Andy Burnham has claimed that Russia interfered with Brexit (Image: Getty)
Andy Burnham has claimed that Russia interfered with the Brexit referendum through social media campaigns. It marks the first time the UK Government has directly accused the Kremlin of using social media disinformation to interfere with British politics. The new Prime Minister said he requested an assessment of the Kremlin’s role in the referendum when he entered Downing Street in July. “I’ve had the clear answer that, yes, there was,” he said, speaking on the upcoming Rest is Politics podcast. The PM said it was important that this goes “on the record” so other European nations were aware ahead of their own elections.
He said: “These things are important now to put clearly on the record and I believe help voters in Germany and France understand that some of this politics is instigated via our enemies, namely, Russia. 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,” reports The Telegraph.
Mr Burnham said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz believes the far-Right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is surging in popularity, was linked to Russia.
Brexiteers may fear that Andy Burnham is using this as a pretext for a second referendum. The PM hinted that an in-out vote could feature in future Labour manifestos, while ruling out any immediate action.
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In an interview with the BBC, he stressed that “to leap back” to a referendum “wouldn’t be the right thing to do right now”. But when questioned over future possibilities, he said: “Yes, things are possible. I think where we are isn’t good enough.”
The Prime Minister said options could include staying “exactly as we are”, a closer relationship with the EU, or rejoining the EU customs union. He pledged in his Labour conference speech to explore closer ties with the bloc at a summit later this year.
It is not the first time Mr Burnham has pointed fingers at the Kremlin over social media interference. He hinted to an audience at the United Nations General Assembly that the Kremlin had sought to spread “division” and “despair” on social media in the 2019 general election.
Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee accused the Government in 2020 of failing to assess how Russian influence may have affected the June 2016 vote. The nine-month delayed, 55-page assessment of Russia’s interference in UK politics, said the Government and intelligence and security services, “underestimated the response required to the Russian threat and are still playing catch up”.
Wendy Morton, a shadow Foreign Office minister, said: “The threats from hostile nations come in different shapes and sizes, and attempts to interfere in our elections are particularly concerning.
“However, the result of the Brexit referendum is legitimate and its authenticity should not be questioned. The public made their decision and Andy Burnham’s attempts to turn back the clock to 2016 run against the best interests of our country.
“Measures to protect our democracy are welcome but they must not favour one side or the other.”
Andy Burnham Pins Brexit Blame on Russia as He Makes Extraordinary Claim
Andy Burnham has ignited a fresh political storm after claiming that Russia interfered in Britain’s 2016 Brexit referendum, reopening one of the most divisive questions in modern British politics: did a hostile foreign power attempt to influence the vote that took the UK out of the European Union?
The prime minister’s remarks have triggered fierce reactions from Brexit supporters, opposition politicians and campaigners who believe Britain should reconsider its relationship with Europe. Yet the controversy is more complicated than a simple argument over whether Russia supported Brexit. The crucial distinction is between evidence that Moscow attempted to interfere and evidence that such interference changed the result.
Burnham said he had asked about Russian involvement when he entered Downing Street in July 2026 and received a clear answer that interference had occurred. Speaking on The Rest Is Politics podcast, he argued that Britain needed to be more open about foreign attempts to disrupt democratic processes, particularly as other European countries face growing political divisions. <Cite refs={[“turn213733search0″,”turn213733news7”]}/>
His comments have placed the Brexit debate back in the headlines at a time when his government is already discussing closer ties with the European Union. Critics suspect that raising Russia’s role could strengthen the political case for revisiting Britain’s post-Brexit arrangements. Burnham, however, has maintained that the immediate priority is to put the issue of foreign interference on the public record.
The distinction matters. Establishing that a foreign government tried to influence a referendum is not the same as establishing that it determined the outcome. The available evidence must be examined carefully, without dismissing legitimate security concerns or making claims that go beyond what investigators have established.
What exactly did Burnham claim?
Burnham’s intervention followed his request for an assessment of Russia’s role in the 2016 referendum. He said the answer he received was that Moscow had interfered, and he argued that the public needed a clearer understanding of the ways foreign powers attempt to influence political debate.
He also linked the issue to developments elsewhere in Europe, suggesting that voters in countries such as Germany and France should be alert to attempts by Russia to exploit political divisions. His concern was that online misinformation and disinformation could weaken trust in democratic institutions and intensify existing tensions. <Cite refs={[“turn213733search3″,”turn213733search4”]}/>
That is a serious allegation, but it needs to be understood precisely. Burnham did not publicly produce a detailed intelligence assessment identifying every operation, the people responsible or the extent to which any activity affected individual voters. He also did not establish that Russia had changed the final referendum result.
His statement instead placed renewed emphasis on a question that British authorities had previously examined without fully resolving the issue of impact.
The 2016 referendum was decided by 51.9% voting to leave the EU and 48.1% voting to remain. The narrow margin has ensured that questions about campaigning, political messaging and outside influence continue to attract attention. But the closeness of the result does not, by itself, prove that foreign interference was decisive.
To establish that conclusion would require stronger evidence than the mere existence of a foreign influence campaign.