PM announces National Centre for Information Defence amid Brexit interference row

The Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has announced a new National Centre for Information Defence, promising that it will be publicly accountable and scrutinised by Parliament. He told MPs the centre would help Britain face information threats and correct past failures to investigate foreign interference in UK democracy.

Mr Burnham cited the 2020 Intelligence and Security Committee report, which he said found the previous government failed to seek evidence of potential interference in democratic processes. He said: 'We will not make those mistakes in the next decade as were made in the last.' He also assured the chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee that the new centre would be scrutinised by Parliament and her committee.

The announcement came during a Commons statement that ranged across EU relations, Russian interference and foreign policy. Mr Burnham said it would be a dereliction of duty not to seek closer ties with the European Union and that Brexit had done more harm than good. He confirmed a UK-EU summit in Brussels on 20 November, where he wants progress on food and drink trade, emissions trading, energy cooperation, a youth experience scheme and deeper cooperation on immigration. He said the status quo was not good enough, but also said Labour's manifesto red lines meant no return to the customs union, single market or freedom of movement before a general election. Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, said the EU would be tough negotiators and accused him of revealing his negotiating hand. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey urged him to drop the red lines and open talks on the single market and customs union.

On Russian interference, Mr Burnham had said in an interview with The Rest Is Politics podcast that he asked on entering Downing Street whether Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum and was given a clear answer that it had. Downing Street later clarified that he believed the referendum result was legitimate and that Russian attempts had not succeeded. In the Commons, he said Russian actors sought to interfere in the 2019 general election and that it was 'inconceivable' this was the first time. He denied implying the referendum result was illegitimate. The Liberal Democrats asked him to publish all evidence of interference in UK votes. Boris Johnson, who was foreign secretary after the referendum, said he had asked the same question and was told there was no evidence of successful interference. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called Mr Burnham a liar. Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty said Russia had attempted to interfere but had not succeeded, and warned that other countries also try to destabilise democratic processes. Emily Thornberry, chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, cited evidence of attempted interference, including Russian-linked social media accounts and tweets around the referendum. Sergei Markov, a former Putin spokesman, denied any Russian interference.

The Commons session also covered other foreign policy issues. Mr Burnham said the incident at RAF Fairford was highly likely to have been coordinated by Iran and almost certainly directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard. The UK summoned Iran's ambassador and announced further sanctions. On Ukraine, the Prime Minister said he had called President Zelensky and that the UK would continue to support Ukraine and press Russia, after Ukrainian officials said Russian strikes on energy facilities continued despite a proposed energy ceasefire.