UK ‘leads’ in caution about Russian activity

LONDON: Boris Johnson promised new laws to help tackle the threat posed by Russia as he faced accusations the government was slow to respond and had “sat on” a highly critical report.

The Prime Minister insisted that the UK “leads the world in caution about Russian interference” after the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) accused the government of badly underestimating the scale and nature of Moscow’s activities.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said ministers were aware of the need to update the law to give greater powers to the security and intelligence agencies 18 months ago but had failed to act. “The Prime Minister sat on this report for 10 months and failed to plug a gap in our laws on national security for a year-and-a-half,” Sir Keir said.

He told Johnson: “The government has taken its eye off the ball — arguably it wasn’t even on the pitch.” At Prime Minister’s questions, Johnson said: “This government is bringing forward legislation, not only a new Espionage Act, not only new laws to protect against theft of our intellectual property but also a Magnitsky Act directly to counter individuals in Russia or elsewhere who transgress human rights.”

He said there was “no country in the Western world that is more vigilant in protecting the interests of this country or the international community from Russian interference”.

Johnson — the frontman for the Vote Leave campaign — claimed critics of the government’s response were disgruntled Remainers “who have seized on this report to try to give the impression that Russian interference was somehow responsible for Brexit”.

The report’s publication was delayed by Johnson’s decision to call a general election and then the slow process of establishing a new ISC in the current Parliament. As part of a package of measures to update security laws, ministers are considering a US-style law requiring people working on behalf of foreign states to formally register their activities.

The government has already promised legislation to provide the security services and law enforcement agencies with “the tools they need” to disrupt hostile action. The Law Commission is reviewing the Official Secrets Act, which was branded “out of date” by the ISC in its report.

The Home Office is considering “like-minded international partners’ legislation” on foreign agent registration. Cabinet Minister Grant Shapps told BBC Radio 4’s Today: “What that does is make it easier if someone is then found and they have failed to register to, for example, extradite them.”

The US Foreign Agents Registration Act covers activities including lobbying and public relations for overseas states, and Australia has a similar register.

The ISC said the intelligence agencies and government departments treated the issue of potential Russian interference in British democratic processes as a “hot potato”, with nobody effectively tackling the problem.