THROUGH my work as a Parliamentary Assembly member to the Council of Europe, I meet with colleagues whose countries are close to or border Russia.

Sharing a coffee with them (tea is so terrible in Strasbourg, I take over my own tea bags), I listen to stories of the tactics that the Russians are using to destabilise democracy.

What’s clear is that the Russians are not ideologically aligned to any particular party. They are simply looking for the weakest link; the one they will find easiest to influence, infiltrate and then manipulate. And right across the Eastern front of Europe, Putin’s web of deceit is taking a stronger hold, week after week.

It’s simply not possible for me to overstate how concerned I am by the threat of Russian interference in the UK.

Similarly, other rogue actors like China present serious threats – albeit of a very different kind than Russia. The Chinese are more focussed on commercial exploitation. And their modus operandi is quite different.

Whilst they are no doubt trying to recruit senior government officials, their technological threat, in areas such as voice and facial recognition, is very advanced. Because of these dual threats, I was greatly relieved that the Labour government has launched an independent review into foreign interference in British democracy. The review will be led by former Brexit Permanent Secretary Philip Rycroft.

Widely respected, Mr Rycroft brings extensive experience from across government. The review, which builds on the major reforms announced in the Elections Strategy in July, is a response to the evolving threat posed by political interference in British democracy, including the shocking cases of former Reform MEP Nathan Gill, and Christine Lee, the UK-based lawyer identified as working covertly on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.

It also follows the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) taking the unprecedented step of publishing guidance in October on how MPs and their staff can protect themselves from foreign states and its proxies in relation to espionage and foreign interference.

The review will provide an in-depth assessment of the current financial rules and safeguards and offer recommendations to further mitigate risks from foreign political interference. Mr Gill was convicted last month and sentenced to 10-and-a-half years in prison for accepting bribes linked to the Russian state and attempting to advance their interests. The case has shone a light on potential vulnerability in the political and electoral system, highlighting the need for urgent action through the independent review.

Mr Rycroft’s report will be completed by the end of March and will focus on the effectiveness of the UK’s political finance laws, as well as the safeguards in place to protect our democracy from illicit money from abroad, including cryptocurrencies. It will also examine the rules governing the constitution and regulation of political parties and the Electoral Commission’s enforcement powers.

In Parliament last week, there was only one political party that seemed particularly agitated by the announcement of this new review. I’ll leave you to guess who you think it was.