Burnham says Russia interfered in Brexit referendum, but office says it did not influence outcome

London, United Kingdom. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there was evidence that Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum. His office subsequently said Moscow had failed to affect the outcome and that Britain’s decision to leave the European Union was legitimate.

Comments on interference

Speaking on The Rest Is Politics podcast, Burnham said he had asked upon arriving at Downing Street whether Russia had interfered in the referendum and had received an unequivocal confirmation.

He offered no explanation of how the alleged interference occurred and did not identify the evidence underlying his statement. His comments accompanied a warning to voters in France and Germany about attempts backed by Moscow to influence politics in their countries.

Burnham is the first British prime minister to publicly state that evidence exists of Russian interference in the referendum. He became Britain’s leader in July and said last month that the country could consider returning to the European Union in the future.

Clarification and Russian response

On Monday, junior foreign office minister Stephen Doughty clarified the prime minister’s comments, saying there was no evidence that Russian interference in the referendum had succeeded.

A request for comment received no response from the Russian embassy in London. Russia has previously rejected allegations of meddling in the Brexit referendum and portrayed Britain as being consumed by anti-Russian hysteria.

Departure from Johnson’s position

Burnham’s statement differs from the position taken by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who supported the campaign to leave the EU. In 2020, Johnson said there was no evidence that Russia had interfered in the referendum.

The 2016 vote delivered a 52%-48% majority for leaving the EU, triggering Britain’s largest political crisis since World War Two.