I see there has been a shit storm surrounding Chelsea FC over the last few days. Firstly, it was a tweet from former captain, John Terry. Then it was fans singing the name of their former owner, Roman Abramovich. 

Whilst these events could be seen as lacking class, they do seem to be blown out of proportion. The last time I checked, John Terry was a largely forgotten footballer, not a politician. Nor as far as I am aware, did he fund Leave.EU with his large salary. I also doubt he is particularly clued up on geopolitics and cyber warfare.

I am not a fan of Chelsea or John Terry, but there is an air of deadcatting  going on here. As for Chelsea fans chanting their ex owner’s name, who really cares? As I recall, Abramovich was invited into the UK courtesy of a golden visa issued by the UK government.  It seems a bit odd now that a war has broken out, people invited to the UK are, shock horror, dodgy Russians.

Russian Interference

All the while culture wars get people so appalled about not much, there remains no sign of the report into Russian interference in UK elections. It is now almost certain rather than credible, that Russian agents colluded with the Leave.EU campaign. Because of that, we also know that Russia were actively trying to cause division in the UK in a bid  to destabilise the European Union. 

There are strong allegations that Boris Johnson was aware of this and so was Gavin Williamson. As the Ukraine crisis intensified last week, Williamson was handed a knighthood. We don’t know if it was to stay quiet about the Russia Report, but there is a good chance it is. Williamson failed miserably in both his cabinet roles under May and Johnson and was sacked. May went as far as saying he could not be trusted. So, why the knighthood?

What Putin Wanted

What we do know is that Putin wanted the UK out of EU. The EU is weaker without the UK, the UK is weaker out of it. Putin it seems, didn’t bank on the remaining 27 EU countries staying resolute and united (for now at least). Like his friends, Nigel Farage and Aaron Banks, he assumed the EU would collapse without the UK in it. This would have made life much easier when it came to retaking the independent former USSR states, particularly the ones in the Baltic.

Of course, it is easy to assume that there is no way a Russian sponsored disinformation campaign could sway the UK public. However, it only takes a few per cent of voters to buy into misinformation to sway the vote. Cyber campaigns target the vulnerable, not the educated. They are a bit like bit coin scams and Ponzi schemes. They know exactly who to go for.

Here’s another thing. What if people want to argue that the Britain would have still left the EU regardless of Russian cyberattacks? That doesn’t make it okay, does it? Especially as Brexit campaigners, our sitting PM, and the recently knighted Gavin Williamson, allegedly knew about the attacks and did nothing. 

The Ironic Whistleblower

Ironically, one of the whistleblowers is fervent Brexit campaigner, Isabel Oakeshott. When she discovered that Wigmore and Banks had been working as Russian agents, she felt she had to speak up. Oakeshott has called for an independent judge led inquiry. She probably won’t get one. 

The fact is, the wealthy people behind the Leave.EU campaign got what was required. A nation deregulated from financial, environmental and safety regulations where civil and worker rights are lessened. Putin got a major player out of the EU making it and the UK, weaker. What he didn’t get, was the domino effect that was promised. 

In the last 18 months, Johnson has gone against advice and made the son of a KGB agent and the former (and disgraced) defence, then education secretary, knights of the realm. This is not to say they were working as Russian agents. They may even be opponents of the Putin regime for all I know? It’s probably more a case of what they know and what is being kept quiet in return for gongs. I would be staggered if the son of a KGB man who owns The Independent and The Metro, knows nothing about Russian cyber warfare.

Still what about that John Terry eh…ruddy traitor.