Foreign Interference in UK Politics

Debate between Lord Hannan of Kingsclere and Lord Lemos

Thursday 9th July 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Lemos (Lab)]

I thank the noble Baroness for that question and I pay tribute to her long-standing work in this area. It is important that I set this out carefully, so I hope she will forgive me if I read out the precise answer. The Online Safety Act framework requires in-scope services to tackle illegal content where it amounts to a criminal offence. In an election context, for example, this includes incitement to violence, undue influence, foreign interference, false communications and false statements about a candidate’s character. Those are important powers, but we recognise—as I have already said on the question on adverts that the noble Lord, Lord Pack, raised—that today’s technological and online environment shifts and develops rapidly. That is why we are working with colleagues across government—I am very actively engaged in this myself, including with Ministers in DSIT and the Home Office—to continue to take steps to address these challenges. Your Lordships do not need me to tell them that we need to keep a close eye on this space.

[Lord Hannan of Kingsclere (Non-Afl)]

My Lords, I will take the Minister back to his answer to the noble Lord, Lord Haywood, who asked about the Minister’s fellow Old Alleynian, the coming by-election and the legal processes, and said that maybe we should hold off on the legislation until we have seen that process play out. I think I understood the Minister to say that he understood the argument and to “watch this space”, or words to that effect. Is it really proper for us to pass legislation against, or at least inspired by, a specific individual? Is not the worst kind of law that which is designed to frustrate a political opponent? Should we not be very careful, in this House particularly, of that kind of talk and legislation when the party in question, Reform UK bizarrely, despite its share of the vote at the last election, lacks any representation in this Chamber?

[Lord Lemos (Lab)]

I never say “watch this space”—it is not my style—but the serious point that the noble Lord makes is absolutely right. Of course we should not allow individual cases of that sort. This is a properly regulated space. We are strengthening that regulation. Many of these matters, particularly in relation to the other place, are for the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and the authorities in the other place. I would not seek to interfere with that in any way, but we will all read the papers, I am sure.