UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said it is “clear” that Russia interfered in the country’s 2016 Brexit vote, and he warned French and German voters that they face the same threat. He made the remarks in an interview with a podcast released on Sunday.
Burnham said he had asked whether Russia interfered in the 2016 referendum and had received “the clear answer that yes, there was.” He did not provide evidence or details to support the claim. His comments mark the first time a UK prime minister has publicly acknowledged Russian interference in the vote to leave the European Union.
Warning to voters in France and Germany
Burnham said it was important to place such matters clearly on the record, and that this could help voters in Germany and France understand that some political activity is driven by “our enemies, namely Russia.” He said he had raised possible links between Russia and the far-right Alternative for Germany party with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz when the two leaders met last week in Berlin.
In his address to the United Nations General Assembly in September, Burnham also condemned what he described as Russia’s attempt to interfere in the UK’s 2019 general election.
Parliamentary report and Russian denials
A 2020 report by Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee found that the UK government had failed to request a deep assessment of Russian interference in the 2016 referendum. The same report confirmed that Russia had meddled in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.
Russia has repeatedly denied meddling in Western democracies or interfering in other countries’ elections or referendums. It has cast the UK as gripped by “anti-Russian hysteria.”
Burnham calls for a rethink on EU relationship
Last month, Burnham argued that the UK should reconsider its options for a future relationship with the EU, including rejoining the bloc. He said the UK’s departure had failed to deliver Brexit supporters’ pledge of “taking back control” and had instead left the country weaker economically and on immigration.
