UK PM Burnham says Russia meddled in 2016 Brexit vote

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Sunday that intelligence services confirmed Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum, making him the first UK leader to state this publicly. Burnham, who took office in July, told The Rest Is Politics podcast he received a "clear answer" about Russian meddling after asking upon entering Downing Street.

He did not provide evidence or detail the nature of the alleged interference. The 2016 vote resulted in a 52% to 48% majority for leaving the European Union. Burnham warned that Russian disinformation currently targets politics in Germany and France.

“I believe that we have actually been far too passive about this and not informed people enough about how actively from across the border they try to disrupt the political process.”

Burnham said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told him this week that the AfD party is "clearly linked to Russia — funded, I believe." He argued voters need better information about foreign attempts to disrupt democratic processes.

The pro-Brexit group Britain Unbound called Burnham's comments an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the 2016 result. They stated there are no substantial grounds to believe Russian interference affected the outcome. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson denied in 2020 that evidence of Russian sway existed.

A 2020 report by Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee found the government failed to assess potential Russian impact on the referendum. The committee also found the Kremlin sought to influence Scotland's 2014 independence referendum. UK intelligence agencies believe Russia continues disinformation campaigns alongside cyberattacks and espionage.