Brexit & Empire
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SPECIAL EDITION FOR THE NEW EUROPEAN. MAY 2019 FREE FROM FEAR OR FAVOUR SUBSCRIBE TO BYLINE TIMES FOR OUR FULL EDITION BYLINETIMES.COM/SUBSCRIBE FACT ARGUMENT REPORTAGE CULTURE 'DODGY MONEY AND DIRTY DATA' EXCLUSIVE 7,000 FARAGE’S Republicans BREXIT CAMPAIGN Could USED RUSSIAN Never DEMOCRACY PROPAGANDA Be TO WEAPONISE Wrong? HATE AND ISLAMOPHOBIA John Cleese By Peter Jukes on the moment INThe MP convening DANGERa par- recommending changes in the that the Electoral Commission the awful truth liamentary group to safeguard Autumn. Campaign nance will was somehow in uenced, even 5 7 the future o our democracy is be a key area o investigation. the police, who knows… When dawned. wondering “whether somebody In an interview with Byline there is a vacuum and action somewhere in Westminster or Times, Mr Kinnock said he isn’t being taken, that opens Whitehall is looking to cover believes the lack o any attempt up all sorts o concerns around things up” over wrongdoing in by the Government to inves- why?” RESURGENCE OF THE RIGHT the EU Referendum. tigate whether the 2016 EU Mr Kinnock said he Labour’s Stephen Kinnock Referendum could have been is chairing the new APPG 4 5 will chair the All-Party tainted by electoral breaches, because “as a democrat, I feel Parliamentary Group (APPG) may well point to something passionately that we have to x on Electoral Campaigning darker. this problem”. Transparency when it meets for “I’m not a conspiracy theo- “Dodgy money and dirty the rst time this month. rist,” he said. “But I did genu- data” should matter to every- It comes in the wake o inely start to wonder whether one because citizens must be the Cambridge Analytica scan- somebody somewhere in allowed to make informed deci- dal; as well as the referral to Westminster or Whitehall is sions, he told Byline Times. the Met Police and National looking to cover things up The APPG, however, is Crime Agency o Vote Leave because the country is already looking “forwards not back”, and Leave.EU, and individuals heavily destabilised, divided, the MP said, and he will not be associated with them, following polarised by what’s happened calling for a second referendum. breaches o electoral law. since June 2016 and it’s possi- The cross-party com- ble that somebody somewhere 2 3 mittee will launch an inquiry just wanted to put a lid on the and produce a green paper whole thing and it’s possible SUBSCRIBE TO THE PRINT EDITION WHY DID SO MANY ASIAN IMMIGRANTS VOTE TO LEAVE THE EU? OF BYLINE TIMES : BREXIT & Subscribe for access to extra online content, including our Naked Newsroom podcast. EMPIRE News Club members also attend our monthly The complicated love-hate relationship o immigrants from former colonies with the British Empire cannot be meetings and get the stories behind the headlines. ignored i lessons are to be learned in post-Brexit Britain. bylinetimes.com/subscribe or [email protected] 6 7 IN THE FULL MAY EDITION: THE JILL DANDO MURDER 20 YEARS ON // ASSANGE ARREST // THE BLOOD-SOAKED BIRTH OF A DEMOCRATIC SOUTH AFRICA 2 DEMOCRACY IN DANGER HOW SAFE ARE BRITAIN’S FUTURE ELECTIONS? By Hardeep Matharu With the country on the edge of a snap general election or second referendum, and facing EU elections, Byline Times explores how equipped our electoral system is for these votes to be free and fair in an age of digital psyops. he digital age has changed T the electoral landscape for- ever. Gone are the days o lea et- ing, door knocking and billboards o ‘Labour isn’t working’ leav- ing imprints on our minds. Our personal data is the new cur- rency o elections – and it is up for grabs; sought after by those hoping to get inside our minds and shape what realities live there. The Cambridge Analytica scandal revealed how the informa- tion we share on social media plat- forms such as Facebook is far from safe. In fact, the data is monetised and sold. As had been said by many others: i it’s free, you’re not the customer – you’re the product. The UK’s Information Commissioner’s O ce (ICO) ned Facebook £500,000 last October to keep us in the dark about our laws do not match modern parts, has not been properly behind the scenes,” she said. “This for serious breaches o data pro- its attempts to in uence us? threats to our democracy.” reviewed since the 19th Century,” must change. People can only tection that enabled the harvest- Shahmir Sanni, who revealed Labour’s Deputy Leader Tom the Commission said. One o its make truly informed choices about ing o data from 87 million people, wrongdoing by Boris Johnson and Watson said a Labour Government proposals to increase transparency who to vote for i they are sure which was later shared