In recent years, Lebedev has come under scrutiny over his close personal ties with Boris Johnson. The source for the Firtash-Mogilevich connection was reportedly Firtash himself to then US Ambassador to Ukraine, William Taylor, in 2008. The groups act as a conduit between the party and certain countries or regions. One of the groups initial organisers in 2011 was Sergei Nalobin, a diplomat suspected of being a Russian agent. Matthew Elliott was a founding member. [10], The group was officially launched in late 2012 and has since gone on to host numerous events throughout the UK, covering a variety of topics such as LGBT rights in Russia, with guest speakers Peter Tatchell and Claire Harvey. Oliver Pieper. He later left Moscow and became a British citizen in 2011. [6][7] She began an affair with Johnson, then Foreign Secretary, in 2018 while he was still married to his second wife, Marina Wheeler. openDemocracy this week revealed that more than 200 Russian millionaires had been given golden visas, despite an earlier government pledge to clamp down on the practice. New to Byline Times? Mamut introduced a Russian-language section to its store in Piccadilly Circus, central London. Call for inquiry into Carrie Symonds' influence in No 10 The same day Amol Rajan was speaking at a Society of Editors conference. Now called the Westminster Russia Forum (WRF), the groups British organisers often appear on the Russian state broadcaster, RT. Raffle prizes included a biography of Putin and bottles of vodka. In 2018, Udod was expelled from the UK as a suspected spy after the abortive assassination attempt on Sergei Skripal using the novichok nerve agent in Salisbury. By the spring of 2016, four newspapers the Mirror, the Sun, the Mail on Sunday and The Independent had the story of Whittingdales extraordinary relationship with professional dominatrix Olivia King, also known as Mistress Kate, but had not run it. Borodin denies this and says hes the victim of a politically motivated witch-hunt. He is now the media editor at the BBC. [35][36], On 29 February 2020, Symonds and Boris Johnson announced that they had become engaged in late 2019 and were expecting their first child together in early summer. Dont miss a story! A group formerly known as the Conservative Friends of Russia (CRF) is advertising its first in-person conference for two years next week, despite Russias invasion of Ukraine on Thursday. The Russian connections to Vote Leave go beyond its chief executive Matthew Elliott. Boris Johnson, Carrie Symonds are engaged and will have a baby - The A gangster with a conviction for firearms was also reportedly going out with King at the same time as Whittingdale and was trying to sell tapes of King talking about what she did with the then Culture Secretary. Meanwhile, Russian-born oligarchs remain close to the Prime Minister and his entourage. All have homes in London, with several visiting regularly from Moscow. Westminster Russia Forum - Wikipedia As he recounts in his memoir, Hunt the Banker, the KGB approached Lebedev in his final year at university in Moscow. If you can, please show your appreciation for our free content by donating whatever you think is fair to help keep TLE growing and support real, independent, investigative journalism. [5] On Remembrance Day 2012 it organised a letter signed by thirty two Members of Parliament demanding the veterans be allowed the medal. A group trip to Moscowattracted controversy in 2012when it emerged that the Russian diplomat liaising with Conservative Friends of Russia was the son of a top-ranking Kremlin spy. Lubov Chernukhin is biggest female donor in the history of Conservative Party She has a reputation for making big bids to have dinner or play sport with Tories Alexander Temerko, former chief of. He spent 40,000 on a portrait of Margaret Thatcher. She has lots of deeply loyal politico and journo friends. The couple have an 8m London mansion, owned by an offshore trust, a jet and two yachts. The CFR said this was entirely coincidental. Tymofienko is now working on an 800,000 scheme promoting intellectual property in Ukraine at QMC London funded by the British Government. ", "Tory pro-Russia lobbying group disbands", "Conservative Friends of Russia group disbands with immediate effect", "Who is Carrie Symonds? In the meantime, openDemocracy has revealed that the Conservative Party, which has received more than 3.5 million from Russian funders since 2010, has actually stepped up its dependence on Russian donors to at least 489,850 in the last year, compared to 350,000 in the year previously. We also introduce new voices of colour in Our Lives Matter. Is it possible that the minister has acted so recklessly that he could be embarrassed by the Russian secret state? That deal left BP with a near-20% stake in the Kremlin-backed company, making cordial Russian relations vital for BP. Socialmissfit on Twitter: "RT @WriterJackWhite: In 2012 Johnson's Exclusive: The group, once called Conservative Friends of Russia, is set to hold a multilateral relations conference next week despite Russia invading Ukraine, The Westminster Russia Forum loudly echoes official lines from Moscow. [9][10][11][12] She was the first unmarried partner of a prime minister to reside at Downing Street. In 2014, Whittingale was photographed in Ukrainian fancy dress in London with Maria Tymofienko, who styled herself in emails as Assistant to John WhittingdaleMP Chair All-Party ParliamentaryGroup on Ukraine. And 31% of Republicans prefer close relations with Russia compared with 21% among Democrats. Osborne listed the various economic models that could form the basis for Brexit the Canadian model, the Norwegian model, the Albanian model before adding that was enough about Mr Whittingdales relationships. While the ISC report has been suppressed during Britains General Election campaign, another report was published in February this year by another official UK parliamentary committee the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee, chaired by Conservative politician Damian Collins, into disinformation and fake news. Pritchard sits on parliaments intelligence and security committee (ISC), which on Tuesday published its long-awaited Russia report. For Ms. Symonds, a former Conservative Party communications chief who now works for an animal-rights group, it is the latest trial in a year overstuffed with dramatics: the near-fatal illness of . 