MP calls for statutory inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics
A Gloucestershire MP is calling for a statutory inquiry into Russian interference in UK politics.
The calls from Tewkesbury MP Cameron Thomas come as the full extent of the knock-on effect of a cyber attack on Gloucester City Council in 2021 was revealed last month.
The cyber attack, which has been linked to Russian hackers, severely disrupted council services and led to significant financial impacts, forcing manual accounting and delaying audits which would go on to reveal multi-million overspends.
And in November, Reform UK’s former leader in Wales, Nathan Gill, was jailed for taking Russian bribes to make pro-Kremlin statements while serving as a UKIP Member of the European Parliament.
Mr Thomas believes such examples are reasons why a statutory inquiry into Russian influence on British politics is needed.
The Liberal Democrat MP, who served with the Royal Air Force in the field of security for over two decades, says he is well acquainted with Russian hybrid-warfare, which incorporates cyber attacks, disinformation and political interference to undermine western democracies.
“Though the circumstances at Gloucester City Council are unlikely to become national news, it serves as a local reminder that the Russian war in Ukraine is far closer to home than we might like to think,” Mr Thomas said.
“Russia observes and tests our national resilience on a daily basis; all such activity is connected, and is conducted methodically against the United Kingdom and our European allies.”
Mr Thomas believes it is imperative that the public is made aware of the extent of foreign interference and influence on the UK’s institutions and political parties.
“War between Russia and western democracies is closer now than it ever was during the Cold War,” he said.
“We must fully understand the level of foreign interference, influence and infiltration within our political parties and institutions.
“Nothing less than a full statutory inquiry will suffice. Nothing less will bring the scale of malign activity into the light, and it is crucial that we see the results before the next General Election.”
The Government says it will not tolerate any attempts to interfere with the UK’s democracy and the country’s sovereign affairs.
And a new plan to counter spying and political interference is being rolled out to detect and deter such threats.
An independent review into foreign financial interference in UK politics has also been commissioned.
A Government spokesperson said: ”National security is our first duty, and as Ministers have set out, we won’t tolerate any attempts to interfere in our democracy and sovereign affairs.
“The government’s new Counter Political Interference and Espionage Action Plan that will see a range of measures introduced to detect and deter state threats including security briefings for political parties, work with professional networking sites to make them a more hostile operating environment for spies, and tighter rules on political donations through a new Elections Bill.
“We have also commissioned an independent review into foreign financial interference in UK politics, led by former Permanent Secretary Philip Rycroft, which will report by the end of March.”