Andy Burnham has accused Russia of exploiting the divisions left by Brexit to deepen political and social fractures in Britain, while announcing a new national body to counter hostile information campaigns.
The prime minister revealed plans for the National Centre for Information Defence at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday 23 September 2026. The centre will coordinate efforts to identify and resist foreign interference in Britain’s information environment.
Burnham told world leaders that the UK and its partners had faced an “industrial-scale assault” by hostile states, with Russia using public anxiety as a weapon.
“In recent years we have seen an industrial-scale assault by hostile actors on the information environment in the UK and many of our allies. Russian agencies have used every means at their disposal to spread lies and disinformation and prey on people’s fears.”
Brexit as a warning for democratic resilience
Burnham said Britain’s experience over the past decade offered a stark lesson for other democracies. He argued that foreign interference becomes more effective when it attaches itself to existing grievances, mistrust and uncertainty.
“It is now ten years since Brexit, my country has lived through the destruction, and it has given us a unique perspective that I want to share with you today,”
He said the UK would use what it had learned to help allies facing similar pressure. The government’s concern is not confined to elections. Disinformation can also inflame public disorder, undermine confidence in institutions and distort citizens’ understanding of major events.
Burnham alleged that agencies linked to Vladimir Putin interfered in the 2019 general election and produced false newspaper articles. He said there is evidence of attempts to influence that contest using documents obtained illicitly from UK-US trade negotiations.
Bots, fake publications and forged British brands
The prime minister described a campaign conducted through automated accounts, deceptive websites
