# Burnham: Russia clearly interfered in Brexit vote

> The Prime Minister says he received confirmation of Russian meddling in the 2016 referendum, breaking with past Conservative governments' position.
- Title: Burnham: Russia clearly interfered in Brexit vote | Shortify
- Summary: The Prime Minister says he received confirmation of Russian meddling in the 2016 referendum, breaking with past Conservative governments' position. Prime…
- Keywords: andy burnham, russia, brexit, two thousand sixteen referendum, downing street, conservative government, intelligence and security committee, news, world, Burnham, clearly, interfered
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/politics/2026/oct/11/andy-burnham-russia-interfered-brexit-vote
- Published: 2026-10-11T15:33:15+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: andy burnham, russia, brexit, two thousand sixteen referendum, downing street, conservative government, intelligence and security committee, news, world
## Burnham breaks with past position
Prime Minister Andy Burnham says Russia interfered in the two thousand sixteen Brexit referendum, reversing the stance taken by previous Conservative governments.
## He asked the question at No ten
Burnham said he asked whether Moscow had attempted to influence the referendum when entering Downing Street and received confirmation that it had.

> I asked the question coming to Downing Street: well, was there interference in the 2016 referendum from Russia? I've had the clear answer that yes, there was.
## Key details remain undisclosed
Burnham did not reveal who gave him the assessment, what evidence it was based on, or whether any interference had affected the referendum result.
## Parliament's committee criticised inaction
A report by parliament's intelligence and security committee in two thousand twenty found ministers had failed to seek a full assessment of Moscow's activities despite evidence of attempts to influence British politics.
## Britain must be more open, Burnham says
Burnham said Britain needed to be more open about hostile state interference in its politics, particularly as European leaders grapple with the rise of the far right.

> We haven't informed people sufficiently about the extent to which people are seeking to disrupt the political process from overseas.
## Merz raises Russian links to AfD
During a visit to Berlin this week, Burnham discussed the far-right Alternative für Deutschland with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who raised concerns about the party's links to Russia.

> the AfD are clearly linked to Russia, funded, I believe.
## Key takeaway

Prime Minister Andy Burnham says Russia interfered in the Brexit referendum, reversing the previous government's insistence there was no evidence of successful meddling.