Intelligence and Security Committee: Russia Report Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Intelligence and Security Committee: Russia Report

Lord Howard of Rising Excerpts
Wednesday 22nd July 2020

(4 years, 4 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord True Portrait Lord True
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My Lords, Ministers have not dragged their feet, and issues of electoral integrity are very much under consideration, as the noble Lord knows. Action will be taken in the course of this Parliament. On his central question, we have seen no evidence of successful interference in the EU referendum.

Lord Howard of Rising Portrait Lord Howard of Rising (Con) [V]
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Does the Minister agree that no one should be permitted to interfere in the internal affairs of the United Kingdom? For example, Jean-Claude Juncker had to be restrained by David Cameron from interfering in the 2016 referendum. As for Russian interference in the referendum, was the Minister influenced by a Russian, or did he manage to make up his own mind?

Lord True Portrait Lord True
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My Lords, I was not influenced by any Russians. My noble friend touches on something which I beg your Lordships—and have done before—to hold in their mind. The decision to leave Europe was taken by millions upon millions of our fellow countrymen—twice. The result was not hatched in some dacha in Moscow.