Informing Policy on Disinformation: R&R Report Referenced in Westminster

Resilience & Reconstruction’s latest report, “Disinformation, UK democracy and attitudes toward Ukraine and Russia in the UK,” is beginning to inform debates at Westminster, with our findings now referenced both in a Written Parliamentary Question and in oral evidence to the Home Affairs Committee’s inquiry, Combatting New Forms of Extremism (HC 903).

Growing recognition in Parliament

Our research on how disinformation interacts with declining trust in politics, media and institutions was cited among the evidence referenced in a Written Parliamentary Question tabled by Steve Darling MP, highlighting the need for effective responses to hostile propaganda and disinformation. This follows its use in an evidence session of the Home Affairs Committee on 20 January 2026, where witnesses, including Dame Sara Khan DBE, discussed the risks that these dynamics pose for social cohesion, extremism and democratic resilience in the UK.

Members present for the Committee session included Dame Karen Bradley (Chair), Mr Paul Kohler, Ben Maguire, Robbie Moore, Margaret Mullane, Peter Prinsley, Joani Reid and Bell Ribeiro-Addy. The fact that our work is now part of both written and oral parliamentary scrutiny shows that concerns about disinformation and public trust are moving closer to the centre of the policy agenda.

A practical, whole-society focus

From the outset, we designed this report to be practical, dedicating a significant section to engagement strategies, communication approaches and policy recommendations that can be implemented by government, civil society, media and education providers. Our analysis stresses that countering disinformation is not only about correcting falsehoods but about rebuilding trust, strengthening civic and media literacy, and ensuring that support for Ukraine is understood in the context of fairness, competence and accountability at home.

The references in Parliament come alongside encouraging signals that the government is taking steps to build resilience and tackle disinformation through education and wider policy measures. We welcome this direction, while continuing to argue for a genuinely whole-society approach that involves schools, local authorities, cultural institutions, community organisations, journalists and tech platforms.