Foreign Interference in UK Democratic Processes

Baroness Winterton of Doncaster Excerpts

Wednesday 17th June 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

The noble Lord raises a genuinely important point. The responsibility of every Government is to make sure that we keep all our citizens safe. We have seen significant state-based interference, both violent and online, in our democratic space. But rest assured that the Government keep these issues under review every day.

[Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Lab)]

My Lords, I was an OSCE observer last week at the elections in Armenia. Initial reports show that, although there was significant Russian interference, particularly on social media, its effect was mitigated because there was a very effective public education campaign. Will my noble friend the Minister therefore look at what this Government can do to educate the public about the dangers of foreign interference and the difference between information and misinformation from foreign sources?

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend for her work in Armenia. What has come to light is extraordinary, although I have been reassured that, even with all those efforts, the Russian-supporting political party got only 17.5% of the vote. Obviously, we work closely with all our partners across all our allies to make sure that we learn best practice and share best practice where appropriate, and we will continue to do so. But each and every one of us also has a responsibility in this space to protect the democratic values we hold so dear.