* UK-U.S. trade documents were leaked last month
* Reddit believes Russian campaign behind the leak
* UK fears attempt to influence the Dec. 12 election
* British spies investigating the matter
By Michael Holden
LONDON, Dec 7 (Reuters) - The leak of classified UK-U.S.
trade documents online, tied to a previous Russian
disinformation campaign, has all the hallmarks of an attempt to
interfere in Britain's upcoming election, a British minister
said on Saturday.
The opposition Labour Party says the leaked documents show
the ruling Conservatives are plotting to offer the state-run
National Health Service (NHS) for sale in post-Brexit trade
talks with Washington.
The NHS, much loved by Britons, has become a major issue in
campaigning for the Dec. 12 election, polls ahead of which show
Labour trailing the Conservatives.
On Friday, social media site Reddit it believed the
documents had been leaked by a campaign that originated in
Russia, fuelling fears that Moscow was seeking to interfere in
Britain's election.
"I understand from what was being put on that website that
those who seem to know about these things say it seems to have
all the hallmarks of some form of interference," culture
minister Nicky Morgan told BBC radio.
"If that is the case, that is extremely serious. One of the
things we are looking for and monitoring is any interference in
our elections, that is a serious, serious matter."
Researchers told Reuters on Monday that the way the
documents were first shared on Reddit and then promoted online
closely resembled a disinformation campaign uncovered earlier
this year which originated in Russia.
A Labour spokesman declined to comment on how the party
obtained the leaked documents or ties to the Russian campaign,
and said its decision to publish them on Nov. 27 was in the
public interest. The documents contain 451 pages detailing six
meetings between U.S. and British officials to discuss trade and
investment since July 2017.
Britain has previously accused Russia of meddling or trying
to interfere in western elections, accusations repeatedly denied
by Moscow. Officials in Moscow were not immediately available
for comment on the latest incident.
The British parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee
(ISC) has carried out an inquiry into allegations of Russian
activity aimed at the United Kingdom, including in the 2016
referendum on EU membership, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson
declined to publish its report before the election.
The government says there has been no successful attempt to
meddle in British elections but critics said Johnson had sat on
it because it might contain embarrassing revelations about his
Conservative Party's links.
"If we want to get to the bottom of the extent to which the
Russian state interferes in elections, can we please publish the
Intelligence and Security committee report," Labour transport
spokesman Andy McDonald told BBC radio.
The government said in a statement it was "already looking
into the matter" with support from the National Cyber Security
Centre, part of the GCHQ signals intelligence agency.
Britain's security agencies have warned that Russia and
other countries may try to disrupt next week's election --
called by Johnson to try to break the Brexit deadlock in
parliament -- with cyberattacks or divisive political messages
on social media.
(Additional reporting by Jack Stubbs; Editing by Catherine
Evans)