British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum, warning voters in France and Germany that Moscow-backed efforts could influence politics in their countries.
Mr Burnham, who became prime minister in July, said he had been given a clear confirmation that Russian interference had taken place. He is the first British prime minister to make the claim openly.
“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,” he said in an interview released on Sunday.
He did not explain how Russia had allegedly intervened or set out the evidence behind his statement. The Russian embassy in London did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Russia has previously denied meddling in the Brexit vote, accusing Britain of being gripped by anti-Russian hysteria.
Mr Burnham’s comments contrast with those of former prime minister Boris Johnson, who campaigned for Britain to leave the European Union and said in 2020 that there was no evidence of Russian interference.
A report by Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee that year said the Government had failed to establish whether Russia had meddled in the referendum. It also found that Russia had sought to influence Scotland’s 2014 independence referendum, in which voters rejected independence.
Britons voted by 52 per cent to 48 per cent to leave the EU in 2016, triggering the country’s biggest political crisis since the Second World War.
Mr Burnham said voters in European democracies needed to be better informed about attempts to disrupt their politics.
“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,” he said.
Mr Burnham said last month that he could campaign to take Britain back into the EU at the next general election, reopening the divisive debate over the country’s relationship with Europe.
