Nigel Farage has accused Andy Burnham of attempting to "clamp down on free speech" over plans for a national centre for information defence. The Reform UK leader compared the new unit to the "Ministry of Truth" in George Orwell's dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, a government department that controlled information, rewrote history and spread state propaganda.
The Prime Minister has ordered security chiefs to begin work on the centre to tackle online lies and deepfakes from hostile states such as Russia.
Farage's warning on X
In a post on X, Mr Farage said: "Andy Burnham is setting up a Ministry of Truth to clamp down on free speech."
In a video, the Brexiteer added: "So, Andy Burnham's latest ruse is to launch a National Centre for Information Defence to stop disinformation. Now, of course, they're using the excuse that Russia wants to interfere with elections."
He acknowledged: "Be in no doubt, there are bots online, they come from Russia, they come from India, and elsewhere, that do try to influence our thinking, and that's not a good piece of news."
Government response
Mr Farage continued: "But, you know what will happen with this Government. Already, he's said it's to stop far-right tropes, etc. This will be like George Orwell's Ministry of Information, and this will be used to clamp down on free speech."
He added: "The one lesson I'm learning, as time goes on, whether it's funding of parties, whether it's cancelling elections, is never ever trust this authoritarian Government."
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting insisted the new unit will not be used for "policing domestic political dissent". The Cabinet minister told GB News: "One of the great things about Britain, and one of the things that I have a responsibility to defend, is the freedom and democracy that we all enjoy. And that includes the freedom to disagree, the freedom for people to challenge their government, to challenge government policy, to criticise robustly what we are doing and then to have the opportunity to choose a different government."
