UK premier says Russia interfered in 2016 Brexit referendum

Andy Burnham says UK has failed to adequately inform public about foreign attempts to disrupt democratic processes

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum, warning that Russian disinformation is also affecting political debates in France and Germany. Speaking on The Rest is Politics podcast in an episode released Sunday, Burnham said he had asked about possible Russian interference after arriving at Downing Street. "I've had the clear answer that, yes, there was," he said. Burnham said the UK had not done enough to inform the public about foreign attempts to disrupt democratic processes. "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," he said. Burnham did not provide further details about the nature or extent of Russia's activities during the referendum campaign. Speaking to the BBC, Foreign Office Minister Stephen Doughty declined to provide specific evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 vote, saying he would not “get into specifics.” “Russia clearly has attempted to interfere on a number of our democratic processes,” Doughty said. He accused Moscow of engaging in information warfare and spending £1.5 billion ($1.9 billion) that year on disinformation and propaganda. In a separate interview with Sky News, Doughty said Russian attempts to interfere in the referendum had not been successful. Doughty also rejected suggestions that Burnham raised the issue to advance the cause of rejoining the European Union, saying the prime minister was making a broader point about Russian attempts to destabilize British democracy.   Russian interference in Germany, France Burnham said he had discussed Russian interference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during a recent visit to Germany. "There is certainly misinformation, disinformation that is emanating from Russia into German politics," he said. Burnham said voters in Germany and France should be made aware of foreign attempts to influence political debates. “These things are important now to put clearly on the record,” he said. He added that such information could help voters understand that “some of this politics is instigated via our enemies, namely Russia.” "We have had a decade of drift and division that has caused more harm than good. In my view, we are a more fractious country than we were. We have a weaker sense of direction. And these are all the things I’m trying to fix as prime minister," he said. Burnham also called for closer cooperation with Germany in confronting foreign interference. “One thing I did say to Chancellor Merz yesterday is, ‘We need to support you in taking on the threat that you face and particularly the type of politics that you’re facing.’ He was saying to me that the AfD is clearly linked to Russia, funded, I believe,” he added.​​​​​​​