The UK will investigate foreign financial interference in its domestic politics. Russia accused of disinformation “on an industrial scale”
Yvette Cooper, British Foreign Secretary Photo: Jaimi Joy, PA Images / Alamy / Profimedia
The British government announced on Tuesday the launch of an independent investigation into “foreign financial interference in politics” in the United Kingdom, following the conviction for corruption of a former MEP from the pro-Brexit party UKIP, who participated in a pro-Russian influence campaign, reports AFP, taken over by Agerpres.
On November 21, Nathan Gill, MEP from 2014 to 2020, was sentenced to ten years in prison for accepting tens of thousands of pounds from a Ukrainian businessman close to the Kremlin to make pro-Russian speeches in the European Parliament and in the media between 2018 and 2019.
Nathan Gill then collaborated with Nigel Farage, also a member of the European Parliament at the time, who has now become the leader of the anti-immigration Reform UK party, which is leading in the UK polls.
Former British MEP, convicted of taking a bribe from a pro-Russian politician. “A betrayal against our country”
“The conduct of this elected official is a stain on our democracy. The independent inquiry will act to remove this stain,” said Steve Reed, the housing minister, in the House of Commons, announcing the launch of the inquiry. These events “demonstrated the need to question the effectiveness of our protection system,” he insisted.
The investigation will focus on “the effectiveness of our legislation on political financing”, on existing control mechanisms to “identify and reduce foreign interference”, on “guarantees against illicit financial flows”, as well as on “the control power of the Electoral Commission”, he explained.
“I am prepared to take whatever steps are necessary to protect British democracy against any foreign and hostile interference,” Reed added, amid tensions with Russia since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022.
Asked in Parliament, Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper accused Russia of being behind electoral disinformation operations “on an industrial scale”, mentioning the recent elections in the Republic of Moldova.
After the sentencing of Nathan Gill, Nigel Farage, who has been repeatedly accused of taking too conciliatory a position towards Moscow, said he was “stunned” by the revelations about his former colleague. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said Reform UK and Nigel Farage were “a danger to national security”.
