UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said Russia interfered in Britain’s 2016 referendum on leaving the European Union, marking what is believed to be the first time a British prime minister has publicly acknowledged Moscow’s role in the vote.
He added that putting the interference on record was important as other European countries face similar threats to their democratic processes.
The comments came during “The Rest is Politics” podcast, whose excerpts were released on Sunday. Burnham said he sought clarity on the Brexit issue from his advisers after becoming prime minister in July While talking about the alleged increased Russian interference in European politics. “I’ve had the clear answer that yes, there was,” Burnham said. “These things are important now to put clearly on the record and I believe help voters in Germany and France understand that some of this politics is instigated via our enemies, namely Russia,” the UK PM said.
The issue has also featured in discussions with European leaders. Earlier reporting noted: UK PM says Russia interfered in 2016 Brexit vote, warns Europe faces same threat UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has accused Russia of interfering in Britain’s 2016 vote to leave the European Union, warning that countries across Europe face the same threat.
In 2020, Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee found that the government had failed to fully assess the potential impact of Russian state-run media and “troll” accounts on the referendum. The group said foreign interference in British elections was “obviously unacceptable” but disputed the suggestion that Russian intervention influenced the referendum’s outcome. Burnham said he spoke to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz about possible links between Russia and Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party when the two leaders met in Berlin last week. “You know he was saying to me that the AfD are clearly linked to Russia, funded I believe,” Burnham said. Earlier reporting noted: In excerpts from an episode of “The Rest Is Politics” podcast released on Sunday, Burnham said he asked his advisers after becoming prime minister in July whether Russia had interfered in the Brexit referendum. Earlier reporting noted: “I’ve had the clear answer that yes, there was,” Burnham said.
The issue of possible Russian interference in the Brexit referendum has been examined previously by British lawmakers.
