The UK government’s Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy (JCNSS) has launched an inquiry into securing the democratic process against cyber, physical, and other threats ahead of the next UK general election in January 2025. This comes after the government’s Integrated Review three years ago emphasized the importance of protecting democracy and acknowledged democratic resilience as an area of vulnerability. With the US presidential election in November 2024 also highlighting the issue, there is a growing concern about the widening scope of the cyber threat landscape.
The JCNSS report on ransomware published in December 2023 identified cyber attacks as a major risk during the upcoming elections in both the US and the UK. The report also cited the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) stating that Russian actors had sought to interfere in the 2019 general elections and that the integrity of the UK’s systems can be expected to be tested again. In response to these threats, the 2023 National Security Act introduced provisions to protect the UK from foreign powers’ espionage, sabotage, and influence in politics through the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme.
To gather evidence on the threats to the UK’s democracy, the JCNSS is inviting submissions on several questions over the next month, with oral evidence hearings expected to begin in the spring. The inquiry aims to explore the actual and perceived threats to democracy and where those threats originate. It also seeks to understand the extent of foreign interference in UK politics and the effectiveness of existing measures to protect against such interference. Additionally, the inquiry will examine the role of social media platforms in safeguarding the democratic process and the potential vulnerabilities they may present.
As the UK general election approaches and with increasing attention on the issue globally, the inquiry by the JCNSS highlights the urgent need to secure the democratic process against various threats. By examining the vulnerabilities and gathering evidence on the actual and perceived threats, the UK government aims to strengthen democratic resilience and protect the integrity of the electoral system. The inquiry’s findings will likely inform future policies and measures to safeguard democracy in the UK.
