PM says it is 'clear' Russia interfered with Brexit referendum

Andy Burnham has openly acknowledged that Russia interfered in the Brexit referendum, also warning that similar interference efforts are ongoing in countries such as France and Germany. Speaking on *The Rest is Politics* podcast, the prime minister revealed that when he began his term at No 10, he inquired about Russian involvement in the 2016 referendum and was unequivocally told that interference had indeed occurred.

Burnham expressed concern that the UK has not adequately informed the public about the scale of foreign attempts to disrupt its political processes, saying, “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.” Although he refrained from giving specific details regarding the nature or scope of Moscow’s activity during the Brexit vote, his comments marked the first direct admission by a UK prime minister that Russia sought to influence the outcome.

The remarks were met with criticism from Britain Unbound, a pro-Brexit campaign group, which described Burnham’s statement as a “crude attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the decision that the British people made in 2016.” While condemning any foreign interference in UK elections as unacceptable, the group insisted, “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.”

During his interview, Burnham also discussed Russia’s disinformation efforts with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, highlighting the ongoing spread of misleading information targeting German politics. He stressed the importance of transparency to help citizens in Germany and France recognize that some political disruptions are orchestrated by hostile foreign actors, specifically naming Russia. This revelation aligns with prior concerns raised by the UK Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee, which in 2020 criticized previous governments for not effectively addressing the Kremlin’s interference in elections, although it did not draw a firm conclusion regarding the Brexit referendum specifically. In response, Russia dismissed these allegations as “Russophobia” and denied meddling in other nations’ political affairs.

Further evidence of Russian influence operations includes the use of AI-generated fake videos impersonating journalists and news outlets to spread false narratives about Ukraine, as tracked by BBC Verify. One fabricated story claimed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had purchased a mansion from King Charles at a discounted rate. Vijay Rangarajan, head of the UK Electoral Commission, noted that Russian deepfake videos have been employed widely in elections globally and cautioned that Britain is unlikely to be an exception.

In a recent address to the United Nations, Burnham condemned Russian agencies for exploiting all available tactics to disseminate disinformation and sow fear. He announced plans to establish a new UK center dedicated to combating this “poisonous tide” of falsehoods. A Downing Street spokesperson underscored the government’s commitment to protecting citizens and institutions from threats by foreign powers, highlighting steps including the enhancement of national security laws, infrastructure resilience, border security, and bolstering police and intelligence capabilities

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