Exceptional investigation work by journalist Carole Cadwalladr exposed the wide reaching implications of foreign interference during the EU referendum.
The referendum proved that the Electoral Commission’s tools for monitoring cyber manipulation are obsolete. I outlined these concerns back in April. There is powerful evidence that our electoral system remains more vulnerable than it has been at any time since 1880.
In Business Questions today the issue was raised, once again, with the Leader of the House of Commons.
· Mr Ben Bradshaw (Exeter) (Lab)
Has the Leader of the House seen the very worrying series of openDemocracy reports this week on the role of dark money in the EU referendum, including revelations of illegal donations to the Democratic Unionist party and new questions today over the real wealth of Arron Banks, the main financial backer of Leave.EU? Given the widespread public concern about foreign, particularly Russian, interference in western democracies, will she assure the House that the Government and the Electoral Commission will examine these reports very carefully, and reassure our country that all the resources spent during the referendum were from permissible sources?
· Andrea Leadsom
The right hon. Gentleman raises an incredibly important point. Of course, any specific information should always be raised with the Electoral Commission to ensure that any wrongdoing is caught. I absolutely share his concern that we need to make sure that all donations are indeed permissible and legal.
While I am sure the answer was given in good faith, the answer the Leader of the House gave to my right hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr Bradshaw) is untrue. The Electoral Commission has confessed that it has no mechanisms to find out whether there has been interference by cyber-techniques from Russia, by botnets and by artificial intelligence. These methods of distorting and buying elections have come in since the rules for the Electoral Commission were laid down. We must look seriously at this issue. I recommend the Leader of the House reads the journalism of Carole Cadwalladr, who has named precisely the organisations that may well have rigged the result of the referendum, because we know it is in Russia’s interests to destabilise Europe.
Just to be very clear to the hon. Gentleman, I was not suggesting that the Electoral Commission should investigate; I was merely saying that information should be reported to the Electoral Commission, as indeed it has been in all areas of fraud, misuse of voting and so on. The Electoral Commission should then be in a position to bring in the legal and police services, should it decide there is a case to answer. It is very important that as much evidence as possible is brought forward and not just left as rumours and accusations. These things need to be investigated properly to make sure our electoral system remains as free and fair as we all hope it is today.
I feel this is a dangerous road to tread insofar as it can be said 'this is fake news', or 'this is promoted by foreign interests'. It's happened in America to some extent. So the baby of our own interests is thrown out with the bathwater, done so because they can point the finger. You are against Trump, I humbly suggest that you are on the right track.
Are you right though? I don't feel it is upon us to prove our integrity. Anyone accusing others of Russian influence or being some sort of stooge is an idiot. Why? Every country seeks through it's various apparatus to influence others to its own advantage: hard, soft or clandestine. The whole thing seems extra-judicial. Lets not walk into a trap.
If arguments are right, let them stand. If they are ludicrous, let them fall. Let that be what guides us. In other words, government pronouncements and self aggrandising sods can get to the back of the line with the rest of us. Let there be open argument, its the duty of serious people to take things seriously.
Perhaps looking less to established institutions for guidance and correct positions and instead taking notice of our own attitudes. Sure, it might be the more difficult route, then again, why waste people's time?
I see Russian propaganda as less of an issue than the atrocious, venal lack of principles from governments and leaders. I have seen this from the mainstream parties in my lifetime.
Posted by: Ad | October 20, 2017 at 12:20 AM