UK’s MI5 warns politicians they are targets of Chinese and Russian spying

Britain’s domestic spy agency MI5 issued a rare public warning to members of parliament on Monday that they are being targeted by spies from China, Russia and Iran in an attempt to undermine the country’s democracy.

The warning comes a week after prosecutors said they had to abandon the trial of two British men charged with spying on members of parliament for China because the British government had not provided evidence showing China was a threat to its national security.

MI5 warned politicians and their staff to look out for spies seeking to elicit information from them by blackmail or phishing attacks, cultivating long-term and deep relationships with them, or making donations to influence their decisions.

“When foreign states steal vital UK information or manipulate our democratic processes they don’t just damage our security in the short term; they erode the foundations of our sovereignty,” MI5 Director General Ken McCallum said.

MI5 urged politicians to “keep track of odd social interactions”, including frequent requests to meet privately, and to be careful if there is “overt flattery”.

In remarks accompanying the advice to members of parliament, McCallum said: “Everyone reading this guidance cares deeply about the role they play in UK democracy. Take action today to protect it – and yourself.”