2. In late 2017, Byline revealed that the Maltese-born professor Joseph Mifsud, named as a Russian intermediary in the Mueller Investigation, was telling colleagues he was going to meet Boris Johnson to discuss Brexit. Alarmingly, the Russia Report found that our security services have not found evidence of the same because they have not looked. After a power struggle, AAR eventually sold its half in the venture to Russian state-owned oil giant Rosneft. [3] The group's launch gained mixed reviews in the media from proponents and opponents of the conservatives, with some journalists questioning its neutrality.[4]. In January 2020, Whittingdale received 8,000 from Aquind Ltd, the mysterious Russia-linked company planning a billion-pound undersea electricity grid connector between Britain and France which wont reveal the identity of the party that controls it. The Russia Report by Parliaments Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) stated: The UK is clearly a target for Russias disinformation campaigns and political influence operations and must therefore equip itself to counter such efforts., Britains intelligence agencies told the committee: They informed us that the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) holds primary responsibility for disinformation campaigns.. Lebedev funded Russias independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper. If you have any queries about republishing please contact us. Given the weight of evidence, these are reasonable inquiries. When I go through it with him, he begins to bluster, saying she was a Page 3 model not a soft porn actress. If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. The following month, she was barred from entering the United States as her visa application was rejected due to a previous visit with her close friend Nimco Ali to Somaliland, which the US considers to be part of immigration-restricted Somalia. The group described itself as "an organisation created for those with an interest in Russian politics, business, history and culture, with the aim of strengthening relations between the British and Russian communities and informing political decision making within both countries. ", "John Lewis: rich woman's nightmare, poor woman's dream", "How Cummings and Carrie Symonds vie for Johnson's attention", "Sorting through the shrapnel: what Dominic Cummings' grenade-ridden riposte means", "Carrie Symonds defended over 'sexist fabrication' that she tried to get minister fired", "Carrie Symonds 'tried to install friends in key roles', Dominic Cummings claims", "Samantha Cameron defends Carrie Symonds over 'Lady Macbeth' attacks", "Carrie Symonds is a serious political player so it's not sexist to ask 'What's her game? One of the other billionaires behind AAR, Sir Leonard (Len) Blavatnik, also wields significant influence in the UK. Alexander Lebedev (left) and his son Evgeny (right), with the former chancellor George Osborne in September last year, when Osborne was editor of the Evening Standard. The forums organisers are overwhelmingly London-based, with business interests in Russia. Elements of the suppressed report have now leaked out. In 2014, Reuters reported on documents that pointed to Putin extending credit lines to Firtash of up to $11 billion which helped the oligarch influence the 2010 Presidential Election in Ukraine. Her largesse seems directed at whoever is the Conservative leader. Guests included the then Tory staffer Carrie Symonds (now the Prime Minister's wife) and senior Conservative politicians such as John Whittingdale. 08/08/2022. Blavatnik was born in Odessa, in Soviet Ukraine, but has renounced Russian citizenship and is a dual US-UK citizen. Johnson and Temerko were close, sharing bottles of wine and sometimes calling each other Sasha, it added. Receive our monthly print edition and help to support fearless, independent journalism. It has an active Twitter feed, echoing official lines from Kremlin-funded organisations although it has been uncharacteristically silent since Putins movement this week of recognising the separatist Peoples Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in the east of Ukraine, and since the start of todays invasion. In an interview with the Guardian, Temerko said he was no friend of Putins, whom he called an enemy of democracy. Could he be their unwitting asset? Shortly afterwards, Sir Malcolm Rifkind, who had served as a minister under Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and John Major, and was then chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee, resigned from the group, saying he had been unhappy for some time about the group's behaviour and "political direction". As Otto English has confirmed on Byline Times, his visits to Lebedevs infamous Tuscan parties on one occasion as Foreign Secretary without his security detail have spooked the spooks. It has been valued at more than 300m after extensive refurbishment. The Russia Report is scathing about the power of Moscow gold to win the hearts and minds of corrupt British figures, but the evidence remains in the shadows. Fund a better media. A man in John Whittingdales position could be expected to answer them. Their financial clout affords members of this select group considerable influence and access to Britains professional and ruling classes. 