Our leading investigations include: empire & the culture war,Brexit, crony contracts,Russian interference,the Coronavirus pandemic,democracy in danger, andthe crisis in British journalism. He was subsequently photographed in the company of the then Foreign Secretary at a fundraising event in Reading. Following a week in which Russia and its links to the UK have been in the news, the Guardian has looked into the impact of Soviet-born men and women on recent UK public life. Ernest Reid, billed on the WRF website as its ambassador at large, has provided commentary for Russia Today and the WRF sympathetic to Russian foreign ministry objectives. Despite describing itself as a think tank, no published research exists, and they are likely more akin to a lobbying group. It said the industrialist had funded some of Johnsons key allies in parliament, including James Wharton, who ran Johnsons successful prime ministerial campaign. [7], The group's neutrality and support was questioned by the media, despite the group stating no political links or bias to Russia and made it clear that its funding comes from membership and events, by publishing its financial accounts. The Conservatives have received more than 3m from wealthy Soviet-born donors - all of whom can legally give money to the party as British citizens. He described Russia's social life as "a dull and gloomy existence, devoid of strength and energy". Moscow-on-Thames: Soviet-born billionaires and their ties to UK's The Covid-19 public inquiry is a historic chance to find out what really happened. Others have made substantial investments in media and industry. Whatever youre interested in, theres a free openDemocracy newsletter for you. [2][8] In July 2019, Johnson became prime minister and both he and Symonds officially moved into the flat above 11 Downing Street. Had Russia paid for a social media campaign of this scale, the committee estimated, it would have cost between 1.4 and 4.14 million. ", "Carrie Johnson: Who is the prime minister's wife? Lebedev funded Russias independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper. The Tory peer received a bonus of $4m (3.14m) after helping Deripaska get the company removed from a list of firms hit by US sanctions. Lebedev later acquired the Independent and launched a successful spinoff version, the i. In March 2014, Austrian authorities arrested Firtash on a multi-million bribery rap sought by the FBI. February 29, 2020 at 3:56 p.m. EST. We scrambled so hard to get our BBC Newsnight story on that night, running the extraordinary statement drafted by Carrie Symonds, that I mispronounced dominatrix much to the amusement of then-editor Ian Katz. When Sibneft needed an international communications chief it turned to Greg Barker, who would go on to become Conservative energy minister under David Cameron. Symonds worked as a Conservative Party media official and an environmental activist, and remains a senior advisor to the ocean conservation charity Oceana, and is a patron of the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation. In February, Chernukhin spent 45,000 on another game of tennis with Johnson and Ben Elliot, the Tories co-chair. The friendship has . And we asked whether, given the 8,000 election money from Aquind came from an entity whose controlling party is unknown, he should repay that too. The Lib Dem leader of Portsmouth City Council, Gerald Vernon-Jackson, has denounced the exemption as appalling, saying that the companys links with Russia meant special care had to be taken. [6][7] She began an affair with Johnson, then Foreign Secretary, in 2018 while he was still married to his second wife, Marina Wheeler. On 29 February 2020, Symonds and Johnson announced that they had become engaged in late 2019. He wrote: He snaps, my current girlfriend isnt Russian, shes Lithuanian.. He co-authored an anti-EU book with an aide, Pavel Stroilov, who had allegedly fled Russia with smuggled secret Soviet documents. Now, Carrie focusses her work efforts on. They include Alexander Temerko, a former Russian junior defence minister, and Lubov Chernukhin, a financier whose husband Vladimir served in Putins cabinet as deputy finance minister. [57] Labour leader Keir Starmer said in relation to the book, "I approach politics on the basis that we should treat people with respect Obviously, respect differences of opinion, but I do not go along with the idea that we should drag everybody into the gutter. Firtashs closeness to the Kremlin, his association with Trump consigliere-turned-convict Paul Manafort and his arrest warrant issued by the FBI are facts that can be reported and cannot be denied. It was active in the campaign calling on the UK Foreign Office to allow British Arctic Veterans of World War Two to receive the Russian Ushakov Medal. His appearances at the European Parliament are regularly covered by RT and he was asked onto the channel no less than 17 times between 2010 and 2014. Sue Hawley, the director of Spotlight on Corruption, told openDemocracy: Its somewhat chilling that as the UK strikes a tough posture in relation to Russia it could leave such a blindspot at home.. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. In an interview with the Guardian, Temerko said he was no friend of Putins, whom he called an enemy of democracy. Russian authorities have accused him of a massive fraud. For the moment, Firtash continues to insist on his innocence and remains in Austria while he battles the Americans who want to lock him up. She is the daughter of Matthew Symonds, co-founder of The Independent. How party donations, sports teams and lavish London residences have granted access to highest echelons of public life. As soon as I discovered, I ended the relationship., Oliver writes that he approved the press release and tracked down Whittingdale, who was about to attend a Vote Leave dinner: He is clear that he didnt realise he was going out with a prostitute who specialises in sado-masochism., The Number 10 media supremo said he put to Whittingdale the unreported press interest in his string of Russian girlfriends.