Tory lobbying row over ‘Westminster Russia Forum’ as Putin invades Ukraine
Conservative Friends of Russia (CRF) is advertising its first in-person conference for 2 years next week, despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Remember: Carrie Johnson started it opendemocracy.net/en/dark-money-…
Conservative Friends of Russia (CRF) is advertising its first in-person conference for 2 years next week, despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Remember: Carrie Johnson started it opendemocracy.net/en/dark-money-…
Way back in 2012 the Russian Government Tourist Agency paid for Tory Activists to visit including Vote Leave’s CEO Matthew Elliott
Then @WriterJackWhite has traced how many visits have occurred from this groups’ associates.
Then @WriterJackWhite has traced how many visits have occurred from this groups’ associates.
Carrie Johnson became involved when she worked as an aide to John Whittingdale whose connections to the Firtashs and Ukraine have been documented elsewhere.
It has morphed into the renamed Westminster Russia Forum, post the 2012 backlash.
web.archive.org/web/2013031303…’s-london-lobby
It has morphed into the renamed Westminster Russia Forum, post the 2012 backlash.
web.archive.org/web/2013031303…’s-london-lobby
More of Richard Royal’s (Chair of the “Forum”) Putin apologist stance here from 2013
shoutoutuk.org/2013/05/31/rus…
shoutoutuk.org/2013/05/31/rus…
Here is Whittingdale with Yakovenko, the then Russian Ambassador to the U.K., in the Russian Embassy’s London garden at the launch.
And there is Carrie at the same event.
https://twitter.com/WriterJackWhite/status/1481179545743020038
I’ve always been curious about the relationship between Carrie Symonds, Harry Cole, Paul Staines, Raj (or Jag) Singh, Matthew Elliott, Andrew Whitehurst , Nabolin (who was expelled as a spy) and the Russian Embassy crew.
Amazing, really that Carrie’s father, Matthew Symonds Co-founded the Independent that ended up owned by Lebedev, son of a KGB spy. Indeed he (Lebedev) became owner around the time Johnson became London mayor (2009) and was a staunch Johnson supporter in the 2012 campaign
Anyway….Going back to the Westminster Russia Forum’s event next week.
The group says it will hold a ‘Multilateral Relations Conference’ aimed at strengthening links between Russia & the UK. At previous such events, dozens of speakers have urged stronger ties to the Putin gov ‼️
The group says it will hold a ‘Multilateral Relations Conference’ aimed at strengthening links between Russia & the UK. At previous such events, dozens of speakers have urged stronger ties to the Putin gov ‼️
It has been called the Monty Python end of the Russian Influence operation by @edwardlucas (who is well worth a follow on Russian Affairs).
He told @openDemocracy : “This is about as badly timed as possible, to be relaunching their events just as the invasion of Ukraine starts.”
Lucas, a journalist who was involved in calls to dissolve the Conservative Friends of Russia in 2013, has called its return “a mushroom sprouting on top of a compost heap”
A reminder that Aleksandr Yakovenko, who hosted the 2012 Party with Whittingdale, is quoted by Luke Harding as saying, on his return to Russia
“We have crushed the British to the ground. They are on their knees and they will not rise for a very long time”.
Brexit. Job done
“We have crushed the British to the ground. They are on their knees and they will not rise for a very long time”.
Brexit. Job done
Also worth listening to this whole clip (h/t @brexit_sham ) and see who was there. Which MPs thought it important to have a friendship with Russia Group within the Conservative Party.
Well. They certainly delivered the friendship TO Russia
Useful idiots at best.
Well. They certainly delivered the friendship TO Russia
Useful idiots at best.
https://twitter.com/brexit_sham/status/1497198035469803522
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