UK PM Burnham says Russia interfered in 2016 Brexit vote

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has stated that Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit vote, marking a shift from former Prime Minister Boris Johnson's stance that no evidence of Russian interference existed. Burnham, who recently took over as Britain's leader in July, also warned voters in France and Germany about Moscow-backed efforts to influence their politics.

He is the first British prime minister to openly acknowledge interference in the 2016 referendum, a decade ago. Burnham stated that he asked the question regarding Russian interference in the 2016 Brexit vote and received a clear answer confirming its occurrence. However, he did not provide details on the specific methods of Russian interference or the evidence supporting this claim.

The Russian embassy in London did not immediately comment on Burnham's allegations, which Russia has previously denied, portraying Britain as gripped by anti-Russian hysteria.

Burnham's comments come as Britain voted 52% to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum, leading to the country's largest political crisis since World War Two. He emphasized the importance of better informing voters in European democracies about attempts to disrupt their politics, stating that these issues must be made clear on the record.

Burnham believes this information will help voters in Germany and France understand that some political actions are instigated by their adversaries, specifically Russia. Although Britain's government did not establish whether Russia meddled in the 2016 referendum during a 2020 report by the Intelligence and Security Committee, it found that Russia had attempted to influence Scotland's 2014 independence referendum, where voters rejected independence.

Burnham recently announced his intention to campaign to reunite Britain with the EU at the next general election, reigniting the debate over Britain's relationship with the continent.