Originally subtitled, evidence of Russia’s receipts. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has reminded every one of the way in which British Politics has been sold. Sanctions were applied slowly and incompletely. We are out of the EU. Here are my notes and links
Early signs
British Some stuff I found a while ago,
- https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/may/07W/the-great-british-brexit-robbery-hijacked-democracy, this probably started the hunt for evidence of Putin’s hybrid war.
- https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/aug/27/tom-watson-demands-answers-about-alleged-russian-brexit-plot
- https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/aug/21/mps-threaten-to-sue-boris-johnson-unless-he-acts-over-russian-meddling-in-uk-polls
The Russian Report
This was investigated by the intelligence services and reported to the intelligence services committee. The publication of its report was delayed until after the 2019 general election.
- The Russia Report, on my shared drive
- https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/blog/isc-russia-report
- https://www.iiss.org/blogs/analysis/2020/07/isc-russia-report-key-points-and-implications, I had not read this until 2021, interestingly comprehensive
- https://www.politicshome.com/thehouse/article/russia-report-explained-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-landmark-intelligence-and-security-committee-inquiry-into-kremlin-influence-76083, mentions the murders
- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/21/russia-report-reveals-uk-government-failed-to-address-kremlin-interference-scottish-referendum-brexit
The great Carol Cadwalladr on today and yesterday
Ok. Deep breath.
— Carole Cadwalladr (@carolecadwalla) February 27, 2022
I think we may look back on this as the first Great Information War. Except we're already 8 years in.
The first Great Information War began in 2014. The invasion of Ukraine is the latest front. And the idea it doesn't already involve us is fiction, a lie.
1/
points at the US response, the Meuller Report, which categorically states that Russia was interfering in US Politics.
Does the Russia Report prove that Russia funded the Yes vote in the Indyref, Vote Leave in the Referendum and the Tories in 2019. It seems that the one released by the ISC is a précis.
Carole writes again,
NEW: Johnson's relationship with Lebedev snr, isn't a scandal. It's a profound national security failure.
We need to understand Skripal poisoning was a mass murder narrowly averted.
And Johnson's illicit meeting with Kremlin proxy begs urgent questionshttps://t.co/BHcmCxIZGH
— Carole Cadwalladr (@carolecadwalla) March 13, 2022
There is much being made of Johnson’s relationship with Lebedev, by among others Gabriel Pogrund, whom he has made a peer, and his solo trip, while Foreign Secretary to the Palazzo Terranova.
The story continues in Yorkshire bylines, and ends with a call to get Russian money out of British Politics.
The Russia connection: defying gravity, reality … and treason?
Tom Tugenhadt MP breaks cover to say that it’s not enough to stay the right side of the law, you need to know you’re clean. He knows that money he’s turned down had been accepted by others.
Show me the Money
- Quarter of Boris Johnson’s cabinet took Russia linked cash Mirror Oct 2021
- Economic Crime Bill: What is it and will it find Putin’s loot? from the BBC, this started as back bench bill; the Govt were morally forced to adopt it but have inserted waiting periods to allow the Russians to get their money out.
- Also Kremlin ties to ‘Londongrad’ need to be cut (£) from the FT
- Oliver Burroughs has been looking into this, a book, Moneyland, reviewed in the Guardian, an interview on NPR, and a youtube video blog.
The Byline Times has been busy
- https://bylinetimes.com/2022/03/08/putin-plot-against-great-britain-and-how-he-got-away-with-it/
- https://bylinetimes.com/2022/03/11/spent-years-imploring-the-conservatives-to-investigate-russian-interference-they-didnt-listen/
- https://bylinetimes.com/2022/03/07/brexit-was-a-victory-for-british-putinism-why-were-those-who-got-it-right-vilified/
- https://bylinetimes.com/2022/03/08/uk-politics-stands-at-a-crossroads-which-path-will-the-conservatives-choose/
- https://bylinetimes.com/columns/russian-interference/
Open Democracy
- https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/londongrad-must-fall-or-the-us-could-raze-it-to-the-ground/ on financial trading transparency.
NYT
Last week I chose to make this meme from the Labour web site
Image Credit: This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license, and is attributed to Kbthompson at English Wikipedia