British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum, urging voters in France and Germany to remain alert to foreign efforts to influence their politics.
In an interview released on Sunday by The Rest Is Politics podcast, Burnham said he had asked about Russian interference after entering Downing Street and received confirmation that it had occurred. However, he provided no details about the evidence or the methods allegedly used.
The Russian embassy in London did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Moscow has previously denied interfering in the Brexit referendum.
Burnham’s statement contrasts with former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s position in 2020, when he said there was no evidence of Russian interference in the vote.
A report published by the UK Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee in 2020 found that the government had failed to establish whether Russia had interfered in the referendum. The report also said Russia had sought to influence Scotland’s 2014 independence referendum, in which voters rejected independence.
In the June 2016 referendum, 52 per cent of British voters supported leaving the European Union, while 48 per cent voted to remain. The result triggered years of political disputes over Britain’s relationship with the bloc.
Burnham said making information about foreign interference public could help voters in other European democracies better understand attempts to influence their political debates.
Last month, he said Britain could consider rejoining the EU in the future and suggested he might campaign for membership at the next general election, reopening debate over the country’s long term relationship with Europe.
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