Lords motion to take note of the threats to democratic institutions in the United Kingdom, including disinformation, foreign interference, and levels of public trust in politics. Agreed to on question.

Lords motion to take note of the threats to democratic institutions in the United Kingdom, including disinformation, foreign interference, and levels of public trust in politics. Agreed to on question.

My Lords, I am sure we are all grateful for how cool the Chamber is today. I want to talk about the interconnection between domestic and foreign threats to British democracy.

Philip Rycroft, in his report this spring, warned that

“there is a long-term and worrying loss of trust in our democratic...

My Lords, I am sure we are all grateful for how cool the Chamber is today. I want to talk about the interconnection between domestic and foreign threats to British democracy.

Philip Rycroft, in his report this spring, warned that

“there is a long-term and worrying loss of trust in our democratic...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Wallace. I thank him for securing this debate. Democracy is certainly under threat. Some 87% of Britons have either not very much or no trust at all in politicians and 33% sympathise with the view of British political...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Wallace. I thank him for securing this debate. Democracy is certainly under threat. Some 87% of Britons have either not very much or no trust at all in politicians and 33% sympathise with the view of British political...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Wallace of Saltaire, on initiating this debate and bringing out into the open so many issues that we ought to discuss much more than we do. I will fill my seven minutes or less with one observation and one question to the...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Wallace of Saltaire, on initiating this debate and bringing out into the open so many issues that we ought to discuss much more than we do. I will fill my seven minutes or less with one observation and one question to the...

My Lords, in speaking in this debate, I declare my long-standing association with the National Secular Society. I will be drawing on material from the think tank Policy Exchange, where I am a distinguished fellow.

As time is so limited, I will make only two broad points: first, that the effective...

My Lords, in speaking in this debate, I declare my long-standing association with the National Secular Society. I will be drawing on material from the think tank Policy Exchange, where I am a distinguished fellow.

As time is so limited, I will make only two broad points: first, that the effective...

My Lords, I too am hugely grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Wallace, for securing this debate, and it is a pleasure to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Falkner. Our belief systems may differ, but we share much in common still.

I speak as chair of a new Church of England...

My Lords, I too am hugely grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Wallace, for securing this debate, and it is a pleasure to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Falkner. Our belief systems may differ, but we share much in common still.

I speak as chair of a new Church of England...

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Wallace of Saltaire, for giving us this opportunity, and I have enjoyed listening to the speeches so far. As has already been said, we have a real crisis of trust in politics and our institutions. I want to talk about...

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Wallace of Saltaire, for giving us this opportunity, and I have enjoyed listening to the speeches so far. As has already been said, we have a real crisis of trust in politics and our institutions. I want to talk about...

My Lords, I join the chorus of congratulations and thanks to the noble Lord, Lord Wallace of Saltaire, for securing this debate on a crucial subject. The United Kingdom has stood as a global beacon of democratic values, the rule of law and peaceful transfer of power for centuries. I...

My Lords, I join the chorus of congratulations and thanks to the noble Lord, Lord Wallace of Saltaire, for securing this debate on a crucial subject. The United Kingdom has stood as a global beacon of democratic values, the rule of law and peaceful transfer of power for centuries. I...

My Lords, I too thank my noble friend Lord Wallace of Saltaire for securing this important debate. He and others have already hit the nail on the head by referring to the loss of trust. However, we speak of disinformation, foreign interference and declining trust in politics as though they...

My Lords, I too thank my noble friend Lord Wallace of Saltaire for securing this important debate. He and others have already hit the nail on the head by referring to the loss of trust. However, we speak of disinformation, foreign interference and declining trust in politics as though they...

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Wallace, for enabling this debate because it gives us an opportunity to puncture the hysteria and moral panic that seem to have overwhelmed most of the British political class in recent years about disinformation, misinformation, foreign interference and all that....

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Wallace, for enabling this debate because it gives us an opportunity to puncture the hysteria and moral panic that seem to have overwhelmed most of the British political class in recent years about disinformation, misinformation, foreign interference and all that....

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Wallace of Saltaire, on initiating this most timely debate.

