Tories accepted £200,000 from Russians days after refusing to publish interference report
The Conservative Party accepted �200,000 from the wife of a former Russian finance minister under president Putin, just days after refusing to publish a report into Russian interference in UK elections. Photo: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire - Credit: PA
The Conservative Party accepted £200,000 from the wife of a former Russian finance minister under president Putin, just days after refusing to publish a report into Russian interference in UK elections.
Business Insider has reported that the prime minister's party received £5.6 million in donations in the first week of the campaign, from senior business figures and hedge funds, more than 25 times the amount raised by the opposition Labour party.
The largest single donation received in the first week of the campaign was £200,000 from Lubov Chernukhin, the wife of Russian oligarch Vladmir Chernukhin.
Chernukhin has reportedly paid £160,000 for a tennis match with the prime minister, and £135,000 for a night with former prime minister Theresa May.
Before parliament dissolved, Johnson's government refused to publish a report by Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) into potential Russian interference in UK elections.
You may also want to watch:
READ MORE: Leaked report says Russian interference may have affected Brexit referendum resultREAD MORE: Boris Johnson claims there is 'no evidence' for Russian political interferenceThe report was leaked by The Times, and claims Russian interference may have affected the 2016 referendum, although the impact is 'unquantifiable'.
Parliament's intelligence committee, chaired by Dominic Grieve, said British intelligence services failed to devote enough resources to counter the threat and highlighted the impact of articles posted by Russian new sites that were widely disseminated on social media, according to The Times.
Most Read
- 1 Who's on the BBC's Question Time tonight?
- 2 US election result could spark 'end of Brexit', claims peer
- 3 'Assorted caviar' and 'board games' - Gifts confiscated from Boris Johnson due to anti-corruption laws
- 4 Minister self-isolates just a day after being spotted flouting mask rules
- 5 Tory minister's claim over free school meals funding gets quickly debunked
- 6 MANDRAKE: Chilling news for Telegraph bosses
- 7 Farage says he can dodge US travel ban because he's a 'journalist'
- 8 Poll puts Labour on highest level of support since 2014
- 9 Question Time: Tory minister told 'diverse' cabinet doesn't erase race issues in party
- 10 Tory MP blames 'chaotic parents' for children going to school hungry
Labour's foreign affairs spokeswoman, Emily Thornberry, said: "Boris Johnson therefore needs to clear up the confusion, spin and speculation around this (intelligence committee) report by publishing it in full at the earliest opportunity.
"If not, people will rightly continue to ask: what is he trying to hide from the British public and why?"
The report into Russian interference will not be published until after the election, even in spite of a petition which received more than 230,000 signatures.
The Conservative Party has been contacted for comment.
READ MORE: Petition calling for release of 'Russian interference' report reaches six figures
Become a Supporter
The New European is proud of its journalism and we hope you are proud of it too. We believe our voice is important - both in representing the pro-EU perspective and also to help rebalance the right wing extremes of much of the UK national press. If you value what we are doing, you can help us by making a contribution to the cost of our journalism.
