UK PM says Russia interfered in Brexit referendum
What's the story
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has confirmed that Russia interfered in the Brexit referendum. He made the claim while speaking on The Rest is Politics podcast. Burnham said he had asked whether Moscow had tried to meddle with the 2016 vote and was told it did. His statement contradicts previous Conservative governments' stance, which maintained there was no evidence of successful interference by Russia in the referendum vote.
Investigation
Burnham's comments follow a 2020 report
Burnham's comments come after a 2020 report by Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee.
The cross-party group criticized the government and intelligence agencies for not properly investigating possible Russian interference in the referendum.
It found that ministers had not sought a full assessment of Moscow's activities, despite evidence of attempts to influence British politics through state-backed media outlets and social media accounts from Russia.
Transparency push
Call for transparency on foreign interference in British politics
Burnham has called for more transparency about attempts by hostile states to interfere in British politics.
He said this is especially important as European leaders are dealing with the rise of far-right parties.
Last month, Burnham had criticized Russian information warfare during a speech at the UN General Assembly, citing evidence that Moscow tried to interfere in the 2019 general election.
International dialogue
AfD's ties to Russia discussed with German chancellor
Burnham also spoke about the Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) party with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during a recent visit to Berlin.
He said Merz had expressed concerns over the party's ties to Russia.
"One thing I did say to Chancellor Merz... is we need to support you in taking on the threat that you face and particularly the type of politics that you're facing," Burnham added.