with SCL, Michael Gove’s Vote Leave cam- would introduce “digital democracy about who is seeking to in uence those decisions have not been the parent company o Cambridge paign last year, said: “I there is a guarantees” including measures voters online and the money spent unduly in uenced. What can we Analytica, and used in the EU second referendum, we must ensure to ensure that anyone targeting on this in elections and referen- do to ensure that we preserve the Referendum. Facebook boss Mark that the criminality uncovered last UK citizens with online political dums is that providing ‘imprints’ integrity o future elections? How Zuckerberg has brazenly refused to year doesn’t repeat itself. We must adverts must be based in Britain. on online campaign material should can we make sure that voters are appear before Parliament’s Digital, be vigilant and MPs must give “Fake news and the online become a legal requirement. truly in control o the outcome?” Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) the Electoral Commission more platforms that allow it to ourish The new code o practice For Kyle Taylor, director o Committee on several occasions. power to not let [law-breakers] are a threat to our democracy,” Mr being drafted by the ICO, ready the Fair Vote Project, a campaign A criminal prosecution has take over our democracy (again).” Watson said. “This Government for the next scheduled General set up in the wake o wrongdo- been brought against SCL by Labour’s David Lammy, who has been far too slow to act and Election in May 2022, will ing during the EU Referendum, the ICO, while both the Vote believes a public inquiry should has ignored the DCMS Select cover the use o personal infor- “there have been no signi cant Leave and Leave.EU campaigns be held into the 2016 Referendum, Committee’s recommendations mation as a “legitimate tool” in regulatory changes to election o the 2016 Referendum have told the Byline Times that the Met on how to tackle fake news and campaigns and elections. law, data controls or digital plat- been referred to the Metropolitan Police and NCA must “quickly disinformation. We must learn the Elizabeth Denham, the forms since the massive scale Police for potential breaches o conclude their investigations so lessons and take action to protect Information Commissioner, has o electoral law-breaking came electoral law. The National Crime we can stop bad actors and learn our public debate and democracy.” said her o ce is “concerned about to light following the 2016 EU Agency is also investigating Leave. lessons for any upcoming votes”. Both the Electoral invisible processing – the ‘behind Referendum. There is no way – EU’s co-founder Arron Banks “Big data, social media, and Commission – which oversees the scenes’ algorithms, analy- right now – to ensure any elec- and chie executive Liz Bilney micro-targeting have trans- the legality o elections and ref- sis, data matching and pro ling tion would be truly free and fair”. over alleged breaches. The Met formed political campaigning,” erendums in the UK – and the that involves people’s personal Cambridge Analytica may Police and NCA have made little the Tottenham MP said. “Ever ICO – the country’s data protec- information” being used in rela- have shut up shop, but this is just progress on these investigations. since we have known about the tion watchdog – are developing tion to democratic processes. the beginning, not the end, o the Even i our personal data unprecedented interference new codes o practice, but the “Trust and con dence in story o dark data in our elec- is legally acquired in any future o foreign powers in both the rst o these will not be pub- the integrity o our democratic tions. The country has no time to ./ campaigns, how should this be 2016 EU Referendum and the lished until June next year. processes risks being disrupted spare in getting to grips with this. used? How democratic is politi- US presidential election o the “Elections are currently run because the average person has The future o the country may cal campaigning i it is designed same year, it has been clear that using legislation that, in some little idea o what is going on well depend on it. 3 DEMOCRACY IN DANGER “EVERYONE TRIES TO WALK AWAY WITH THE DATA” WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR PERSONAL INFORMATION AFTER THE EU REFERENDUM? By Byline Times Team walking o with our sensitive personal But, the warning from those employed AIQ was at the centre o parliamen- In the light of multiple data after major campaigns? And where to stop misusing data did not just apply to tary inquiries both in Canada and the investigations into online has all that Brexit referendum data gone? the divisive Brexit campaign.