UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated that Moscow meddled in the 2016 Brexit vote, warning that similar Russian operations are targeting elections in France and Germany.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said that Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum, marking the first time a British prime minister has acknowledged Moscow meddled in the vote to leave the European Union. Burnham spoke on The Rest is Politics podcast, where BBC News reported the episode was due to be released on Monday, while Al Jazeera reported it came out on Sunday. Burnham said that after entering Downing Street, he asked officials whether Russia had intervened in the referendum and received a clear answer that it did.
Warnings to European allies
Burnham stated that Britain had stayed on the back foot regarding foreign interference and hadn’t sufficiently informed the public about efforts to disrupt the democratic process. He didn’t offer specific evidence or describe the extent of Moscow’s actions during the 2016 campaign.
Burnham explained that he wanted to put the issue on the record to help voters in France and Germany see that their own political debates are facing Russian interference. He said disinformation coming from Russia is entering German politics. Burnham discussed the problem with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during a trip to Germany earlier this week, according to BBC News, while Al Jazeera reported that the meeting took place last week in Berlin and included talks on possible links between Russia and the Alternative for Germany party.
Past inquiries and Russian denials
Britain Unbound, a pro-Brexit campaign group, criticized Burnham’s comments, calling foreign intervention unacceptable while describing the prime minister’s claims as “another crude attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the decision that the British people made in 2016”. The group said there is no good reason to believe Russian actions altered the result, adding that voters were not easily duped.
Russia has repeatedly denied interfering in other countries’ votes, describing British accusations as Russophobia and anti-Russian hysteria.
The debate over foreign intervention follows a 2020 report by Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee. The committee criticized successive governments for failing to assess or counter threats, with Al Jazeera reporting that the government failed to request a deep assessment of the 2016 referendum. While the inquiry did not offer a definitive finding on whether Moscow attempted to influence the Brexit result, it confirmed that Russia meddled in Scotland’s 2014 independence referendum. Later in 2020, the Conservative government stated it was almost certain that Russian actors tried to meddle in the 2019 UK general election.
Countering disinformation and reconsidering Europe
Efforts to monitor foreign manipulation have continued in Britain. Earlier this year, Vijay Rangarajan, head of the UK Electoral Commission, told members of Parliament that Russian deepfake videos were being used widely in elections worldwide, adding: “There is no reason to assume Britain would be an exception.”
BBC Verify has tracked Russian campaigns that use artificial intelligence to impersonate reporters covering Ukraine, alongside websites spreading false claims, such as a fabricated story that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky bought a mansion from King Charles.
In a speech to the United Nations General Assembly in September, Burnham condemned Russian interference in the 2019 vote and accused Moscow of using every available tool to spread disinformation and prey on fears. He announced that Britain will establish a new centre to combat the flow of false information. A Downing Street spokesperson said the government is working to protect citizens and institutions by strengthening intelligence services, border controls, critical infrastructure, and powers under the National Security Act.
The prime minister also touched on Britain’s broader relationship with Europe last month, arguing that the country should reconsider options for its ties with the European Union, including rejoining the bloc. Burnham said leaving the European Union failed to deliver the promised control and left Britain weaker economically and on immigration.
