New UK agency to fight ‘information warfare’ from likes of Russia, Burnham tells UN

Security chiefs will set up a new national centre to tackle disinformation and deepfakes from hostile states such as Russia, Andy Burnham has announced, saying the government had a duty to “stem the poisonous tide” from damaging British interests.

The National Centre for Information Defence will “detect, attribute and disrupt” information attacks by foreign powers, many of which are enabled by AI, bringing together the intelligence agencies, law enforcement and social media companies.

It will be tasked with making sure the UK has the defensive capability necessary to combat information warfare and build national resilience by helping communities to identify and combat disinformation, preventing a “distorted and untrue” narrative about the UK.

Burnham said the country would have to go into the next decade “eyes wide open” about “insidious” campaigns, many of which had been orchestrated by Russia, which “twisted” what people at home felt about their own country and community.

In eye-catching remarks, the prime minister suggested that Britons who were struggling with the cost of living and young people not in education, training or employment may be particularly susceptible to foreign influence online, underlining how inequality further undermined society.

In his speech to the UN in New York on Tuesday night, Burnham said: “We’re talking about an insidious campaign that reaches into people’s homes and twists what they feel about their own country and community – creating a narrative of decline, stoking division and sowing despair.

“On top of that, we have seen cyber-attacks on our companies and institutions. We know that AI will multiply the threat. We have tiptoed around this for too long. Over the last decade we have given too much ground to those who want to run a negative, corrosive narrative about life in Britain, which bears no resemblance to reality. Well, no more.

“We are going to face the new decade in a different way – with our eyes wide open. We are going to be much prouder in standing up for our values and the rule of law. And we are going to help our people to strengthen their resilience – because, faced with this information warfare, security starts in every home.”

Burnham’s speech came after Donald Trump – during a press conference at the UN with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy – said that Keir Starmer’s rhetoric had been “too tough” towards Moscow and that London “needs to be a little bit careful”.

Downing Street pushed back on the US president’s remarks, saying that every UK prime minister – up to and including Burnham – had been consistent in the view that Russia’s threats, whether hybrid attacks or rhetoric, were “egregious and unacceptable”.

“The UK is united with our allies on the importance of defending ourselves, and Russia’s aggression will not deter us from supporting Ukraine,” the prime minister’s official spokesperson added.

In his speech, Burnham singled out Russia, saying the Kremlin spent around £1.3bn each year on manipulating information.

“Russian agencies have used every means at their disposal to spread lies and disinformation and prey on people’s fears. They’ve used bots and fake websites. Falsified newspaper articles,” he said.

“Forged the branding of 28 British organisations – including universities and the BBC. They’ve amplified far-right narratives. And we have evidence that they tried to interfere with the 2019 general election.

“We also know that they have tried to stoke tensions and unrest in the wake of horrific events. The idea that anyone would try to use such things to their advantage is just repulsive – but it is what they do.”

The prime minister suggested that certain groups of people who felt their own lives were not improving may be more vulnerable to disinformation and deepfakes.

“If you’re struggling with the cost of living and your life is not improving – or if you’re a young person not in employment, education or training – then you are going to be much more vulnerable to this kind of influence,” he said.

“So part of the challenge is to lift our people up and create the opportunities they need. When inequalities grow too wide, our societies are at greater risk. So we will work to make life more affordable. And we will put in place the architecture we need to stem this poisonous tide.”

The UK plans to share its experience of being on the receiving end of information attack with other countries, and has already supported Moldova, for example, to protect its elections from Russian interference.

“As more elections approach across Europe, more nations are grappling with these issues – some for the first time. So we’re ready to share our understanding of how these actors work, and how we can respond – because this is vital for our collective security and resilience,” Burnham added.