination for Russian oligarchs and their money."

 

"It offered ideal mechanisms by which illicit finance could be recycled through what has been referred to as the London 'laundromat'," the report said.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-07-21

 

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Of course this government does not want evidence of Russian or any other nations interference in Brexit.

If shown the calls for another referendum to confirm the result would be overwhelming. 

 

16 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

"The UK welcomed Russian money, and few questions – if any – were asked about the provenance of this considerable wealth," the report said. "The UK has been viewed as a particularly favourable destination for Russian oligarchs and their money."

and many more to come now  that the UK is looking for new deals and fresh cash 555

Edited July 21, 20205 yr by Mavideol

6 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

and many more to come now  that the UK is looking for new deals and fresh cash 555

And lets not forget the large donations to the Conservative party from Russians.

5 minutes ago, Rookiescot said:

And lets not forget the large donations to the Conservative party from Russians.

maybe the same ones who financed Trump

Of course there was Russian interference.

 

Cameron's plea to Putin: help me stop Salmond

 

DAVID Cameron's Government wants the backing of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the battle against Scottish independence, the former USSR's leading news agency has reported.

Itar-Tass, citing a source in the Conservative Prime Minister's office, said Britain was "extremely interested" in referendum support from Russia, which this year holds the presidency of the influential G8 group of rich industrial nations.

6 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

Of course there was Russian interference.

 

Cameron's plea to Putin: help me stop Salmond

 

DAVID Cameron's Government wants the backing of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the battle against Scottish independence, the former USSR's leading news agency has reported.

Itar-Tass, citing a source in the Conservative Prime Minister's office, said Britain was "extremely interested" in referendum support from Russia, which this year holds the presidency of the influential G8 group of rich industrial nations.

I had forgotten all about that.

As I now recall he was also asking Obama and the EU for support as well.

Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament-Russia

If nothing else it goes to show  Russians  have a dry sense of humour !

The US has  Trump and the UK  has Boris.

 

5 minutes ago, evadgib said:

Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament-Russia

At first glance, a damp squib. Then the realisation:

 

The UK government "actively avoided" looking for Russian interference during the EU and Scottish independence referendums, says a group of MPs.

1 hour ago, Rookiescot said:

I had forgotten all about that.

As I now recall he was also asking Obama and the EU for support as well.

And, of course, they will be at it now too. Dirty tricks and cheating - always the British way.

 

Revealed: the Foreign Office Devo unit's drive to kill off independence

It is understood the FCO has contacted the governments of China, Russia, the US, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the 28 EU nations about the Scottish referendum in a global search for allies who might oppose independence.

Ineptitude and indifference 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/21/russia-report-reveals-uk-government-failed-to-address-kremlin-interference-scottish-referendum-brexit?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Edited July 21, 20205 yr by Bluespunk

56 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

At first glance, a damp squib. Then the realisation:

 

The UK government "actively avoided" looking for Russian interference during the EU and Scottish independence referendums, says a group of MPs.

There is one thing for certain RR as sure as eggs is eggs, Guy Verhofstadt ahd the EU interfered with British politics, I suppose that doesn't count eh?

 

3 minutes ago, vogie said:

There is one thing for certain RR as sure as eggs is eggs, Guy Verhofstadt ahd the EU interfered with British politics, I suppose that doesn't count eh?

 

Putting words in my mouth now, Vogie? Present the evidence and let the public decide!

6 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

Putting words in my mouth now, Vogie? Present the evidence and let the public decide!

Exhibit A and exhibit B m'lud.

This comment seen elsewhere explains:

Quote

Everyone tweeting about the #RussiaReport like it is Boris Johnson's shame or even related to his government is beyond stupid.

the report was started in November 2017 by ISC committee chair and remainer Dominic Grieve and was concluded in march 2019. meaning anything done or not done in this report is down to the maybot government and its remain supporting minister. the guardian are a perfect example of what i mean

 

Funniest thing was Arron Bankski trying to demand an advance reading of any references to his good self. 

10 minutes ago, vogie said:

Exhibit A and exhibit B m'lud.

As undercover secret agents go, he has to be the worst!

5 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

As undercover secret agents go, he has to be the worst!

Dont flatter him, he is just a fool.

Unclear on Brexit? 

 

If it hadn't been for Russian football hooligans poisoning Brits against Eastern Euro foreigners in France in 2016, the Brexit vote could have easily gone the other way.  It's not like it was a landslide...

 

Edited July 21, 20205 yr by impulse

57 minutes ago, evadgib said:

This comment seen elsewhere explains:

 

You should have left it elsewhere.

 

The lack of an investigation by the security services needs explaining.

I fail to see what Russia would gain from supporting Scotland's remaining in the UK?  Given their history of trying to, and occasionally succeeding in, destabilising the West, wouldn't it make more sense for them to have carried out their dirty tricks in support of Scotland leaving?

10 minutes ago, ballpoint said:

I fail to see what Russia would gain from supporting Scotland's remaining in the UK?  Given their history of trying to, and occasionally succeeding in, destabilising the West, wouldn't it make more sense for them to have carried out their dirty tricks in support of Scotland leaving?

Sowing division and mistrust in the referendum is a likely short term objective.

 

But that’s not the question.

 

Rather why was no full intelligence investigation undertaken?

1 hour ago, vogie said:

Exhibit A and exhibit B m'lud.

That is the most photo shopped nonsense I have ever seen.

Where on earth did you get that rubbish from?

3 hours ago, Dumbastheycome said:

If nothing else it goes to show  Russians  have a dry sense of humour !

The US has  Trump and the UK  has Boris.

 

Ahh I see the common theme - seething political children furiously seething on social media, unable to accept democracy when it doesn't go their way constantly asking for a redo!

Great article

 

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jul/21/russia-report-revelation-britain-state-whitewash?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

47 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Sowing division and mistrust in the referendum is a likely short term objective.

 

But that’s not the question.

 

Rather why was no full intelligence investigation undertaken?

Categorically denied by Raab during the same conference.

17 minutes ago, DaftToPutRealName said:

Ahh I see the common theme - seething political children furiously seething on social media, unable to accept democracy when it doesn't go their way constantly asking for a redo!

Oh? Hmmm. So the  common theme that given principles  of the concept of  democracy do not in real terms ask for a "redo"  but within the  the same  terms of those  democratic principles  question and  campaign on a desire to achieve a change by  virtue  of the democratic  processes are wrong and need accept  autocratic establishment  of ?

Seething political  children? A descriptive  that need  some  serious  reflection !

7 hours ago, evadgib said:

Categorically denied by Raab during the same conference.

And still no full investigation.

 

Raab might have a bit more, or even a bit of, credibility if he were demanding an investigation and a full disclosure of the Russian attack on Britain’s ‘Democracy’.

 

Raab got what he and his chums wanted so he’s not bothered by how he got it.

 

9 hours ago, Rookiescot said:

That is the most photo shopped nonsense I have ever seen.

Where on earth did you get that rubbish from?

Photo shopped you say. Verhofstadt is on the trail with the Lib/Dems. Enjoy.