UK Prime Minister Burnham Says Russia Interfered in 2016 Brexit Vote

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said UK authorities are clear that Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum, becoming the first serving prime minister to publicly confirm Kremlin involvement in the vote.

Speaking on *The Rest Is Politics* podcast, Burnham said he asked about Russian interference after entering Downing Street this summer and received “the clear answer that yes, there was.” He did not identify who provided that assessment, disclose the evidence behind it or say whether the interference affected the referendum result.

A 2020 report by Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee criticised the government and intelligence agencies for failing to conduct a full assessment of possible Russian interference. The committee cited evidence of attempts to influence British politics through Russian state-backed media and social media accounts, but did not determine whether such activity changed the outcome.

Burnham said Britain should be more open about foreign attempts to disrupt democratic politics. He linked the issue to concerns in Germany and France, saying he had discussed Russian misinformation and the far-right Alternative für Deutschland party with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during a recent visit to Berlin.

The prime minister also referred to evidence of attempted Russian interference in Britain’s 2019 general election, an issue he raised in a recent speech to the UN General Assembly.