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British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Russia interfered in the 2016 referendum in which the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. He made the remarks as a guest on "The Rest is Politics," a podcast hosted by former minister Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell, a former press adviser to Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Asked whether Moscow has meddled in democratic processes, Burnham said one of his first questions after taking office concerned the Brexit vote. "The moment I walked into Downing Street, my first question was whether there had been Russian interference in the 2016 referendum. The answer was very clear: 'Yes, there was,'" he said. He gave no details about the extent of the alleged interference.

Burnham argued that speaking openly matters, saying he believes putting such findings on record could help voters in Germany and France understand that some political developments are stirred up by Russia, which he described as an adversary. He also criticised the UK for being "on the back foot" on election interference, saying officials had not adequately informed the public that foreign actors were trying to disrupt the political process.

Burnham said he discussed the issue with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during a visit to Germany last week, adding that Russian-origin misinformation and deliberate disinformation were certainly spreading into German politics. A No. 10 spokesperson and Middle East minister Stephen Doughty said the Russian interference in 2016 had failed, and that the government stood by the legitimacy of the referendum result.

Key Takeaways

• Prime Minister Andy Burnham said his first question on entering Downing Street was whether Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum, and the answer was yes.
• Burnham gave no details on the scale of the interference and said he raised the topic with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin last week.
• A Downing Street spokesperson and minister Stephen Doughty said the interference failed and that the referendum result remains legitimate.