MPs from all parties say failure to release Russia report is ‘affront to democracy’
Bosom buddies: Boris Johnson with Russian industrialist Alexander Temerko.
If a week in politics is a long time, how would you describe eight months? An eternity?
That’s the length of time Boris Johnson has been sitting on the report into Russian interference in UK democracy.
He says it cannot be released because the UK’s Intelligence and Security Committee has not been reconvened since it was dissolved for the December 2019 general election and has no members.
But this is a feeble excuse when one realises that the only reason for this is, Boris Johnson nominates everybody on this committee – and he hasn’t bothered to do so.
It is the only committee that Parliament has yet to appoint, and it is extremely unusual for a Parliament to fail to appoint it for six months – one-tenth of its term.
If Johnson wanted, this committee could meet on Monday and the report could be out on Tuesday (June 23).
He simply doesn’t want to – and now a cross-party group of MPs have slammed his inaction as an affront to democracy. They’re absolutely right:
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… 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.”
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.
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.”
Source: Boris Johnson failure to release Russia report an affront to democracy – Business Insider
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Don’t be silly the cons take a bung hmmm they now for it