UK Prime Minister States Russia Interfered in Brexit Vote

Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated that it is "clear" Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum and warned that similar activities are currently targeting political processes in France and Germany.

Burnham made the remarks on The Rest is Politics podcast, explaining that upon entering office, he inquired about potential Russian interference in the 2016 vote and received a definitive affirmative answer. "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," he added.

While Burnham did not elaborate on the specific nature or scale of Moscow's actions during the referendum, his comments mark the first time a UK prime minister has directly asserted Russian interference in the Brexit poll. Warnings about the Kremlin's efforts to influence UK politics have been ongoing for years.

In 2020, a report by Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee examined Russian interventions in UK elections and referendums. The report did not conclusively determine whether Russia had attempted to influence the outcome of the EU referendum but criticized successive governments for their inadequate assessment and counteraction of the threat.

At the time, Russia's foreign ministry dismissed the report as "Russophobia," and a Kremlin spokesman stated that Russia does not meddle in other countries' elections. However, in the same year, the UK government stated it was "almost certain that Russian actors sought to interfere" in the 2019 general election.

Recent reports have also highlighted Russian-linked disinformation campaigns, including the use of artificial intelligence to create fake videos impersonating journalists and news organizations, particularly concerning events in Ukraine. The UK Electoral Commission has noted the extensive use of such deepfake videos in global elections, with an acknowledgement that Britain is unlikely to be an exception.

Burnham recently addressed the United Nations, accusing Russian agencies of employing "every means at their disposal to spread lies and disinformation and prey on people's fears." During his UN speech, he announced the UK's plan to establish a new center aimed at combating disinformation. A Downing Street spokesperson affirmed the government's commitment to protecting citizens and institutions from foreign interference by strengthening national security powers, institutional resilience, borders, and law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

Pro-Brexit campaign group Britain Unbound called Burnham's comments an "attempt to undermine the legitimacy" of the 2016 referendum result. The group stated that while foreign interference is unacceptable, there is "no good reason to believe that Russian intervention influenced the outcome of the referendum in 2016" and that suggesting voters were "easily duped" is insulting.

Burnham also discussed the issue of Russian interference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during a recent visit to Germany, noting the presence of Russian misinformation and disinformation targeting German politics. He emphasized the importance of clearly stating these facts to help voters in Germany and France understand the origins of some political instigation from Russia.