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.”