British PM stated that Russia interfered in the Brexit referendum ten years ago

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated that Russia indeed interfered in the 2016 referendum on the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, and warned that Moscow is doing similar things in France and Germany, writes the BBC.

Burnham said on The Rest is Politics podcast that when he first arrived at Downing Street after being elected leader of the Labour Party and appointed Prime Minister, he asked about possible Russian interference in that vote.

"I received a clear answer: yes, it happened," Burnham said.

"I believe we actually reacted too passively to this and did not sufficiently inform people about the extent to which political processes are being destabilized from abroad," he added.

Burnham did not provide further details about the nature or scale of Moscow's activities during the Brexit referendum.

The statement drew criticism from supporters of the UK's independence from the EU. The activist group Britain Unbound called Burnham's comments "yet another crude attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the decision made by the British people in 2016."

The group's statement noted that foreign interference in UK elections is "clearly unacceptable," but added: "There is no strong reason to believe that the outcome of the 2016 referendum was influenced by Russian interference." "Furthermore, it is insulting to suggest that voters are so easily deceived," the activists stated.

In an interview with the podcast hosts, set to air on Monday, Burnham stated that he discussed the issue of Russian interference with Chancellor Friedrich Merz during his visit to Germany earlier in the week.

"Undoubtedly, there is disinformation originating from Russia that influences German politics," he said.

The head of the British government continued: "Now it is important to clearly document these facts, and I believe this will help voters in Germany and France understand: part of this politics is initiated by our enemies, namely Russia."

For the first time in 10 years since the referendum, and after seven government changes, the country's prime minister stated that Russia attempted to influence the outcome of the referendum.

However, warnings about the Kremlin's attempts to influence UK politics are regular.

In 2020, the parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee published a report on Russian interference in UK elections and referendums.

The report did not draw a definitive conclusion on whether Russia attempted to influence the results of the EU withdrawal referendum, but it criticized successive governments for failing to fully assess and counter this threat.

In September, speaking at the UN General Assembly, Andy Burnham accused Russian special services of using "all available means to spread lies and disinformation, and to capitalize on people's fears."

Burnham stated that the UK would create a new center to "curb the poisonous wave" of disinformation.

• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0