Britain’s National Centre for Information Defence

It's almost impossible for me to believe that this silencing of my right to speak freely is rampant in England now, as if we were living in an authoritarian country

— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) October 7, 2026

… us from hostile foreign powers such as Russia, which he accused of spreading lies and disinformation about Britain, amplifying “far-right narratives” and interfering in our democracy.

But the real purpose is to suppress dissent and silence those who criticise the Government or express views about the state of the country that run counter to Labour’s prevailing progressive orthodoxy.

FSU Director of Policy and Research David Rose has written a new briefing examining the threadbare research the Government has used to justify its plans. The Government is clutching at straws — and, ironically, already spreading misinformation about the threat of misinformation.

It has ignored a wealth of evidence from leading academics to push ahead with its new censorship regime.

Burnham’s Government is putting Britain in the same league as some of the world’s most authoritarian powers.