What is the 'Russia Report' and why is it being published?
Video report by ITV News Correspondent John Ray
The long-awaited 'Russia Report' is set to be published on Tuesday 21 July, almost nine months after the prime minister is believed to have received it.
Completed more than a year ago, the report has gone through a series of redactions – as is procedure – to remove sensitive information from the public’s view.
Despite promises to publish it after the December general election, the findings from the Intelligence and Scrutiny Committee (ISC) will be released just before Parliament’s summer recess.
But what is the report and why has been called for?
The Russia Report
The investigation was launched after the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury.
The report – which became the “primary focus” of the ISC following Skripal’s poisoning - compiles the findings from a months-long investigation into potential Russian interference into UK democracy.
Concerns have been repeatedly expressed over alleged involvement in the Brexit vote and even the 2019 General Election.
On Thursday, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Russian “actors” almost certainly sought to interfere in the 2019 general election through the online “amplification” of stolen documents relating to US-UK trade talks.
Internet debate website Reddit claimed leaked documents referenced by Jeremy Corbyn during the 2019 election were linked to a Russian campaign.
The National Cyber Security Centre also warned on Thursday that hackers linked to Russian intelligence agencies are targeting British scientists seeking to develop a coronavirus vaccine.
The ISC’s 2017/18 annual report states there “have also been concerns about Russia’s interference in the UK’s EU referendum”.
“At our first meeting in November 2017, the Committee agreed to begin an Inquiry into Russian activity against the UK,” the annual report stated.
“The poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in March 2018 and subsequent attribution of the attack to Russia by the UK Government only serve to highlight the importance of this Inquiry.”
What will the report say?
We won’t know what’s in the report until it is published - the ISC is strictly forbidden from revealing the contents before it is formally made public.
Two weeks after the prime minister received the report, then-ISC chairman Dominic Grieve said he “wouldn’t dream” of revealing the report’s findings.
But he did say there is useful information for voters, who were just weeks away from the General Election last year at the time.
“The report is informative and people are entitled to information and it seems to us that this report is germane because we do know and I think it is widely accepted that the Russians have sought to interfere in other countries’ democratic processes in the past.”
He added: “I cannot think of a reason why he should wish to prevent this report being published.”
The Tory party's Russian donors
One thing that may be in the report is information relating to Russian Tory donors.
According to the Sunday Times, nine Russian business people who have donated money to the Conservative Party were named in the document.
This has not been confirmed and the names of these donors have not been officially revealed, but questions have previously been raised over the party’s links with wealthy Russians.
One of the most prolific donors is Lubov Chernukhin, who has donated almost £2 million since 2012, according to the Electoral Commission.
More than £300,000 was donated in March this year alone, taking her total registered donations to £1,978,304.40.
Mrs Chernukhin is the wife of Vladimir Chernukhin, a former close associate of Vladimir Putin, serving as his deputy finance minister almost two decades ago.
The source of their wealth is unclear but she has previously won access to top Tory politicians – including a tennis match with Boris Johnson.
Alexander Temerko is another who has been identified in the past over his links to the party, having donated £699,176.98 to date, according to the Electoral Commission.
Former Tory party chairman and current minister Brandon Lewis, who confirmed he has received donations from Chernukhin and Temerko, defended the pair in November last year.
He said wealthy Russian businessmen have “the absolute right” to donate to the Conservative Party if they are British citizens.
Mr Lewis said: “I have had donations from Lubov (Chernukhin) and also Alexander Temerko, as has the Conservative Party.
“They are British citizens, they are prominent British business people as well – Alexander himself has invested in the renewable energy industry in the East of England.
“So British citizens have the absolute right, as any other British citizen does, to invest in and be part of the British political scene, and I think it’s wrong to accuse them of anything else.”
He added: “Once the election is out of the way, we will publish that report.”
What has the government said?
The government has repeatedly defended its position.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said last year: “There are a number of administrative stages/processes which reports such as this – which often contain sensitive information – have to go through before they are published.
“This usually takes several weeks to complete. The committee is well informed of this process.”
In February this year, Boris Johnson addressed the issue during Prime Minister’s Questions.
Responding to SNP MP Owen Thompson he said: “The report will of course be published… when the intelligence and security committee is reconstituted.”
He added: “His conspiratorial frame of mind is likely to be disappointed by the results.”