Cyber-attack on voter data to be linked to China

The attacks on the Electoral Commission took place in August 2021 but were only revealed last year. Several MPs and peers who have been critical of Beijing are thought to have also been targeted in cyber-attacks. Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden will address Parliament on Monday about the threat. It is now thought that Mr Dowden will suggest those behind the attack had links to Beijing, as well as laying out how the UK will respond to what it deems a wider threat.

MI5 head warns of ‘epic scale#39: of Chinese espionage. Linking the attackers to China, a fellow member of the UN Security Council, would be an escalation in the diplomatic tension between the two countries. Publicly identifying the attackers lays the groundwork for potential legal and political actions. The government is keen to stress it has already rejected or wound down Chinese investment in infrastructure in recent years on national security grounds.

UK government concern over Chinese espionage and parliamentary interference has been rising. In September 2023, a parliamentary researcher was arrested under the Official Secrets Act accused of spying for China. Luke de Pulford, chair of the Inter-Party Alliance on China, said the government appeared to be reluctant to hold China to account for its abuses. A year before, an unusual parliamentary interference alert was issued regarding the activities of UK-based lawyer Christine Lee.

MI5 alleged she had been carrying out political interference activities including donating funds to support the work of MPs. This was all said to be on behalf of China. The government is looking at each case on a case-by-case basis, says the minister. He says the government will stop at nothing to ensure freedom of speech and freedom of the press is protected.

The government is also looking at the possibility of a Chinese investment in the UK.