Wes Streeting told GB News: ‘We’re not interested in policing domestic political dissent’
The outlook for the UK economy has brightened, according to the OECD, with inflation lower than expected while new government support measures are likely to boost growth. Julia Kollewe has more on the business live blog.
You can read the whole of Andy Burnham’s speech to the United Nations general assembly here.And here are the key points.
Burnham said there is “no national security without a strong, cohesive society”. This is interesting because Burnham was strongly criticised by the Tories and Reform UK, and rightwing papers, after saying at PMQs earlier this month: “We do everything to support our national security, but it can’t come at the expense of social security.” Critics claimed this meant Burnham thought avoiding benefit cuts was more important than deterring Russia. But Burnham did not resile from the argument, and in his speech overnight he restated the same idea in slightly different language. He said:
True resilience depends on this military strength.
But the last 10 years also tells us that it is about something deeper as well.
He said the UK was facing “an industrial-scale assault by hostile actors” promoting disinformation. (See 8.50am.)
He said youth unemployment and the cost of living crisis made Britons more vulnerable to disinformation.
And we are going to help our people to strengthen their resilience – because faced with this information warfare, security starts in every home.
If you’re struggling with the cost of living and your life is not improving – or if you’re a young person not in employment, education or training – then you are going to be much more vulnerable to this kind of influence.
He said new National Centre for Information Defence would tackle misinformation not just in the UK, but also directed against allies.
Today I am tasking our security chiefs to begin work on a new National Centre for Information Defence – to detect, attribute and disrupt these kinds of hostile state information attacks. To support and defend our democracy.
And I know this is a shared challenge.
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