Prime Minister Andy Burnham has stated that it is clear Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum. The revelation follows inquiries Burnham made regarding the Kremlin’s involvement in the vote immediately upon his arrival at Downing Street.
Speaking on the podcast The Rest is Politics, Burnham explained that he sought to determine whether Moscow had attempted to influence the referendum process. He told listeners, “I asked the question coming to Downing Street: well, was there interference in the 2016 referendum from Russia? I’ve had the clear answer that yes, there was.”
This assessment marks a distinct shift from the stance adopted by previous Conservative administrations, which consistently maintained that there was no evidence of successful Russian interference in the referendum. Burnham did not identify the source of his information, nor did he elaborate on the evidence supporting the assessment or whether the interference had an impact on the final result of the vote.
The issue of foreign meddling in British politics was previously highlighted in a 2020 report from parliament’s intelligence and security committee. The cross-party group criticized the government and intelligence agencies for failing to conduct a thorough investigation into potential Russian interference. The committee noted that ministers neglected to seek a comprehensive assessment of Moscow’s activities, despite evidence of efforts to influence domestic politics via state-backed media and social media accounts. The committee also contrasted the UK's approach with the United States, which conducted a formal investigation into Russian attempts to influence its 2016 presidential election.
Burnham emphasized that Britain must be more transparent regarding attempts by hostile states to interfere in its political processes, particularly as European leaders face rising far-right movements. During a recent visit to Berlin, the prime minister discussed the threat posed by the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Burnham reported that Merz raised concerns regarding the party’s alleged funding and links to Russia, noting that disinformation emanating from Moscow is currently impacting German politics.
“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,” Burnham said. He expressed his belief that the UK has been too passive in addressing these threats and has not sufficiently informed the public about overseas efforts to disrupt the political process. Last month, the prime minister also criticized Russian information warfare during a speech to the UN general assembly, citing evidence that Moscow attempted to interfere in the 2019 general election.
