From Russia without love

By Tim Le Couilliard, Newgate Public Affairs

As we have grown accustomed to just before a recess, the government has been clearing its desks today. With 16 Written Statements (and I cannot remember a day in which there were more than that), it is clear the government, and parliament, is getting ready for its Summer Recess, starting tomorrow (22^nd July). Parliament will then be away until the 1^st September, although it is unlikely to be any more of a holiday for them as it is for us. 

As ever, many of the statements provided today were just updates. There have been, however, some extremely notable developments, not least the publishing of the long-awaited Russia report compiled by the newly infamous Intelligence and Security Committee (the ISC). 

The ISC inquiry covered a number of topics relating to Russian involvement in UK politics including disinformation campaigns, direct attempts to influence and the role of Russian nationals living and operating in the UK, including donations made by them. The report, which runs for 55 pages, states that the UK was (and if last week’s alleged spying on vaccines is anything to go by, continues to be) a “top Western intelligence target” of Russia’s, only behind the UN and the US. Amongst other matters, it details the attempted Russian involvement in the 2016 EU referendum and the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. 

The report was not published in its entirety, with the “highly sensitive” aspects not published as they would present a concern to national security and potentially benefit the subject of the inquiry, Russia. Lots of ***’s may cover up much of the detail, but the report does present a far-reaching and concerning picture of Russian foreign affairs that many would have hoped had ended with the fall of the USSR. Unsurprisingly, in response to its publication, the Kremlin has dismissed the report, describing it as “Russophobia.”

The ISC, made infamous recently by the appointment of new Chair Julian Lewis, stated that no-one in the government “wants to touch the issue of Russian interference with a 10-foot-pole,” and that allegations that Russia had tried to interfere with the 2016 EU referendum were not investigated “because they did not want to know.” Intelligence agencies have also been accused of “taking their eye off the ball.” With no organisation keen to take the lead on resolving the concerns, the phrase “hot potato” has been chucked around a lot today, no less because the government has been criticised in the delay in the report’s publishing as the sign off process has taken “several months”.  Lisa Nandy, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, has accused the government of making a “political decision” to delay the report.

Foreign affairs would have been high on the news agenda today anyway, regardless of the (eventual) publication of the report, with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo holding “candid” talks with Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Downing Street. Top topic of conversation was China (unsurprisingly), with the US calling on the UK to take swifter action on Huawei, even further than those that have already been announced (with no Chinese firm in the UK’s 5G rollout from 2027). Other topics included the continued extradition request for Anne Sacoolas, the American national connected with the death of Harry Dunn, which so far has not been resolved. There is also the prospect of a future US-UK free trade agreement that would have been discussed, with talks expected to continue in the near future. It is noticeable that Pompeo didn’t just meet with the government today, having held talks with the Opposition and notable senior Tories such as David Davis and Ian Duncan Smith – all in an attempt, it would seem, to put pressure on the government to act. 

Domestically, there have been a number of developments, not least the pay-rise of 900,000 public sector workers. Some workers, many of whom are now described as “key workers”, have received an above-inflation rise of up to 3.1%, as recommended by independent pay bodies. Of course, these pay rises coincide with the news that the UK’s borrowing reached a record £127.9 billion between April and June – more than double the amount borrowed for the whole of 2019. Government debt now sits at almost £2 trillion. Right on cue, the Chancellor today has launched the 2020 Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR). The Review, which will be published in the autumn, will set out the government’s spending plans for the parliament. 

Today also saw the first full physical meeting of the Cabinet, with the government keen to encourage Britons back to work and show that it is safe to do so. It was held in one of the meeting rooms at the Foreign Office – one of the biggest available – and whilst hands were sanitized on entry, masks were not required. 

Whilst Cabinet was being convened, Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer, was giving evidence to the Health and Social Care Committee in what was at times a bad-tempered discussion on the government’s response to the coronavirus. Whitty stated that had the UK built-up capacity before the outbreak, on key health infrastructure and testing capability, and not “underinvested in healthcare”, then there would have potentially been a better outcome. This is a marked quip to Jeremy Hunt, the Chair of the Committee, who served as the Health Secretary of the government between 2012-2018. Instead, the UK’s response had to “suddenly switch-on” in the Spring. Positively, the news yesterday that Oxford researchers have made breakthroughs on the vaccine, with a potential one being ready this year, provides some optimism.