China is believed to have gained access to the personal information of millions of voters in its attack on Britain’s democratic process, ministers will say.
The government is believed to have identified 43 people, including members of Congress and colleagues, who were targeted in Chinese government-backed cyber attacks. The UK can impose sanctions on individuals believed to be involved in these state-backed interferences, one of which was a separate attack on the Electoral Commission in which Beijing obtained the personal details of some 40 million voters.
Ministers will release full details on Monday, with Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden expected to tell parliament that Beijing is behind the wave of cyberattacks.
As the UK faces pressure to respond, multiple reports indicate that sanctions are being seriously considered against individuals thought to be linked to the alleged activities.
A small group of politicians who are hard-line on China are said to have been summoned to a briefing about the event by Alison Giles, parliamentary security director.
They include former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, former minister Tim Lawton, crossbench peer Lord Alton and Scottish National Party MP Stuart Macdonald, The Times reported.
The four are members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac) pressure group, which focuses on issues involving the increasingly assertive Asian power.
It is understood some of those affected are preparing to publicly address the matter together on Monday. A government spokesman declined to comment on Sunday.
At an IPAC meeting on Friday, its executive director Luke de Pulford said: “About a year ago, the Belgian and French foreign ministries publicly confirmed [Chinese state] Sponsor cyberattacks against our members.
“Other countries have done the same thing privately. Beijing has made no secret of their desire to attack foreign politicians who dare stand up to them.”
Earlier this month, a U.S. Army intelligence analyst was arrested and charged with conspiring to sell sensitive defense information to China.
Meanwhile, reforms to the UK’s Espionage Act continue to make their way through Parliament, with the Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Bill also introduced in the House of Commons on Monday.
The legislation aims to ensure the UK’s investigative powers framework remains sufficiently capable in the face of evolving threats, and includes measures to make it easier for agencies to inspect and retain large data sets.
If passed, it would update elements of the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, which a statutory review published by the Home Office in February 2023 found needed to be updated.
