INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The study found nine out of 10 messages from the accounts about Labour backed the party.London: Russian Twitter
accounts pumped out messages in support of the opposition Labour party in an attempt to influence last year's British election, according to
new research.The research by Swansea University and The Sunday Times found about 6,500 automated accounts sent messages praising the
opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his policies in the closing stages of the election.They also attacked Prime Minister Theresa May
for refusing to take part in televised election debates and criticised her for cutting police numbers in the wake of the Manchester
bombing.The study found nine out of 10 messages from the accounts about Labour backed the party
In contrast, nine out of 10 tweets about the Conservatives were hostile."These new revelations are extremely concerning," the culture
minister Matt Hancock said in a statement
"It is absolutely unacceptable for any nation to attempt to interfere in the democratic elections of another country."The British government
has accused Russia of meddling in elections around the world and planting fake stories in the media, but has denied Russia has successfully
interfered in British elections.© Thomson Reuters 2018
