Hillary Clinton has put pressure on Johnson while in the UK promoting her new book
Hillary Clinton has criticised Boris Johnson’s reluctance to release a report detailing Russian interference in UK politics ahead of the British election.
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Hillary Clinton has blasted her way into the British general election and demanded Boris Johnson release a report into Russian interference in UK politics.
The British Prime Minister has refused to release a government report to how much influence Russian spies have had over UK elections, referendums and over parliamentarians.
Mrs Clinton – the former US first lady and Secretary of State – blames Russian interference on her devastating loss to US President Donald Trump in the 2016 race for the White House.
Touring Britain to promote her latest book, the failed presidential candidate demanded Mr Johnson release the Russian report and said it would be “shameful” to not do so.
“I’m dumbfounded that this government won’t release the report … every person who votes in this country deserves to see that report before your election happens,” she told the BBC on Tuesday.
“Because there is no doubt – we know it in our country, we have seen it in Europe, we have seen it here – that Russia in particular is determined to try to shape the politics of western democracies — not to our benefit but to theirs.”
“I find it inexplicable that your government will not release a government report about Russian influence. Inexplicable and shameful.”
Mrs Clinton’s new book, co-authored with daughter Chelsea, is called The Book of Gutsy Women. Clinton said she wishes she was gutsier in her efforts to expose Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election.
“I am, as a great admirer of Britain, concerned, because I can’t make sense of what is happening,” Clinton told the Guardian. “We have a president who admires dictators and takes their help and does all kinds of crazy stuff. So we need you to be the sane member of this partnership going forward.”
The UK report by the British Parliament’s security committee contains allegations that Russian spies tried to interfere with the 2016 Brexit referendum and other recent elections.
There is no proof the Russians had any success with any operations In the UK, cabinet ministers say.
But there are growing demands for Downing Street to release the report which was finished in March.
And there have been accusations that Russian donors are trying to gain influence in Westminster.
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UK Chancellor Sajid Javid denies Russian money was influencing the current election.
“No Russian money is pulling the strings of this election,” Mr Javid told the BBC.
“I’m very confident about how we’re funded and we’re very transparent about that.”
The Mueller Inquiry into Russian interference in American politics found the former USSR’s President Vladimir Putin did meddle with the 2016 elections.
But the FBI inquiry cleared Mr Trump of any collision with Russian spies to tip the scales of the election in his favour against Mrs Clinton.
The ex-First Lady has not shut down speculation on her UK tour that she was looking to run for President again.
“I would have been a good president, so obviously that lives in the back of my head,” she told an audience in London.
“I’m going to do everything I possibly can to make sure we retire the current incumbent.”