Supporting hostile foreign groups could mean 14 years in prison under new UK law

People who support, assist or take payment from designated foreign state-linked organisations could face up to 14 years in prison under new legislation introduced to Parliament on 9 June.

The National Security (State Threats) Bill gives the Home Secretary new counter terrorism-style powers to designate foreign state organisations and state-linked groups that threaten the UK’s national security.

The government said it fast-tracked the legislation following a recent wave of antisemitic attacks in the UK. Subject to parliamentary approval, the new law is expected to come into force as early as next month.

The bill creates a new criminal offence for anyone who expresses support for a designated organisation, criminalising the glorification of activities that threaten the UK.

It will also be an offence to assist or receive payment from a designated organisation. The government said this measure targets foreign states that hide their involvement in hostile activity by outsourcing it to proxy groups, such as organised crime groups.

The bill mirrors offences from the National Security Act 2023, meaning designated groups can be treated in the same way as a foreign intelligence service, allowing authorities to disrupt harmful acts conducted through proxies.

Anyone convicted under the new offences could face up to 14 years in prison.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the recent wave of antisemitic attacks “has shocked the nation and left British Jews feeling unsafe in their own communities”.

“We will not tolerate hostile actors paying petty criminals to do their dirty work,” he said.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said foreign states are becoming more aggressive and hiding their tracks behind proxies.

“These new powers should send a clear message to anyone doing the dirty work of a foreign state. We will come after you and you will face the full force of the law,” she said.

The Home Secretary will be able to use the new powers immediately once the law comes into force.

Rising state-backed threats

The new powers follow a rise in state-backed aggression on UK soil. MI5’s state threats investigations increased by 35% as of last year, with the agency tracking 20 potentially lethal Iranian-backed plots in that period alone.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said she commissioned the Independent Reviewer of State Threats Legislation 18 months ago to examine gaps in national security legislation.

“As a result of that work, the new law we are introducing today will enable us to take the strong action required against those foreign adversaries seeking to undermine the UK’s security, interests, and values through covert means,” she said.

While a group called Harakat Ashab al-Yamin has claimed a number of the recent antisemitic attacks, the government said there are several live investigations and criminal proceedings underway.

The bill builds on the National Security Act 2023, which gave police and intelligence agencies new tools to detect and disrupt hostile activity, backed by a record £600 million in additional funding.

The government has also introduced the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme to increase transparency around covert influence in UK democracy, alongside a tougher sentencing regime for state threat offenders and new training for frontline police officers responding to state-directed incidents.

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