LONDON: The UK is taking threats of foreign interference elections expected later this year “very seriously”, the defence minister said on Sunday, after a warning from a counter-terrorism official.

“Obviously, that’s something that we take very seriously,” Shapps told the Sky News channel.

Counter-terrorism bodies and other institutions would “be looking very carefully at that”, he said.

UK counter-terrorism chief Matt Jukes said Friday that the espionage threat from foreign states — such as China, Russia and Iran — is greater now than it has been “since the days of the Cold War”.

He said the police had set up a new unit to counter the threats of interference ahead of the election, which is expected to be called later this year. “We are talking about parts of the state apparatus of Iran, China and Russia,” Jukes said.

A report by US software company Microsoft in November last year said Russia, Iran and China were likely to engage in sophisticated influence and interference efforts before the 2024 US election and other polls.

All three countries were expected to seek to shape geopolitical outcomes in their favour amid major ongoing or potential regional conflicts, the report said.

Interference bids are likely to take place on online platforms than those targeted in 2016 and 2020 polls.

The counter-terrorism chief also warned that conflict in the Middle East had led to a surge in Islamist activity and that the UK was facing “a radicalisation moment”.

He said there had been a 25 per cent increase in information flowing through police systems about terrorism and violent extremism.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2024