The health of our precious democracy cannot be measured solely by a single transactional event at the ballot box. It is a continuous long-term process of how we shape our shared future. Our democratic...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Wallace of Saltaire, on initiating this most timely debate.

The health of our precious democracy cannot be measured solely by a single transactional event at the ballot box. It is a continuous long-term process of how we shape our shared future. Our democratic...

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Wallace, for securing this debate—there could hardly be a more important one. It might surprise noble Lords to hear me say that. In this unprecedented heatwave, with the people and infrastructure of these islands melting around us, noble Lords might expect me...

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Wallace, for securing this debate—there could hardly be a more important one. It might surprise noble Lords to hear me say that. In this unprecedented heatwave, with the people and infrastructure of these islands melting around us, noble Lords might expect me...

My Lords, I too thank the noble Lord, Lord Wallace of Saltaire, for procuring this important debate. I will focus my comments on the acceleration of the dissemination of disinformation which we are seeing in our media. I believe that is having an effect on public trust, and I would...

My Lords, I too thank the noble Lord, Lord Wallace of Saltaire, for procuring this important debate. I will focus my comments on the acceleration of the dissemination of disinformation which we are seeing in our media. I believe that is having an effect on public trust, and I would...

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Wallace of Saltaire, is right to raise the important issue of threats to democratic institutions.

He has asked us to consider disinformation, foreign interference and levels of distrust in politics. Disinformation as a weapon used by hostile states is a serious threat that needs...

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Wallace of Saltaire, is right to raise the important issue of threats to democratic institutions.

He has asked us to consider disinformation, foreign interference and levels of distrust in politics. Disinformation as a weapon used by hostile states is a serious threat that needs...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow such excellent speeches. I warmly welcome what the noble Lord, Lord Wallace, has done, which is to have this profound and overlapping debate at the same time that we are dealing with sensitive legislation. I am sure that my noble friend the...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow such excellent speeches. I warmly welcome what the noble Lord, Lord Wallace, has done, which is to have this profound and overlapping debate at the same time that we are dealing with sensitive legislation. I am sure that my noble friend the...

My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Moraes, whom I have considered a friend for some 30 years. He was a great champion for those in the European Parliament who had no voice but his—often overlooked

and marginalised groups—and was always in the best...

My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Moraes, whom I have considered a friend for some 30 years. He was a great champion for those in the European Parliament who had no voice but his—often overlooked

and marginalised groups—and was always in the best...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to have the opportunity to take part in this excellent debate, and I commend the noble Lord Wallace. I even agreed with the first two or three minutes of his speech.

I do not suppose many in your Lordships’ House have read the Pope’s magisterial...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to have the opportunity to take part in this excellent debate, and I commend the noble Lord Wallace. I even agreed with the first two or three minutes of his speech.

I do not suppose many in your Lordships’ House have read the Pope’s magisterial...

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend Lord Wallace of Saltaire for securing this debate and for his excellent introduction, which was both forensic and alarming. He has certainly elicited a range of views in today’s debate. My view is that we are at a critical point for...

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend Lord Wallace of Saltaire for securing this debate and for his excellent introduction, which was both forensic and alarming. He has certainly elicited a range of views in today’s debate. My view is that we are at a critical point for...

My Lords, I too commend the noble Lord, Lord Wallace of Saltaire, for securing this debate. I also commend the Library briefing prepared for it.

I wish to make one key point. Committing legal and electronic resources to tackling disinformation is necessary, but it is not sufficient to bolster trust in...

My Lords, I too commend the noble Lord, Lord Wallace of Saltaire, for securing this debate. I also commend the Library briefing prepared for it.

I wish to make one key point. Committing legal and electronic resources to tackling disinformation is necessary, but it is not sufficient to bolster trust in...

My Lords, I am delighted to follow my former politics lecturer at Hull University; I hope that I do not let him down too much with what I am about to say. Like a few others, I wish to move away from external factors and talk about our own faith...

My Lords, I am delighted to follow my former politics lecturer at Hull University; I hope that I do not let him down too much with what I am about to say. Like a few others, I wish to move away from external factors and talk about our own faith...