STORY
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he received confirmation of Russian interference in the 2016 Brexit referendum after entering Downing Street. Speaking on The Rest Is Politics podcast, he said he had asked about Moscow’s involvement and received a clear affirmative answer. He argued that publicly acknowledging foreign interference was important because other European democracies faced similar threats.
Burnham did not disclose the evidence behind the assessment or explain how Russia had interfered. His remarks did not establish whether Russian activity changed the referendum result. Russia has consistently denied interfering in foreign elections and referendums, while its embassy had not immediately responded to the latest comments, according to Reuters.
The comments follow longstanding criticism of the British Government’s handling of the issue. Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee concluded in 2020 that ministers had failed to assess fully the potential impact of Russian state media and online accounts on the referendum. Burnham also warned about Russian disinformation in Germany and said he had discussed possible links between Moscow and the Alternative for Germany party with Chancellor Friedrich Merz.