MI5 tells politicians: ‘You are a potential target’

MI5 has urged politicians to “remain alert and trust their instincts” amid rising concern that foreign spies are targeting Britain’s democratic institutions.

In new guidance published on Monday, MI5’s National Protective Security Authority warned MPs, peers, councillors, candidates and parliamentary staff: “You are a potential target.”

Security minister Dan Jarvis told the Commons the advice would help politicians “better understand the threat” posed by countries including Russia, China and Iran.

As well as urging vigilance at home, MI5’s advice warned that foreign intelligence services could seek to exploit politicians’ overseas travel to access their data or use financial donations as a route to influence.

It said: “What might begin as an apparently genuine interaction can transition into something more malign. It’s important you remain alert and trust your instincts.”

The advice follows the collapse of the trial of two alleged Chinese spies, one of whom worked as a parliamentary researcher and was closely linked to senior Conservatives at the time of the alleged offences.

But MI5 and the Home Office pointed to other attempts by foreign governments to interfere in British politics, including Reform UK’s former Welsh leader, Nathan Gill, who pleaded guilty to receiving bribes to make pro-Russian statements while an MEP.

Other cases included that of Christine Lee, a lawyer whom MI5 issued a warning to MPs about in January 2022, accusing her of being engaged in “political interference activities” on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.

On Monday, Mr Jarvis told MPs the Government was “gravely concerned” about the security of Britain’s democratic institutions and was “crystal clear that our Parliament must and will be protected from espionage”.

While Monday’s guidance specifically accused Russia, China and Iran of carrying out “long-term strategic foreign interference and espionage”, the security service also warned that “other states” could seek to obtain information about “the UK system”.

And it suggested that foreign intelligence operatives could pose as “diplomats, journalists, academics or lobbyists”, or use people working in those fields as “proxies” for espionage work.