UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham says it is “clear” that Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum. It is the first time a British prime minister has said so publicly. He offered no evidence or details, and Russia has repeatedly denied meddling in other countries’ votes.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said in a podcast interview released on Sunday, October 11, that Russia interfered in the 2016 vote to leave the European Union, Al Jazeera reported, citing AP and Reuters.
What He Said
“I asked the question coming to Downing Street: Was there interference in the 2016 referendum from Russia? And I’ve had the clear answer that yes, there was,” Burnham told The Rest Is Politics.
The reports say this is the first time a UK prime minister has publicly acknowledged such interference. Burnham did not provide evidence or details.
A Warning to Germany and France
Burnham said it was important to “put clearly on the record” that interference happened, to “help voters in Germany and France understand that some of this politics is instigated via our enemies, namely Russia”.
He said he discussed possible links between Russia and Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany party with Chancellor Friedrich Merz when they met in Berlin last week.
The Record So Far
- In his September address to the UN General Assembly, Burnham condemned Russian attempts to interfere in the UK’s 2019 general election
- A 2020 report by Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee said the government had failed to ask for a deep assessment of Russian interference in the 2016 referendum
- The same report did confirm that Russia meddled in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum
Russia’s Response
Russia has repeatedly denied interfering in Western democracies, elections or referendums, and has described the UK as gripped by “anti-Russian hysteria”.
Brexit Back on the Table
Last month Burnham argued that the UK should reconsider options for its future relationship with the EU, including rejoining. He said leaving had failed to deliver “taking back control” and had made the UK weaker economically and on immigration.
Image: Andy Burnham in Harlow, Essex, 2014 (file photo). Photo: Jon Clempner / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
