House of Commons · Westminster Hall
25 May 2022 · 6 other contributors · 11,895 words
Opened by Bob Seely Con Isle of Wight
Responding minister: Heather Wheeler
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
Bob Seely raised concerns about foreign lobbying in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key points
Key requests to Government
The hon. Member asked for a substantive and broad foreign agent registration process in the National Security Bill, which should include not just those who work within a narrow definition of lobbying but also lawyers, public relations people, strategists, and enablers connected to foreign states. He suggested five major reforms including creating laws to compel individuals and entities that lobby on behalf of hostile states or proxies to record their activities.
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
The hon. Member for Isle of Wight expressed concern about the current lobbying laws being outdated and not fit for purpose. He highlighted issues with foreign lobbying, especially from countries like Russia, China, Iran, and their proxies such as oligarchs and major corporations. He cited examples of covert influence campaigns by these states and emphasised the need to differentiate between ethical and unethical lobbying practices.
Chris Bryant expressed concern about the UK's naivety in accepting foreign influence, citing cases of sanctioned individuals who were previously granted tier 1 visas. He highlighted the importance of transparency in lobbying activities, proposing stricter regulations on foreign state actors' influence on Parliament and the need for an annual report on foreign lobbying.
Ms Anderson expressed concern about the insidious influence of hostile state actors and the need for an open, transparent system to prevent undue foreign influence. She highlighted examples such as lawfare in UK courts and the regulation of all-party parliamentary groups. She also mentioned Labour's support for expanding the statutory register of lobbyists and addressing election interference.
Jim Shannon expressed the benefits of lobbying when it is done correctly but highlighted concerns about undue influence from foreign agents, particularly those with roots in Chinese or Russian politics. He suggested that the UK should adopt legislation similar to FARA and the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act used by Australia and the USA to regulate foreign lobbying. Shannon also stressed the importance of protecting devolved Administrations like Northern Ireland from foreign interference through illegitimate lobbying. Inquired about contact with regional devolved Administrations to ensure protocol and protections filter out to such areas.
Expressed concern about the lack of action on stricter regulation of lobbying and foreign agent registration, citing examples such as Russian money influencing UK institutions. Emphasised the need for a fit-for-purpose lobbying register to improve transparency and accountability, similar to the Scottish Lobbying Act 2016. Asked if the Government would commit to reforming Scottish limited partnerships, which are conduits for dark money undermining democracy.
He provided an example of a situation where he raised concerns about Ehud Sheleg, the treasurer of the Conservative party in 2019. He questioned whether Mr Sheleg would meet the threshold for being registered as a foreign agent. Welcomed the Government's decision to stop the golden visas scheme and suggested it would be helpful for the Government to publish their review into the scheme, which Parliament has been waiting for more than a year. Asked about the loophole in financial donations to political parties where agencies do not investigate the source of funds if they come from a British citizen, even if that individual received the money from someone not on the electoral roll.
He asked for clarification on what was meant by 'covert influence' and if it referred to intelligence agents using the cover of lobbyists. Gratefully acknowledged that the allegations have been disproved and urged Members who made those allegations to accept that they are now disproven. Referenced MI5's definition of espionage and inquired whether MI5 could brief MPs more effectively about what to look out for in counter-espionage.
Government Response
Heather WheelerThe Government have robust structures in place to identify foreign interference, exemplified by the Christine Lee case. Plans for a foreign influence registration scheme are underway to deter state threats and bring UK practices in line with allies like the USA and Australia. The National Security Bill introduces new offences and powers to detect, deter and disrupt harmful activities, including the establishment of a register of overseas entities requiring identity disclosure.