The new National Centre for Information Defence will tackle online lies and deepfakes damaging British interests, the Prime Minister told the United Nations.
Russia’s reaction was caught on camera (Image: UN)
Russia’s reaction was caught on camera as Andy Burnham said the UK and its allies had been subjected to an “industrial-scale assault” by hostile states, including Vladimir Putin’s country.
In his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Mr Burnham singled out Russia and pulled no punches despite their delegation sitting jus metres away.
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He said: “Russian agencies have used every means at their disposal to spread lies and disinformation and prey on people’s fear,” he said.
“They’ve used bots and fake websites. Falsified newspaper articles. 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.”
As Mr Burnham torched the country still at war with Ukraine, the camera panned to their delegation, who appeared unfazed and barely moved.
Mr Burnham added: “The Kremlin spends around £1.3 billion each year on manipulating information.
“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. And we know that AI will multiply the threat.”
“We have tiptoed around this for too long,” he said. “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.”
Mr Burnham said the UK was already helping other countries facing similar online threats.
“We have already supported Moldova 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.”
GB News star staggered as guest demands Britain be sued for slavery: ‘Insane!’
Patrick Christys lost it during a clash with an anti-racism activist.
Patrick Christys lost it on GB News (Image: GB News)
GB News star Patrick Christys was left staggered as he interviewed anti-racism activist Imran Ayton, who insisted people from the Caribbean and Africa should be paid reparations for slavery from Brits. In a painful clash on the news channel, Christys argued that his family heritage as peasants and farmers should mean he is exempt from responsibility – which Ayton disagreed with.
Dismissing white people and GB News stars as “you lot”, she fumed: “You lot like to talk about benefits – we’ve all been lied to. You talk about education; well, West Africa already had education, studied mathematics, astronomy, medicine, law, logic, philosophy, engineering, technology, 400 years before British invasion. That also adds to democracy and law, you lot like to throw that at Black people.”
Later in the conversation, Christys pointed to his own family history and argued: “You were saying there that I’ve done all of this – I haven’t done anything! None of my family have done anything! There are people in Britain right now that have not done absolutely anything for any of this stuff!
“And yet what’s going on in Caribbean schools, and you’ve just done it here, you’re teaching them that people like me and people who look like me have done all this horrendous stuff to you, when we haven’t at all!”
Ayton responded: “Britain generated wealth. Every type of industry – every organisation and institution during that time benefitted.
The pair clashed live on air (Image: GB News)
“Regions such as Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol, Yorkshire, benefitted. And industries such as finance and insurance and shipping imports and textiles, all of those jobs all benefitted. Then that wealth was trickled down. It carried on over the years, and people got to benefit.
“To this day, people that are rich, people who are loving Liverpool and London and Bristol and Yorkshire, it’s all to do with slavery!”
Responding to his claims about family history, she insisted if Christys went far back enough he would discover he was “African” – leading him to demand reparations for himself, asking: “How much am I getting, if I’m African?”