10 job and her friends take key jobs New to Byline Times? Luke Hardings latest book Shadow State: Murder, Mayhem and Russias Remaking of the West (Guardian Faber) is available from the Guardian Bookshop. He has received 24,500, according to Electoral Commission filings. Now, Carrie focusses her work efforts on. Our leading investigations include: empire & the culture war,Brexit, crony contracts,Russian interference,the Coronavirus pandemic,democracy in danger, andthe crisis in British journalism. When Sibneft needed an international communications chief it turned to Greg Barker, who would go on to become Conservative energy minister under David Cameron. Conservative lobbying row over 'Westminster Russia Forum' as Putin She is the daughter of Matthew Symonds, co-founder of The Independent. In 2014, she paid 160,000 at a Tory fundraiser to play tennis with Cameron and Johnson, then the PM and London mayor. [17][18] Her paternal grandfather was John Beavan, Baron Ardwick (at one time editor of the Daily Herald and later, during the 1970s, a Labour Party MEP), and her paternal grandmother was Anne Symonds, a BBC World Service journalist. [47] She was additionally involved in a political controversy over the refurbishment of the 11 Downing Street flat,[47] and her comments over the flat's decor being a "John Lewis furniture nightmare" (John Lewis typically being an aspirational, upper-middle-class shop) led to accusations of snobbery. Whittingdale had been protected from scrutiny for a long time. Nalobin wished Elliott well on his engagement in 2014 and described Boris Johnson as our good friend in a now-deleted social media post. 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. 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. He and his second wife, childhood friend Marina Wheeler, had announced they were divorcing in 2018 after 25 . Temerko has funded the constituency associations of several leading Tory MPs, including the business secretary, Alok Sharma, and Mark Pritchard. The campaign included a letter signed by 32 Members of Parliament which was submitted to the Honours and Decorations (HD) Committee on Remembrance Day, requesting that the veterans be rewarded with a medal in recognition of the part they played in the vital Arctic Convoy missions throughout the Second World War.[12][13]. Alexander Temerko said he was no friend of Vladimir Putin. 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. Event attendees have included Carrie Johnson, the Conservative Partys former head of communications and now the prime ministers wife. The friendship has . Media advisor and wife of former British prime minister Boris Johnson, For other people named Carrie Johnson, see, GRO Register of Births = MAR 1988 15 449 WANDSWORTH - Caroline Louise B. Symonds, mother's maiden name = Lawrence. Carrie Symonds uses heartfelt Instagram post to tell pals she's engaged By Anne McElvoy. Another prominent figure is Andrei Borodin, the former president of the Bank of Moscow. Back in 2012, the Foreign Policy journal noted that the websites news feedcontinued to feature only state-owned or state-subsidised outlets. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The group hosted events in London and at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham in 2012. [28][2] These accusations were claimed by an anonymous "longtime colleague" to be a smear campaign allegedly spread by Symonds's political strategist, Lynton Crosby (subsequently denied by Crosby). In March 2014, Austrian authorities arrested Firtash on a multi-million bribery rap sought by the FBI. [29][30], She is a patron of the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation. Mamut replaced her with a pro-Kremlin journalist. Nicholas Cobb, chairman of the (now) Westminster Russia Forum, wrote to. Cummings is now Boris Johnsons senior advisor. As the report states: The extent to which Russian expatriates are using their access to UK businesses and politicians to exert influence in the UK is ***. The committees asterisks cover a multitude of sins. Staines and his business partner, Jag Singh, who was active in Moscow during the 2011 election campaign, later worked for the Russian Embassy on political campaigning. The press release was coincidental with the chair of the All-party parliamentary group on Russia being due for renewal.[8]. Back in April 2016, Whittingdales adventurous private life was the subject of a joke by then Chancellor George Osborne in a speech to the parliamentary lobby. 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. "Baby Johnson named in tribute to doctors". But, he said: This is the Monty Python end of Russian influence operations. [2][8], Symonds originally planned to become an actor, and unsuccessfully auditioned for the 2007 film Atonement. This group was launched in the Russian Embassys gardens in August 2012 by Yakovenko and Nalobin, and attended by senior Conservatives such as the then chair of the DCMS Committee, and soon-to-be Culture Minister, John Whittingdale, who was the groups honorary vice president. Long before she became Boris's girlfriend, Carrie - a former spad (special adviser) who became head of communications for the Conservative Party - had a strong network in SW1. A brief analysis of the data revealed that these accountstweeted about Brexit 1,525 times. [2][8], In July 2019, Johnson became prime minister and both he and Symonds officially moved into the flat above 11 Downing Street. 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. [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.