What happened
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated that Russia interfered in the UK's 2016 referendum on leaving the European Union. He claimed to have received a clear answer that Russian interference occurred, but did not provide evidence to support this claim. Burnham also warned voters in France and Germany about potential Russian efforts to influence their political systems.
Burnham's comments are the first time a British prime minister has publicly acknowledged Russian interference in the Brexit referendum. The UK voted to leave the EU in June 2016, with 52 percent in favor of leaving and 48 percent against. The country officially left the EU on January 31, 2020.
A British official stated that Russia had attempted to interfere in the referendum but was unsuccessful. However, a campaign group called Britain Unbound criticized Burnham's comments, saying they were an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the referendum result and insulting to voters who supported Brexit.
