UK defence secretary says information unit will not police dissent
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said a planned UK information-defence unit would not target domestic political dissent. The proposal, announced by Andy Burnham, is intended to counter hostile information activity and corrosive narratives, while the government says citizens must retain the right to criticise policy and choose another government.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has said a planned UK information-defence unit will not be used to police domestic political dissent, The Guardian reports. Streeting told GB News that the government was not interested in policing disagreement within Britain. His comments followed Andy Burnham’s announcement of a National Centre for Information Defence.
Burnham said the centre was needed because Britain had given too much ground to people promoting what he described as a negative and corrosive narrative about life in the country. He also referred to hostile actors, including Russian agencies, using disinformation and exploiting public fears. The supplied material says the initiative is intended to protect the information environment while preserving the freedom to disagree, challenge government policy and criticise ministers.
It does not explain the centre’s structure, powers or launch date. Nor does it provide detail on how officials would distinguish hostile disinformation from legitimate political debate.
This independently written report is based on information supplied by the named publisher. Vertrix News has not independently verified the source report.