The Brexit Conspiracy Unravelled
UK MPs, Russian Boogeymen, and a Tech Power Grab
Yesterday, I stumbled upon an intriguing image featuring a snippet of text from a Sputnik Globe article about Brexit that ignited my curiosity. I recalled fascinating details I had previously uncovered, particularly those tied to the Integrity Initiative and MP Damian Collins. What began as a wild claim of Russian interference has spiralled into a scandal involving UK MPs Ben Bradshaw, Ruth Smeeth, Damian Collins, Richard Benyon, and Julian Lewis. This article traces their journey from blaming Russia for Brexit to attacking critics and embracing controversial technologies, weaving a tale of political intrigue and technological overreach.
Today we shall uncover the motives and expose the risks.
Seeds of Suspicion: Blaming Russia for Brexit
The saga kicked off in December 2016 when Labour MP Ben Bradshaw, a staunch Remain supporter, alleged during a Syria debate that Russian hackers likely swayed the Brexit vote. This claim, made without evidence, rode the wave of paranoia following the US election, suggesting a foreign hand in a democratic decision. Yet, the 2020 Russia Report from the Intelligence and Security Committee found no conclusive proof, despite Russian media reaching 134 million impressions according to available data, with no measurable impact on the vote.
This discrepancy hints at political opportunism, a narrative pushed to undermine the referendum result.
But this was just the beginning of a deeper conspiracy.
The Integrity Initiative Emerges: Spooky Friends
Behind Bradshaw’s accusation loomed the Integrity Initiative, launched in 2015 under the Institute for Statecraft to counter disinformation, funded with £296,500 in 2017-18 and £1,961,000 in 2018-19 from the UK government’s Conflict, Stability, and Security Fund. A 2018 Anonymous hack exposed smear campaigns against Jeremy Corbyn and covert clusters of politicians, journalists, and academics, leading to an Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator investigation in August 2019 that found non-compliance. Declared undesirable in Russia in March 2023 and closed in August 2023, the Initiative’s legacy endures. Investigations reveal strong ties between this outfit and our MPs. Ben Bradshaw is listed in the UK Outer Core cluster, reflecting his anti-Russian stance. Ruth Smeeth appeared on a July 6, 2017, event invite list. Damian Collins likely joined guest lists and supported the Initiative in parliamentary records. Richard Benyon was included on the invite list, suggesting his association. Most strikingly, Julian Lewis, a Conservative and Intelligence and Security Committee Chair since 2020, was targeted for engagement, as confirmed by a key article citing leaked documents. This web of connections suggests a coordinated effort, raising serious questions about their involvement.
Attacking Is the Best Defence : the SPM
The plot thickened in December 2018 when the Working Group on Syria, Propaganda, and Media released a briefing note accusing the Integrity Initiative of propaganda, pointing to £180,000 per year in unaccounted office costs at Two Temple Place. In response, the MPs launched a coordinated smear campaign, with Richard Benyon taking the lead during his summer break as shown in the image. This effort included Ben Bradshaw, Ruth Smeeth, Damian Collins, and Julian Lewis, forming a unified front to protect their interests. Julian Lewis’s decades of expertise in defence policy, which aligns with the Initiative’s goals, indicates his invitation was a strategic move. This attack looks like a desperate bid to bury the SPM’s inconvenient truths, prompting speculation about whether it was a premeditated strategy or a panicked reaction to shield their reputations.
Exaggerating Facebook Ads: Pushing a Narrative
Damian Collins, as chair of the Digital, Culture, Media, and Security Committee, took the Russian interference narrative further by investigating Facebook ads in 2018. His probe uncovered only three ads costing €0.97, unrelated to the referendum as depicted in the image, yet he pushed for additional scrutiny. This move suggests an agenda over evidence, especially given his ties to the Integrity Initiative. Combined with Julian Lewis’s focus on security, this effort may have amplified a geopolitical script, raising doubts about whether they were protecting personal interests or following a broader narrative.
The Tech Connection: Collins and Niemira’s Nexus
The story takes a technological turn with Damian Collins’ interactions with Gerard Niemira, linked to Civitech’s BlueLink, during summits in 2020 and January 2025. BlueLink, originally Shadow, gained notoriety during the 2020 Iowa caucuses before being acquired by Acronym and then Civitech, which boasts registering 1.77 million voters since 2019. Described as a "data flow layer" integrating voter tools, it streamlines campaign efforts. However, a 2020 report criticized Civitech’s mailings for causing voter confusion, and the acquisition of Alloy for voter data integration heightens fears of manipulation. Niemira’s "faker" tool for generating fake data, revealed on his GitHub, adds to the suspicion of unethical practices.
Higher Ground Labs, led by Leah Bae, advances AI for disinformation detection, saving 21,000 hours and $16 million while training 3,600 professionals. Yet, concerns emerge about branding non-progressive information as disinformation, potentially enabling narrative control.
This tech nexus ties the MPs’ actions to a broader, troubling agenda.
Technologies in Action
BlueLink connects voter databases, communication platforms, and analytics, enhancing outreach but centralizing sensitive data. Its AI component uses machine learning to identify fake news patterns based on trained datasets, yet bias could lead to suppression. Ethical concerns, including voter manipulation and privacy breaches, arise from Civitech’s criticized practices, demanding closer scrutiny of these powerful tools.
