British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said Russia interfered in the UK’s 2016 Brexit referendum, revealing that he received confirmation after requesting information about Moscow’s activities when he entered Downing Street.
Burnham said the government had not done enough to inform the public about foreign attempts to influence democratic processes, warning that similar Russian activities were taking place in Germany and France.
Speaking on a podcast, in an interview scheduled for release on Monday, the prime minister said he had specifically asked about possible Russian interference in the Brexit vote after taking office. “I’ve had the clear answer that, yes, there was. I think we’ve been too much on the back foot on that actually and we haven’t informed people sufficiently about the extent to which people are seeking to disrupt the political process from overseas.”
Burnham did not disclose the nature or scale of Russia’s involvement in the referendum or provide evidence that it affected the final result.
His remarks mark the first time a serving British prime minister has publicly stated that Russia sought to influence the 2016 Brexit vote.
Britain Unbound, a pro-Brexit campaign organisation, criticised the prime minister’s comments, describing them as another crude attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the decision that the British people made in 2016.
The group acknowledged that foreign interference in British elections was unacceptable but disputed suggestions that Russian activities had influenced the referendum’s outcome. “There is no good reason to believe that Russian intervention influenced the outcome of the referendum in 2016. It is also insulting to suggest that voters were so easily duped.”
The prime minister said he had discussed Russian interference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during a visit to Germany earlier in the week.
He warned that misinformation and disinformation originating from Russia were already affecting German political debate. “There is certainly misinformation, disinformation that is emanating from Russia into German politics.”
He argued that governments needed to be more open about foreign attempts to influence voters, particularly in Germany and France. “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’s remarks follow years of warnings about Russian attempts to influence British politics.
In 2020, Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee published a report examining Russian interference in UK elections and referendums.
The committee did not reach a definitive conclusion on whether Russia had attempted to influence the outcome of the Brexit referendum. It criticised successive British governments for failing to adequately investigate or respond to the threat.
Russia rejected the findings, with its foreign minister dismissing the report as an example of “Russophobia.” A Kremlin spokesperson also denied that Moscow interfered in elections held by other countries.
The Conservative government at the time separately concluded that it was almost certain Russian actors had attempted to interfere in the UK’s 2019 general election.
More recently, BBC Verify has tracked Russian-linked disinformation operations involving artificial intelligence-generated videos impersonating journalists and established news organisations.
One campaign used a fake news website to circulate a false claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had purchased a mansion belonging to King Charles at a discounted price.
Earlier this year, UK Electoral Commission chief Vijay Rangarajan warned MPs that Russian deepfake videos had been widely used to influence elections internationally.
“There is no reason to assume Britain would be an exception.”
During his address to the United Nations last month, Burnham accused Russian agencies of using disinformation to exploit public fears and undermine democratic institutions.
He announced plans to establish a new UK centre to counter foreign disinformation campaigns.
A Downing Street spokesperson said the government was working to protect British citizens and institutions against foreign powers and their proxies.
“We are focused on ensuring our citizens and our institutions are protected from foreign powers and their proxies seeking to threaten lives and undermine our democratic values,” the spokesperson said.
The government said its response included strengthening powers under the National Security Act, improving the security of critical national infrastructure and reinforcing border protection, policing and intelligence capabilities.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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