Foreign
BRITISH lawmakers on Thursday agreed to publish a long-awaited report on possible Russian interference in British politics after the prime minister failed to get his preferred candidate elected to head a parliamentary security committee.
The nine-member parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee said it agreed unanimously to publish a Report on Russia that was prepared before a general election in December but withheld at Boris Johnson’s request.
The decision to publish the report next week followed the election of Julian Lewis, one of five members from Johnson’s Conservatives, to head the committee rather than former minister Chris Grayling, the government’s choice for the role.
The Conservatives withdrew the party whip from Lewis following his election, meaning he now serves as an independent lawmaker, after accusing him of colluding with opposition members of the committee.
In a statement to the Press Association (PA) news agency, Lewis said he was lobbied to vote for Grayling but ignored what he considered an improper request.
“Johnson’s office had explicitly denied that the government was seeking to ‘parachute’ a preferred candidate into the chair.
“It is, therefore, strange to have the whip removed for failing to vote for the government’s preferred candidate,” Lewis said.
Opposition lawmakers and some Conservatives accused Johnson of a politically motivated delay in publishing the report in a bid to withhold potentially embarrassing details until after the election.
The document completed its security vetting process in early October and reportedly includes conclusions on possible Russian influence before the 2016 Brexit referendum. (dpa/NAN)
– Jul. 16, 2020 @ 17:25 GMT |
Tags: Britain to publish report on Russian influence after PM Johnson thwarted
