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The chair of a leading all-party group on corruption has sounded the alarm again over “hostile foreign states” undermining British democracy, in the wake of this month’s racist riots.
Experts warn of gaping holes in Britain’s social media rules as well as the political funding system, which relies on big private donations.
Joe Powell MP, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Anti-Corruption & Responsible Tax, told Byline Times: “We know that hostile foreign states are relentlessly seeking to undermine our democracy and stoke division in our society, so we’ve got to be more vigilant than ever, especially when trust in politics is so low.”
The warning follows the weeks of racist riots in England, which some believe were amplified by Russian-operated ‘bot farms’ promoting divisive misinformation on social media platforms such as X.
Powell also pointed the finger at potential foreign influence on UK political parties, saying: “Protecting the integrity of our politics, and particularly our elections, should be an absolute priority. To do this we need a watchdog with teeth.”
Calling for the Government to beef up the elections watchdog, he added: “The Electoral Commission must be equipped to ensure that dirty money is not polluting our politics, and that those parties who fail to play by the rules are held to account.”
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On August 1st, Alex Norris, under-secretary in the Ministry for Local Government, told the Commons that the new Government was “committed to strengthening our democracy, upholding the integrity of elections and encouraging wide participation in the democratic process.”
And he hinted at tougher rules on political donations, which are often seen as an ‘easy’ way into influencing politics due to the lack of regulations and enforcement. “The Government also recognises the threat posed by malign actors who seek to interfere in UK elections by hiding the true source of funding behind political donations. We will therefore act to strengthen protections against foreign interference in our political finance framework,” Norris said.
“Any changes to electoral law will require careful consideration and consultation, including a review of the General Election by the Electoral Commission,” the Labour frontbencher added.
His comments were welcomed by George Havenhand, Senior Legal Researcher at Spotlight on Corruption, but he called for “prompt and robust action…if they are to realise that ambition and restore public trust in politics.”
Experts are calling for urgent reforms to close loopholes that allow dirty money to seep into British politics. Rose Whiffen, Senior Research Officer at Transparency International UK, warned: “There are still too many loopholes in our political financing rules which allow money of unknown provenance, potentially from overseas, to enter our democratic system.”
‘Why the Online Safety Act Won’t Stop Type of Misinformation that Sparked Riots – the Government Must Create New Legislation’
When the riots stopped conversation moved to the Online Safety Act with suggestions changes would be made ‘if necessary’. Prime Minister Keir Starmer also pledged to ‘look more broadly’ at social media
The last Government was criticised for failing to give the Electoral Commission, Britain’s election watchdog, the necessary powers to tackle threats to democracy effectively.
Powell added: “The Electoral Commission must be equipped to ensure that dirty money is not polluting our politics, and that those parties who fail to play by the rules are held to account.”
And Havenhand of Spotlight on Corruption stressed the need for “increasing the powers and independence of the Electoral Commission, requiring parties to identify the true source of donations and strengthening the rules around donations by companies and unincorporated associations.”
But another security expert told Byline Times that blame for England’s racist riots this past month lies in large part with homegrown racist figures as well as those in the US – rather than foreign actors.
Tom Keatinge, Director of the Royal United Services Institute’s Centre for Finance and Security, was speaking amid fears of hostile state actors having played a role in fomenting the violent unrest against minority communities earlier this month.
“It is easy to blame ‘hostile states’, and whilst bot farms in places like Russia might fan these flames, it is perhaps more important to zoom in on those from partner states – like the US – and from our own shores (like [Tommy Robinson]) that take advantage of their social media following, and the lax approach taken by some of these platforms,” Keatinge said.
A Government spokesperson told this outlet: “It is, and always will be, an absolute priority to protect the UK against foreign interference.”
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The official noted that the Government remained committed to a promised new Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, effectively a register of organisations and lobbyists working on behalf of foreign powers.
The Government said the scheme “will further strengthen our national security whilst maintaining the UK as an international hub for business.” However, Government officials refused to give a timetable for its implementation.
In July, the Home Secretary chaired a meeting of the Defending Democracy Taskforce, during which it was discussed how political intimidation and harassment has no place in our society. The Taskforce will drive a whole of government response to the full range of threats to our democracy.
The Taskforce aims to “protect the democratic integrity of the UK from threats of foreign influence” – and ensure the safety of people involved in the political process.
Tom Keatinge dubbed the body an “enigma”, adding there is “little – if any – information published on its work.”
“We would certainly welcome a more open agenda that engages with the full range of issues that threaten UK democracy, including the greater scrutiny of and control on funding of political parties and campaigns.”
A letter by a key parliamentary security committee, to then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on May 24th, raised a series of concerns regarding the threats and risks to democracy surrounding July’s election.
Last year, the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre said that the UK Government “is almost certain that Russian actors sought to interfere in the 2019 general elections”, and that we could “expect to see the integrity of our systems tested again” during this election year.
While there has been no substantive evidence of foreign interference in this year’s General Election, many of the looproles raised by the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy remain unclosed.
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The Committee’s inquiry into Defending Democracy was launched in February to examine UK preparedness for a national election in a year when record numbers of people, including in Europe, the UK, the USA, and India, are expected to go to the polls.
Asked if he thought the Government would act against the risks of foreign interference in UK politics, RUSI’s Keatinge added: “Whilst I would like to hope that is the case, the King’s Speech perhaps suggests that issues related to the economy, society and rule of law are likely to be prioritised in the near term.
“That said, supporting and strengthening the Electoral Commission, and respecting its recommendations should be prioritised.”
Pressure has been mounting for the Government to implement the new Online Safety Act, which has not yet fully come into force. It puts new duties on social media firms to remove illicit hate speech and other illegal content.
The Government says it is working closely with Ofcom to have the regime operational “as soon as possible”.
One fundamental way of bolstering UK democracy and its integrity sounds fiendishly simple. Keatinge said: “The government should truly enforce and uphold standards in public life.”
On Wednesday, the Democracy for Sale substack reported: “A well-placed source told me that Labour decided not to propose a cap on [party] political donations after a backlash from party donors.”
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