Burnham triggers talk of a Brexit reversal after accusing Russia of meddling in vote

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham claimed on The Rest is Politics podcast that Russia interfered with the 2016 Brexit referendum. According to the Kyiv Post, Burnham stated that after arriving at 10 Downing Street, he received a clear answer that interference had occurred, though he did not specify the form or extent of the activity.

Burnham warned that similar activities are currently happening in Europe, specifically in France and Germany, and argued the UK has not sufficiently informed the public about overseas attempts to disrupt the political process.

The claims regarding the referendum have caused significant debate in Britain, which The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald describe as an "almighty row." Regarding the UK's relationship with the European Union, Burnham announced a summit with EU leaders scheduled for November 20. City AM reports that Burnham intends to take a "pragmatic" approach to boosting relations, including signing agreements on energy markets and food standards proposed by his predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer.

While Burnham suggested he could explore a full return to the EU, City AM reports he appeared to clarify remarks made at the Labour Party conference regarding the 2024 manifesto's "red lines" against re-joining the single market or customs union. Burnham stated his priority is a successful summit before entering serious dialogue about long-term options, noting that the British public should remain the deciding factor.

In response, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch accused him of "unpicking the deal" made after the UK left the bloc.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, Kyiv Post, City AM — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.