After their giant victory in the July 4 general election, Labour’s new Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, has launched a UK Border Security Command (BSC).
She said: “Criminal smuggling gangs are making millions out of small boat crossings, undermining our border security and putting lives at risk. We can’t carry on like this. We need to tackle the root of the problem, going after these dangerous criminals and bringing them to justice. The Border Security Command will be a major step change in UK enforcement efforts to tackle organised immigration crime, drawing on substantial resource to work across Europe and beyond to disrupt trafficking networks and to coordinate with prosecutors in Europe to deliver justice.
“Work is under way to bring in a Border Security Commander to lead this work – and we will begin recruitment on additional capacity in the National Crime Agency immediately.”
The Home Office added that Yvette Cooper will have further calls this week with European interior ministers and with the Director General of the EU’s policing agency Europol to discuss strengthening security cooperation. Barnsley MP Dan Jarvis has been appointed Home Office minister of state; last week during the election campaign he spoke of, once in power, making a ‘sprint security review’. A new Parliament will be summoned to meet tomorrow; the state opening of Parliament and the Kings’ Speech on July 17 are due to announce Labour’s proposed legislation.
Comments
Adam Pilton is cybersecurity consultant at CyberSmart and a former detective sergeant investigating cybercrime. He said: “Rather unsurprisingly Sir Keir Starmer and Labour have won the election, over the next five years, they will govern our country and determine our future successes within cyber security.
“But what does labour propose for the country’s cybersecurity? Details from the Labour Party have been minimal. However what we do know from their manifesto is that they recognise the threat to our safety and security. They specifically call out the growing emergence of hybrid warfare including cyber attacks and misinformation campaigns which seek to subvert our democracy.
“Labour proposes to tackle this by conducting a Strategic Defence Review. This will happen within their first year in government and their manifesto states this will set out the path to spending 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence.
“At CyberUK this year, the message was clear: Nation-state actors, particularly China, pose a significant threat to our country and the businesses within it. The Labour Manifesto directly speaks of China and the need for a long-term and strategic approach to managing our relations. They propose an audit of our bilateral relationship.
“The Strategic Defence Review will be critical in determining how successful the UK are in defending our virtual borders and our connected population. I urge Sir Keir and the Labour Party to speak with a broad spectrum of people across the cyber security industry, including those at the front line of law enforcement activities. The reality of the problems and the needs of the UK must be seen and addressed in this review.”
Al Lakhani, CEO of IDEE, said: “For all the election noise, cyber security was absent. In a way this is understandable; there are many other social and economic issues to focus on when trying to woo voters. But as the dust settles on this election and a new party comes to power, continuing to overlook cyber security would be a grave mistake.
“The Electoral Commission: hacked. NHS hospitals: hacked. Countless UK businesses: hacked. How many attacks are too many? With Labour coming into power for the first time in 14 years, a comprehensive strategy to strengthen the UK’s cyber defences is urgently needed. The EU is implementing the NIS2 directive, why does the UK lag in securing its digital infrastructure? It’s time for the government to wake up, smell the coffee and develop a plan to change this.
“But businesses must also act. It’s high time for a radical shift away from outdated security methods and 1st generation MFA. We need state-of-the-art, same device MFA 2.0 solutions to crush phishing and password-based attacks. No more delays – let’s safeguard the UK’s digital landscape for good.”
Managing Director of the trade body the Fire Protection Association (FPA) Gavin Dunn urged the new Government to urgently address ‘the numerous challenges needed to improve fire safety and property protection within UK buildings’, seven years on from the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy and with the final Grenfell Tower Inquiry report due to be published. He said: “We believe now is the time to resolve many issues surrounding the regulation of fire safety professionals, ensuring they demonstrate competency effectively, and assessing the suitability of construction products used in buildings to ensure they are genuinely safe and resilient for generations to come.”
Andy Lulham, COO at VerifyMy commented on the appointment of Peter Kyle as Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, and online safety. “The Online Safety Act, which Labour supported, has enabled the UK to lead the world in this space and setting the direction for online platforms to make concrete changes that keep people safe.
“The new government must ensure that the Act is not only implemented swiftly, but also enforced robustly to hold tech companies accountable. Keeping up the pace here will be crucial to tackling some of our biggest societal problems, such as protecting children and other vulnerable people from age-inappropriate, harmful and illegal content. Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and fast-developing AI-generated harms like deepfakes and nonconsensual explicit content also demand urgent attention.
“While the focus is often on ‘Big Social’ regarding online safety in the media, we hope to see more focus on other user-to-user platforms, including video games, chat apps and streaming services. Platforms must be held responsible for the content posted by their users to create safer online communities.
“Momentum cannot be lost – we need the new Government to go further, embracing solutions that balance digital protections with rights to free expression and privacy. The UK has an opportunity to lead in making the internet a place that enriches society, supports democracy, and protects human rights. We look forward to working with the new government to realise that vision.”
Photo by Mark Rowe: Dover harbour, morning.
