This story has echoes of the 2016 presidential election.
The Tories are demanding an investigation over ‘gravely concerning’ allegations of Russian interference in the general election campaign, it has been revealed.
Oliver Dowden, the Deputy Prime Minister, has responded to claims that five co-ordinated Facebook pages have been spouting Kremlin talking points.
Some have posted in support of Nigel Farage‘s Reform UK party, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
They really are desperate, aren’t they?
He said: ‘There is a threat in all elections, and indeed we see it in this election from hostile state actors seeking to influence the outcome of the election campaign.
‘Russia is a prime example of this, and this is a classic example from the Russian playbook.
‘What I would say is this is relatively typical, low-level stuff, but we stood up the election cell in the Cabinet Office, we did that at the very beginning of the campaign, and it was designed to look into exactly this sort of thing.
‘It should just be a salutary reminder for all of us, when you engage on social media, are these people that you think are posting stuff, are they real or are they bots generated by hostile state actors? It’s something we all need to be aware of.’
Even if this is true, it will make no difference. It certainly hasn’t influenced my opinion one jot.
Why would the Russians support Farage and Reform? Surely they would support Sir IKEA and co?
Why would they have supported Trump?
These people are both desperate and deranged.
Contrary to what you might think, it is not hypocritical for our governments to complain about election interference.
We do not debase ourselves in such ways. We wait for a suitable period after an election that we don’t like the result of, then organise a colour revolution. Then fix the second election.*
*allegedly
I’m not sure what to make of this. Russia uses social media websites to try to influence foreign elections, seems unlikely but possible I suppose. They seem to have their fingers on the pulse since they only ever promote parties that the establishment don’t like. Even if it is true then so what? It is hardly the fault of which ever party that the Russians want them to win. Are they sure it isn’t some computer savvy teenagers playing a prank?
Dead cat strategy no. 53 (or is it 54) from the Tories for this election.
Doubt it will work as most of the necessary stupid people seem to be employed as strategist or advisers by CCHQ
Even if the Russians are doing what is claimed, I don’t believe that Vlad Putin or any of the Politburo have a single vote to cast on Thursday.
They are in the same position as anyone else excluded from the Electoral Register, they may not vote, but have the freedom to exercise influence on those who possess voting rights, by whatever legal means available, including electronic media.
It remains up to each individual UK voter to weigh all the information available and then cast his/her personal vote.
I don’t recall them complaining when Barry Obama blatantly interfered in the Brexit Referendum, as a foreign power seeking to influence the result. Spooky that.
Yeah, but Obama was a right thinker and we are not, so Vlad must be pulling our strings.
How many regime changes has the CIA claim to have actually done? 80? 90?
The mendaciousness of these people is unbearable.
OMG!!!!! A whole FIVE farcebok pages? That must amount to a massive 0.0000000000000000001% of all the material published on Farcebok. Definitely grounds for concern that any election result is unreliable and must be questioned.
Definitely a cause for all out thermonuclear war in response …
Yeah, and some of them have posted in support of Reform! (What about the others, by the way?) The T-90s are practically on the beaches.
LR does Farage read your blog as he stole one of your lines – ‘this election is about one party that deserves to lose competing against a party that doesn’t deserve to win’.
He could have given you credit for that one.
So… a foreign agency, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, is trying to influence our elections then?
I’ve given up asking if they think we’re stupid. The Events of the last five years have proven that beyond all doubt.
Given that the EU has a parliament with no actual power that only exists to give the illusion that it is a democracy, I would have reminded Obama of the phrase “No taxation without representation.” I wonder if he has heard of it?
No one has ever claimed that Putin is thick or senile.
So I am sure that he knows of Napoleon’s (and not le Macaron”s) advice . “Do not interfere with an enemy when he is making a mistake.”
Or sometimes ” – when he is in the process of destroying himself.”
Our nations are being eaten up on the inside by millions of fresh diversity, our bourgeois Greenies and the multi gender advocates. Is any of our defence equipment for for purpose? Or is it just a job and profit creation scheme for the ever reducing number of international defence contractors?
I am sure he sits back listening to his news services in disbelief exclaiming “They did what? No way!” Followed by guffaws.