Expanding the Web: International Influence and Key Figures
Niemira’s UK engagements with Collins hint at transatlantic tech influence, raising fears of digital colonialism that could reshape global politics. Jeremy Smith, Civitech’s CEO with a U.S. Army background, suggests militarized election tech. Indivisible UK, linked to Reality Team and Acronym, expands this network, broadening the scandal’s reach.Collins’ Tech Policy PushIn 2018, Collins led fake news discussions with Social Chain Group and Bristol University, influencing the Online Safety Act 2024. This aligns with his tech policy focus and deepens the scandal’s implications, showing a concerted effort to shape digital governance.
Profiles of the Players
Julian Lewis, ISC Chair since 2020, has investigated foreign interference.
Ben Bradshaw, a committed Remain supporter, first raised Russian interference claims in the image.
Ruth Smeeth has been linked to antisemitism and disinformation debates in media coverage.
Richard Benyon has supported counter-disinformation efforts, as implied by the image.
Their backgrounds provide context for their actions in this unfolding drama.
Unanswered Questions
This story leaves us with critical questions to ponder.
Were the SPM attacks a premeditated strategy, or a desperate response?
What evidence, if any, supported the Russian interference claims, or were they fabricated?
Why did Collins persist with the ads probe, driven by political theater or personal vendetta?
How extensive is the Collins-Niemira connection, potentially involving Lewis’s input? Are AI tools being used to undermine democracy, as suggested by Civitech’s errors?
These uncertainties demand urgent answers.
Democracy Under Siege - The Shocking Betrayal of a Nation!
The evidence paints a damning picture.
Bradshaw, Smeeth, Collins, Benyon, and Lewis’s ties to the Integrity Initiative, with Lewis’s confirmed outreach, fuelled attacks on the SPM, baseless Russian Brexit smears, and exaggerated Facebook ad claims.
Collins’ connection with Niemira unveils a tech-driven plot, where BlueLink and AI risk voter manipulation on a massive scale.
This scandal threatens the fabric of UK democracy, exposing a rogue elite who have betrayed the nation for power and profit.
Demand answers now, or risk losing your vote to this treacherous cabal!
References
Working Group on Syria, Propaganda, and Media (2018). "Briefing Note on the Integrity Initiative." [Online] Available at: https://www.syriapropagandamedia.org/working-papers/briefing-note-on-the-integrity-initiative [Accessed 6 July 2025].
Context for the SPM’s criticism triggering MP actions.
Wikispooks. "Integrity Initiative." [Online] Available at: https://wikispooks.com/wiki/Integrity_Initiative [Accessed 6 July 2025].
Details on cluster memberships, including Bradshaw.
Sputnik Globe (2019). "Integrity Initiative Reaches Out to Political Parties Including SNP." [Online] Available at: https://sputnikglobe.com/20190827/integrity-initiative-political-parties-snp-uk-1076652122.html [Accessed 6 July 2025].
Key evidence of Julian Lewis’s targeted engagement.
Hansard (2018). "Institute for Statecraft and Integrity Initiative." [Online] Available at: https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2018-12-12/debates/298F9A3C-307A-40ED-9CB1-3B2A98F14165/InstituteForStatecraftIntegrityInitiative [Accessed 6 July 2025].
Collins’ support, no Lewis mention.
SentiInspector Thread (2025). "Thread on Civitech and BlueLink Acquisition."
https://x.com/SentiInspector/status/1925723736952521002 [Accessed 6 July 2025].
https://x.com/SentiInspector/status/1925723744212865245 [Accessed 6 July 2025].
https://x.com/SentiInspector/status/1925723771165450631 [Accessed 6 July 2025].
https://x.com/SentiInspector/status/1925723774172762348 [Accessed 6 July 2025].
https://x.com/SentiInspector/status/1925723776483738081 [Accessed 6 July 2025].
https://x.com/SentiInspector/status/1925723778400616895 [Accessed 6 July 2025].
https://x.com/SentiInspector/status/1925723790622802222 [Accessed 6 July 2025].
https://x.com/SentiInspector/status/1925723763892441440 [Accessed 6 July 2025].
https://x.com/SentiInspector/status/1925725479199191477 [Accessed 6 July 2025].
https://x.com/SentiInspector/status/1925727466166882337 [Accessed 6 July 2025].
https://x.com/SentiInspector/status/1930954357844971893 [Accessed 6 July 2025].
Indirect context of Collins-Niemira interactions and tech details.
ProPublica (2020). "Errors in Civitech’s Election Mailings." [Online] Available at: https://www.propublica.org/article/errors-in-civitech-election-mailings-2020 [Accessed 6 July 2025].
Reference to voter confusion caused by Civitech.
Higher Ground Labs. "Progressive AI Lab Report." [Online] Available at: https://highergroundlabs.com/progressive-ai-lab [Accessed 6 July 2025].
Information on AI for disinformation detection.
Intelligence and Security Committee (2020). "Russia Report." [Online] Available at: https://isc.independent.gov.uk/news-archive/20200721 [Accessed 6 July 2025].
Findings on lack of evidence for Russian interference.
89up (2018). "Russian Media Influence on Brexit Referendum." [Online] Available at: https://www.89up.org/report-russian-media-influence-brexit [Accessed 6 July 2025].
Data on Russian media reach.
UK Parliament. "Julian Lewis MP Profile." [Online] Available at: https://www.parliament.uk/biographies/commons/julian-lewis/135 [Accessed 6 July 2025].
Background on Lewis.