“There is a threat in every election, and indeed we see it in this election, from hostile actors seeking to influence the outcome.” of the vote, British Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said on Sky News.
British Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden warned Sunday of the risk of Russian interference in the July 4 election campaign after an Australian media outlet highlighted coordinated activity on Facebook. “There is a threat in all elections, and indeed we see it in this election, from hostile actors seeking to influence the outcome” of the vote, Oliver Dowden told Sky News. “Russia is an example of this, and it is a classic example of the Russian game.”he added, referring to an operation of “Low level”..
Australian public television ABC has identified five coordinated Facebook pages, bringing together 190,000 subscribers in total, critical of several British political parties, including Labor and the Conservatives, but sometimes supporting Nigel Farage’s anti-immigration Reform UK party. Experts interviewed by ABC saw this as the mark of a Russian influence operation. “I am not suggesting in any way that there is any kind of direct collusion.” between Russia and the leader of the anti-immigration Reform UK party, Nigel Farage, said Oliver Dowden, stressing that his remarks are “to warn” of “the threat of Russian state interference in our elections”.
A “Russian hoax”, according to the deputy prime minister
On the other hand, he criticized Nigel Farage’s recent comments suggesting that the West would have “provoked” the war in Ukraine. Asked on Sky News about fears of interference, the leader of Reform UK dismissed what he called the «canular russe»He further reiterated that the case of racist remarks towards British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak by an activist from his campaign was a “trap”. “It was an act from start to finish”, “a deliberate attempt to derail our campaign”he argued.
After withdrawing its support from three candidates for racist remarks, and asserting on Sunday during a meeting that Reform was rid of “black sheep”Nigel Farage has been faced with the defection of one of his candidates. Liam Booth-Isherwood, who was running in central England, justified his decision by denouncing the failure of the party leadership to combat racism and sexism in its ranks. He announced that he was supporting the Conservative candidate, who in his view was the only one capable of beating Labour.
Keir Starmer’s Labour Party, which is leading the polls by a wide margin, has received support from singer Elton John and the conservative newspaper Sunday Timeswho in an editorial said it was time for Labour “to be entrusted with the task of restoring competence within government”, “There comes a time when change is the only option”. In the Sunday TelegraphPrime Minister Rishi Sunak warned against “irreversible damage” what he thinks the UK risks if Labour wins, noting that there are four days left to “save the country”. “I don’t want people to give up their pensions, their finances, our borders, their security to a Labor government”Rishi Sunak told the BBC, saying it was the “choice” who is running for the British.
