
Digital Barbecues
01/07/25 • 37 min
With seemingly little interest from MI5 in Sergei’s concerns around what he believes to be an illegal offer of Russian funds into the Conservative party, he looks for other ways to raise the alarm. And after the success of the Conservative Friends of Russia launch party, the Russian embassy opens up a new charm offensive, inviting bloggers and social media specialists to ‘digital barbecues’ within their sumptuous surroundings. Insider, Steve Lacey, takes us on his journey down the rabbit hole of Russian propaganda.
Episodes drop weekly!
A Project Citizen & The Citizens production
To find out more about the story and issues it raises visit www.the-citizens.com
Presented by: Carole Cadwalladr and Peter Jukes
Written by: Carole Cadwalladr and Peter Jukes with Ruth Abrahams
Producer and Sound Design: Ruth Abrahams
Studio Producer: Sean Byrne Roberts
Location Producers: Sheridan Flynn and Manasa Narayanan
Original Music: Phil Channell
Mixed: Nigel Appleton
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With seemingly little interest from MI5 in Sergei’s concerns around what he believes to be an illegal offer of Russian funds into the Conservative party, he looks for other ways to raise the alarm. And after the success of the Conservative Friends of Russia launch party, the Russian embassy opens up a new charm offensive, inviting bloggers and social media specialists to ‘digital barbecues’ within their sumptuous surroundings. Insider, Steve Lacey, takes us on his journey down the rabbit hole of Russian propaganda.
Episodes drop weekly!
A Project Citizen & The Citizens production
To find out more about the story and issues it raises visit www.the-citizens.com
Presented by: Carole Cadwalladr and Peter Jukes
Written by: Carole Cadwalladr and Peter Jukes with Ruth Abrahams
Producer and Sound Design: Ruth Abrahams
Studio Producer: Sean Byrne Roberts
Location Producers: Sheridan Flynn and Manasa Narayanan
Original Music: Phil Channell
Mixed: Nigel Appleton
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Previous Episode

A Party at the Embassy
Sergei Cristo starts making enquiries into the mysterious new diplomat whose conversation over tea at the Carlton club has raised red flags. And what his friends, Marina Litvinenko and Oleg Gordievsky, tell him only increases his anxiety. Meanwhile, a new organisation launches - Conservative Friends of Russia - at the gardens of the Russian Embassy in London, just days after members of Pussy Riot are imprisoned in Moscow.
Episodes drop weekly!
A Project Citizen & The Citizens production.
To find out more about the story and issues it raises visit www.the-citizens.com
Presented by: Carole Cadwalladr and Peter Jukes
Written by: Carole Cadwalladr and Peter Jukes with Ruth Abrahams
Producer and Sound Design: Ruth Abrahams
Studio Producer: Sean Byrne Roberts
Location Producers: Sheridan Flynn and Manasa Narayanan
Original Music: Phil Channell
Mixed: Nigel Appleton
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Next Episode

Question Everything
It’s now 2013 and a new organisation has risen from the ashes of the disgraced Conservative Friends of Russia - the Westminster Russia Forum. This time the launch is on the House of Commons riverside terrace. Russia Today is booming, experimenting with new ways to reach new audiences through packaging up content for online viral hits. Its tagline is question everything. Marina Litvinenko is dismayed when the government rejects her call for a public inquiry into her husband’s fatal poisoning. And in Ukraine, there’s an uprising in Kyiv - the Maidan - a fight to defend a pro-EU, pro-Western future. Months later Russia invades Crimea. Meanwhile, the chatty Russian diplomat who first met Sergei at the Carlton club is socialising across the capital. Has anyone paid any attention to the warnings of Sergei Cristo?
Episodes drop weekly!
A Project Citizen production
To find out more about the story and issues it raises visit www.the-citizens.com
Presented by: Carole Cadwalladr and Peter Jukes
Written by: Carole Cadwalladr and Peter Jukes
Producer and Sound Design: Ruth Abrahams
Studio Producer: Sean Byrne Roberts
Location Producers: Sheridan Flynn and Manasa Narayanan
Original Music: Phil Channell
Mixed: Nigel Appleton
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/sergei-and-the-westminster-spy-ring-46092/digital-barbecues-81273456"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to digital barbecues on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy