Labour's deputy leader, Lucy Powell, has accused Reform UK of destabilising British democracy by spreading divisive material amplified by bots and troll farms. In an article and interview, she called for tougher laws on social media giants to tackle misinformation, arguing the online space is 'open to wealthy individuals and bad state actors'.
Powell highlighted multimillion-pound donations bolstering Reform's election war chest, saying the party's exploitation of online algorithms was well documented. She said the law should be strengthened to tackle the 'scourge of dis- and misinformation which is ripping communities apart'.
A Reform spokesperson dismissed Powell's claims as 'completely untrue', calling her a 'conspiracy theorist desperately trying to distract from a failing Labour government'. They added: 'Rather than smearing voters and demanding more state censorship, Labour should focus on fixing the messes they've created.'
Powell's intervention comes as MPs push for tighter regulation in the forthcoming representation of the people bill. She told the Guardian: 'The spread of mis- and disinformation is a real and present danger to our democracy.' The government's elections bill will bring in votes at 16, ban cryptocurrency donations, and cap overseas donations, but campaigners say it does not go far enough.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the government was considering more action to halt misinformation during public crises like riots. She pointed to a parliamentary committee report calling for Ofcom to implement 'crisis response protocols'. However, Powell urged more decisive action, describing the lack of regulation as a 'fundamental threat to our democracy'.
