The heads of Britain’s leading intelligence agencies held an unprecedented briefing for representatives of all UK political parties, warning of the threats of foreign interference in the country’s democratic processes.
According to the Cabinet Office, MI5 Director Ken McCallum and National Cyber Security Centre Chief Richard Horne met with party representatives last week. During the meeting, they discussed the main methods used by foreign actors to influence British politics.
Among the threats listed were:
covert funding and donations disguised as investments;
attempts at blackmail and coercion;
so-called ‘honey traps’ scenarios of sexual seduction with the aim of subsequent compromise.
The security services emphasised that foreign players mask their true intentions by using financial instruments and personal connections to gain access to sensitive information and influence political decisions.
This is the first joint event of this level in history aimed specifically at protecting the party system from external interference. The briefing comes amid growing concerns about the vulnerability of British democracy amid geopolitical tensions.
Officials have not yet named specific countries as sources of threats, but in recent years MI5 has repeatedly pointed to the activities of China, Russia and Iran in attempting to influence British politicians and parliament.
It is expected that after the briefing, the parties will receive additional recommendations and materials on how to recognise and counter such methods of interference.