Sir Henry Bellingham, a trade envoy, and Alexander Shchukin, a Russia oligarch have been caught up in the row

This article is the subject of a legal complaint by Sir Henry Bellingham MP

MI5 has launched an investigation into a Russian lobbying campaign to infiltrate British politics that received advice and support from a senior Conservative MP.

Ben Wallace, the security minister, has passed evidence to the intelligence services of an influence operation involving Sir Henry Bellingham, one of the prime minister’s official trade envoys.

The lobbyists, whose ultimate source of funding is unclear, have been urging the British authorities to take action against Alexander Shchukin, a Russian oligarch. He is under house arrest in Siberia over a string of corruption charges, but a large part of his wealth is thought to remain in the UK, out of the Russian state’s reach.

The Sunday