MI5 chief warns against amplifying Russian propaganda over Brexit referendum row

MI5 chief Sir Ken McCallum has expressed concern about feeding Russian propaganda after Prime Minister Andy Burnham claimed Moscow attempted to sway the 2016 Brexit referendum. Sir Ken warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin's online trolls would be "delighted" if the controversy surrounding Burnham's remarks escalates. While Russia was confirmed to have sought influence in the referendum, Sir Ken dismissed the "comparative unimpressiveness" of their efforts.

He cautioned the UK against amplifying the impact of Russian trolls, as doing so might make them appear more significant than they truly are. Burnham had previously stated that the UK intelligence community believed Russia had interfered in the 2019 general election, a claim the Prime Minister denied. Speaking at MI5's headquarters, Sir Ken emphasized the distinction between attempts to interfere and actual shifts in outcomes, noting that Russian media had strongly covered the referendum beforehand.

He also acknowledged the existence of online interference through trolls and bots during the 2016 referendum. However, he expressed worry that persistent debate about Russian interference could inadvertently benefit the adversaries who, despite limited impact, would once again be front-page news.