British Prime Minister: Russia interfered in the 2016 "Brexit" referendum
Agencies2 min read
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British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said that Russia interfered in the 2016 "Brexit" referendum, which resulted in his country's withdrawal from the European Union.
This came during his participation, on Monday, in a podcast hosted by former minister Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell, the former media advisor to former Prime Minister Tony Blair.
In response to a question from Stewart and Campbell regarding whether Russia had interfered in democratic processes, Burnham said that inquiring about this issue was one of the first things he did after taking office, and explained that "there was interference from Russia in the 2016 referendum."
He criticized his country's defensive handling of election interference, saying: "We have not informed the public enough that some foreign entities are trying to disrupt the political process."
The British Prime Minister did not provide details regarding the extent of "Russian interference" in the referendum, but explained that he discussed this issue with his German counterpart Friedrich Merz during his visit to Germany last week.
He added: "There is no doubt that misinformation and deliberate disinformation originating from Russia are spreading in German politics."
In a referendum held in June 2016, 51.9 percent of Britons voted in favor of leaving the European Union, while the United Kingdom officially left the bloc in January 2020.