Why won't government release the Russia report? James O'Brien asks the experts
14 November 2019, 15:31 | Updated: 14 November 2019, 15:33
Why won't the government publish the controversial report into Russian influence in British politics? James O'Brien interviewed a series of experts to find out.
The publication of the report from parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee will be held back until after the general election, despite it being ready to go.
Oliver Bullough, the author of Moneyland: Why Thieves and Crooks Now Rule the World, suggested: "Someone in Downing Street calculated that it was less embarrassing to suppress the intelligence and security committee’s report into Russian interference in the UK than it was to publish it."
So what's in that report?
James O'Brien spoke to Bill Browder, a businessman often referred to as Vladimir Putin's number one enemy, who is the man behind the Magnitsky Law, which restricts the amount oligarchs can invest in other countries around the world.
He explained that the reason Russia would want to influence the 2016 Brexit referendum would be to destabilise the UK as well as weakening the European Union.
James also spoke to Ian Lucas and Dominic Grieve, both of whom were members of the Intelligence and Security Committee, as well as Professor Philip Davies, an expert in Russia's influence around the world.
It was an hour of radio that listeners loved.
That was one of the best hour's of public service broadcasting you'll hear this year.#Educate #Inform #Entertain#RussiaReport #ReleaseTheRussiaReport @lbc @mrjamesob https://t.co/0qEPk5MA3t
— I Am Incorrorgible FCA (@ImIncorrigible) November 14, 2019
@mrjamesob what an hour of talk radio. Well done sir for talking about such vital news.
— Lauren Seward (@sewardl16) November 14, 2019
You can watch it in full at the top of the page.
