UK PM calls Russian interference in 2016 Brexit referendum obvious

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said that Russia did interfere in the referendum on the UK's departure from the European Union (Brexit) and warned that similar activity is taking place in France and Germany today.

Source: Burnham on The Rest Is Politics podcast, as quoted by the ВВС

Details: Burnham said that, after taking office, he had asked about possible Russian interference in the 2016 Brexit referendum.

"I've had the clear answer that, yes, there was," he said.

Quote: "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."

Details: Burnham did not provide further details about the nature or scale of Moscow's activities during the Brexit referendum.

Meanwhile, the pro-Brexit group Britain Unbound said Burnham's comments were "another crude attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the decision that the British people made in 2016".

The group said in its statement that foreign interference in UK elections was "obviously unacceptable", but added: "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."

In an interview due to be released on Monday 12 October, Burnham said he had discussed Russian interference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during his visit to Germany earlier this week.

Quote: "There is certainly misinformation, disinformation that is emanating from Russia into German 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."

Details: The BBC noted that this is the first time a UK prime minister has said that Russia attempted to influence the 2016 Brexit referendum, although warnings about Kremlin attempts to influence British politics have been made for years.

In 2020, the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament posted a report on Russian interference in UK elections and referendums.

It did not reach a definitive conclusion on whether Russia had attempted to influence the outcome of the EU referendum, but criticised successive governments for failing to fully assess or counter the threat.

Russia's foreign minister immediately rejected the report in response, calling it "Russophobia".

A Kremlin spokesperson also said that Russia had not interfered in other countries' elections.

However, that same year, the then Conservative government said it was "almost certain that Russian actors sought to interfere" in the 2019 general election.

BBC Verify has tracked disinformation campaigns linked to Russia, including the use of artificial intelligence to create fake videos impersonating journalists and media outlets covering events in Ukraine.

One fake news website spread false claims that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had bought a mansion belonging to King Charles at a reduced price.

Earlier this year, Vijay Rangarajan, Chief Executive of the Electoral Commission, told MPs that Russian videos using deepfake technology had been "used extensively in elections around the world".

"There is no reason to assume Britain would be an exception," he added.

Last month, speaking at the United Nations, Burnham accused Russian intelligence services of using "every means at their disposal to spread lies and disinformation and prey on people's fears".

He announced that the UK would establish a new centre to "stem the poisonous tide" of disinformation.

"We are focused on ensuring our citizens and our institutions are protected from foreign powers and their proxies seeking to threaten lives and undermine our democratic values.

We are doing this by strengthening our powers through the National Security Act, strengthening the resilience of our institutions and critical national infrastructure, strengthening our borders, and strengthening our police and intelligence agencies," a Downing Street spokesperson said.

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