I can’t help but imagine the scenes if the Labour Party were refusing to release information suggesting they were being infiltrated by Russian money and using their cyber intelligence to corrupt elections?

There is plenty of speculation, but no one quite knows what is going on with the Conservative Party and a 50-page dossier compiled by British intelligence services regarding Russian infiltration into the establishment.
This is because Number 10 is refusing to sign it off.

Apparently, they received the completed dossier signed off by the intelligence services on the 17^th October but they have now decided it needs six weeks to deal with.

It’s probably just a remarkable coincidence, but six weeks means that it can’t be signed off until after the general election. At this stage, if the Tories can keep such scandals at bay, it is an election they are likely to win.

From Russia With Cash

So, why (if as alleged) would the Conservative Party allow itself to be corrupted by Russian money? Well, it all started in the early 1990’s, shortly after the collapse of communism. John Major’s government had beaten many other countries to the rouble rush by making exceptions for Russian visa applications in exchange for money invested in property, bonds or British business.

This may sound a bit dodgy, but there was an incalculable amount of money coming out of Russia at the time. After the early 1990’s recession, Britain needed a cash injection, so economically, it made complete sense. If the roubles were going to go somewhere, the British government decided that it may as well be London.

The UK reaped the rewards and the capital soon became known as Londongrad or Moscow upon Thames, courtesy of the Russian oligarch’s desire to spend big. Football clubs were given big funds in return for respectability, high end London property was snapped up and Bond Street boomed.

This still doesn’t explain how and if the money infiltrated politics though, does it? Well, no, but with a heady cocktail of billionaire Russian businessmen being notoriously persuasive and political parties infiltrated by self-serving greed, you can see why people like Dominic Grieve want this dossier to be released.

Donations for Favours

This potential scandal highlights the issue with political parties receiving donations from big business. It makes them instantly corruptible. Ruthless businessmen don’t hand over six figure donations if they are not getting a return. There is an old saying that ‘there is no such thing as a free lunch’ but that doesn’t appear to be adapted to politics, including, some allege, the Conservative Party.

What intelligence services are trying to fully piece together is whether Russian money and technology has been corrupting the political process with regards to elections and referendums, notably, Brexit. Why would Russia, a country with plenty of its own domestic issues, choose to get involved in a referendum in the UK?

I’m not qualified to say, but there is a plausible theory that Putin would like to see the European Union collapse. If that is the case, by attacking one of its vital members and interfering with the referendum process, they are making a good start. It would also make sense for Oligarchs based in London. With offshore accounts, they will be keen to avoid the EU 2020 Tax Avoidance legislation.

Russia Pushing Back?

Whilst some may deem it unlikely, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that if the EU does collapse, Russia will try to reclaim territory. The EU has shifted steadily eastwards into former communist territory since the early noughties and that is a concern to many independent geopolitical experts. George Bush Senior (the slightly brighter one) once stated that if you push Russia too far east, don’t be surprised if they push back.

This is all speculation of course, but if Johnson (who once played tennis with a Russian businessman in return for a £160k conservative party donation) wants quash rumours regarding the content of this dossier, why not just allow it to be made public?

Otherwise the conspiracy theories will gather pace and the allegation that London is the corruption capital of Europe, will be justified.

All is not well.