A former MI6 chief has raised alarms over possible Russian involvement in recent UK far-right riots, hinting that prominent figures like Nigel Farage and Tommy Robinson could be under investigation. Here’s the full story.
Online Disinformation Ignites Violence
Following the tragic stabbing attack in Southport, the UK experienced a surge in far-right extremist violence, which was ignited by disinformation propagated online concerning the religion and asylum status of the attacker.
Racist Riots and Arson
The riots which followed the attack had racist motivations, with the far-right attacking mosques and ethnic minorities and setting fire to a hotel which housed asylum seekers, who were inside when the building was set ablaze.
False Narrative Triggered Unrest
The false narrative that a Muslim asylum seeker was responsible for the attack has been identified as a critical trigger for the unrest, leading to widespread concern about the role of social media in spreading misinformation, mainly when it appears that some of the rumours started online were part of a foreign interference campaign originating in Russia.
Russian Involvement “Clear”
Christopher Steele, the former head of the MI6 Russia desk known for his controversial 2016 opposition research dossier on former President and convicted felon Donald Trump’s connections with Russia, has suggested that there is “clear” Russian involvement in the far-right riots.
Steele’s Concerns on Disinformation
In an interview with Times Radio, Steele stated, “I think it’s clear there is some Russian involvement. The degree to which that’s happened and the effectiveness I think is still out for question. I mean, when you look at the original disinformation that surrounded the Southport killings, that does seem to have come from a Russian-linked website.”
Russia’s Interest in Destabilisation
He added, “It’s in very much Russia’s interest to destabilise countries like Britain and the United States.”
Anti-Immigrant Lies Spread
Ironically, the Daily Mail, arguably one of the UK’s most staunchly anti-immigrant newspapers, first reported a supposed news outlet named ‘Channel3 Now’ had falsely reported that the suspect was an asylum seeker named Ali Al Shakati, who was allegedly on the MI6 watchlist, was behind the attack.
The Real Attacker Revealed
This was a lie. The suspected attacker was Axel Rudakubana, born to Rwandan parents in Cardiff, Wales. However, despite this, far-right influencers, grifters and agitators like Andrew Tate and Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon, amplified the post on social media.
Investigations Into Far-Right Figures
Steele suggested that the UK’s security services would likely “be looking very carefully at the instigators of these activities, including people like Tommy Robinson, even conceivably Nigel Farage, who incidentally said that we were being misinformed by the government about Southport.”
Far-Right Agitators Amplify Lies
Following the attacks in Southport, Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon, and other far-right agitators and social media personalities like Andrew Tate amplified the disinformation published by Channel3 Now in posts that were viewed millions of times.
Farage Fuels Conspiracy Theories
During the early days of the rioting, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage posted a video of himself flanked by Union Jacks on X, formerly Twitter, where he amplified some online misinformation, stating, “Was this guy being monitored by the security services? Some reports say he was, others less sure … I just wonder whether the truth is being withheld from us.”
Farage Promotes “Two-Tier Policing” Myth
However, Farage’s rhetoric did not stop there. As the riots continued to spread, he repeatedly invoked the concept of “two-tier policing,” a far-right conspiracy theory which suggests that authorities give preferential treatment to left-wing and ethnic minority protesters over far-right or anti-immigrant protesters.
Security Services Investigate Connections
Steele noted, “Now, whether Nigel Farage in the end is defined as an instigator of this, I don’t know.”
Uncovering the Russian Links
However, he suggested that the security services would investigate further to find out exactly how far down the rabbit hole goes, adding, “They’ll be looking at things like their travel movements, who they’ve been in touch with, monetary transfers, and so on, because that will reveal or not, as the case may be, a pattern of behaviour, which can lead to some conclusions about the degree to which Russia has been interfering in this situation.”
Pressure to Strengthen Online Safety Act
As investigations into the far-right riots and potential Russian involvement continue, the UK government is facing growing pressure to strengthen the Online Safety Act, which was intended to hold social media companies accountable for content inciting violence or terrorism.
Khan Criticises Online Safety Act
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has already criticised the Act as being “not fit for purpose,” and the potential for Russian state involvement in the spread of misinformation will only make the calls for investigations into the causes of the sudden escalation in far-right violence harder for the government to ignore.
Government’s Next Steps Unclear
However, with the government currently focused on making sure the perpetrators of street violence are brought to justice, it remains to be seen what its next steps to tackle the virus of online disinformation will be.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Thomas Dutour.
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