Staunchly Conservative British MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, known for his buttoned-up double-breasted suits, cut-glass accent and campaign props such as his nanny, is perhaps an unlikely figure to reinvent himself as a viral online personality – let alone be co-opted by the Kremlin disinformation machine.

But that is exactly what some British political analysts say it happening, as they watch Rees-Mogg’s influence rising at a time when some of his political policies and financial positions have aligned with some of the Kremlin’s own. The latest example occurred last week when Rees-Mogg took a public stance supporting Turning Point UK, a non-profit political group. Turning Point’s US arm has been linked to St Petersburg’s most notorious troll farm.

In the UK, Rees-Mogg’s rising appeal has provided an opportunity for the Kremlin to amplify the social tensions that have erupted over Brexit.

“Jacob Rees-Mogg is someone who has a public persona that is different to traditional technocratic politicians,” says Adam Hug, director of the Foreign Policy Centre, a think tank in London. “Russia has an interest in disturbing the political landscape in the context of Brexit....and amplifying voices that seek to challenge the political mainstream. The primary motivation is stirring the pot.”