Russian Interference Allegations Resurface in UK Election Favoring Farage’s Reform UK, Deputy PM Reports

Alarming allegations of Russian meddling in the general election to bolster Farage's Reform

According to a report, five synchronized Facebook pages have been disseminating Kremlin narratives, some of which endorse Nigel Farage's Reform UK party.

Political correspondent @fayebrownSky

Sunday, June 30, 2024 1:23

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The Deputy Prime Minister has expressed serious concerns about allegations of Russian meddling in the general election campaign.

Oliver Dowden revealed on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips that Moscow is purportedly utilizing Facebook pages to bolster support for Nigel Farage, describing it as "a textbook case from the Russian strategy."

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The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has reported that it is tracking five synchronized Facebook pages that have been disseminating pro-Kremlin narratives, with several expressing backing for Reform UK.

Mr. Dowden expressed to Sky News, "I have been raising concerns about this issue for a while now."

"Every election faces a risk, particularly evident in this current election, where foreign state entities attempt to sway the results of the electoral campaign."

"Russia serves as a quintessential illustration, epitomizing a typical strategy employed by the country."

He mentioned that it was a "minimal use of automated systems."

Mr. Dowden previously informed The Sunday Times, "These disclosures highlight the serious threat that our democracy is confronting in this unpredictable global environment."

"Hostile international elements that support UK political parties, policies, and perspectives aligning with their interests represent yet another complication in the ever-unstable digital landscape of the 21st century. It is particularly alarming to witness this during an election campaign."

The article noted that Richard Holden, the Conservative chairman, has sent letters to both Simon Case, the cabinet secretary, and Sir Tim Barrow, the national security adviser, requesting a probe into the allegations.

Further details: Farage's address halted by a banner featuring Putin. 'It's unimaginable how many there are': Confessions of an election worker.

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ABC reports that, although the pages seemed unrelated at first glance, connections were established by analyzing the location data of the page administrators, monitoring the paid advertisements, and examining similarities or shared content across the pages.

According to the ABC, the network encompasses multiple pages with a total of 190,000 followers, all of which post critiques about various UK political parties such as the Conservatives and Labour.

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The broadcaster additionally discovered that the majority of the administrators managing each page are located in Nigeria, highlighting a notable link since past Russian online propaganda efforts were identified to have origins in Africa.

News has surfaced following Mr. Farage's controversial remarks attributing responsibility for Russia's invasion of Ukraine to Western nations and NATO, sparking significant criticism.

Mr. Farage dismissed as "nonsense" the idea that bots created by foreign governments could impact the election results, while simultaneously launching a personal critique of Mr. Dowden.

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When questioned about the deputy prime minister's remarks, he responded to Trevor Phillips, saying, "Oh, stop spouting nonsense.

"Earlier, you featured a rather uninspiring man who's apparently the deputy prime minister, yet he's virtually unknown. He was there claiming, 'oh, there are Russian bots involved'."

"Wait a minute, did you inquire about the amount of money, running into millions of pounds, that his party has received from Russian entities in recent years?

"This is the fabricated story about Russia."

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Mr. Farage proceeded to characterize Russian President Vladimir Putin as an "extremely dangerous" individual.

"He expressed strong disapproval of his actions in Ukraine, stating, 'I completely and absolutely despise them.'"

"I had foresight. I anticipated this situation."

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