The head of MI5 has warned that Brexit debates could fuel Moscow propaganda as intelligence chiefs prepare for years of hostile activity, online manipulation and growing threats to Britain's cohesion. Sir Ken McCallum has warned that the UK is in a “new era of national security” in which protecting the nation will not only mean defending its borders, but keeping society intact.
Hostile states exploiting divisions
Sir Ken McCallum explained the threats facing the UK, warning that hostile states are exploiting social divisions, weaponising online friction and seeking to turn communities against one another. The warning comes as debates in Government over Russian interference in the 2016 Brexit referendum risks reopening Brexit debates, which Sir Ken McCallum believes could benefit Moscow.
While the MI5 boss recognised that Russian media had “come in pretty strongly around the time of the referendum,” he explained what truly matters is whether the efforts to influence the vote evidently had an impact on the result. “There is a really important difference between interference attempted, and outcome swayed,” he said. “It's quite important to focus on the difference between what may have been attempted and what actually resulted.”
PM's claims on Russian interference
It comes after Prime Minister Andy Burnham made claims that Russia had interfered in the referendum. Speaking on The Rest Is Politics podcast, Mr Burnham said he had asked upon arriving in Downing Street whether Russia had interfered in the 2016 vote. “I've had the clear answer that, yes, there was,” he said, adding that putting the issue on the record could help voters in countries such as Germany and France understand how hostile states might seek to influence their politics.
Warning on trolls and community cohesion
Sir Ken McCallum also warned about the conflicts dominating the national conversation, saying that “the Russian trolls who didn't appear to do all that much at various points over the years, they'll be delighted they're front page news once again,” if the Government continues going back and forth on the topic. He urges that Britain avoid making the rolls “look 10 feet tall”, and explained that “the cohesion and confidence of our communities has become a national security front line”.
He added: “Those who mean us harm are trying — often with a helping hand from polarising algorithms — to divide our communities and turn us against one another.”
