UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has accused Russia of interfering in Britain’s 2016 vote to leave the European Union, warning that countries across Europe face the same threat.
In excerpts from an episode of “The Rest Is Politics” podcast released on Sunday, Burnham said he asked his advisers after becoming prime minister in July whether Russia had interfered in the Brexit referendum. “I’ve had the clear answer that yes, there was,” Burnham said.
Earlier reporting noted: British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit vote, as he warned voters in France and Germany about Moscow-backed efforts to influence their politics.
Burnham also said he discussed possible links between Russia and Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz when the two leaders met in Berlin last week. “You know he was saying to me that the AfD are clearly linked to Russia, funded I believe,” Burnham said. In 2020, Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee found that the British government had failed to fully assess the potential impact of Russian state-run media and “troll” accounts on the EU referendum. Earlier reporting noted: Burnham, who took over as Britain’s leader in July and said last month that Britain could consider rejoining the European Union in the future, is the first British prime minister to say openly there was evidence of Russian interference in the referendum a decade ago.
Burnham’s remarks come amid warnings from UK intelligence agencies about the growing threat of Russian interference in Britain’s democratic institutions. His comments are believed to mark the first time a British prime minister has publicly acknowledged Russian interference in the Brexit vote.