UK prime minister says Russia interfered in 2016 Brexit referendum

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 11 Oct, 21:18 · Archive

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said it is clear that Russia interfered with the 2016 Brexit referendum. He told the podcast 'The Rest is Politics' that he asked his advisers about Russian interference when he became prime minister in July and received a 'clear answer that yes, there was'. The intervention is believed to be the first time a British prime minister has publicly acknowledged Russian interference in the Brexit vote.

Burnham said it was important to put Moscow's interference on the record because countries across Europe face similar threats. He stated: '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.' He also spoke to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz about possible links between Russia and the far-right Alternative for Germany party when they met in Berlin last week.

Russia has long denied meddling in other countries' elections or referendums. Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee found in 2020 that the government had failed to fully assess the impact Russian state-run media and 'troll' accounts could have had on the EU referendum. UK intelligence agencies continue to warn about the increasing threat of Russian interference in Britain's democratic institutions.

How it is being reported

• UK prime minister say it is 'clear' Russia interfered in 2016 Brexit referendumU.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham says it's clear that Russia interfered with Britain’s vote to leave the European Union.Clickorlando · 11 Oct, 20:49
• UK prime minister say it is 'clear' Russia interfered in 2016 Brexit referendumU.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham says it's clear that Russia interfered with Britain’s vote to leave the European Union.News4Jax · 11 Oct, 20:49

In this story: Andy Burnham · Russia · UK · Germany · Friedrich Merz · Alternative for Germany · Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem