Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Russia interfered in the 2016 referendum on whether the United Kingdom should leave the European Union. After entering Downing Street, Burnham said he asked whether Russian interference had occurred and received a clear answer that it had. He also warned that similar efforts were taking place in France and Germany.
Burnham did not explain what form the activity took or describe its extent. He said Britain had been too defensive and had not sufficiently informed the public about attempts by overseas actors to disrupt political processes.
Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty declined to give specific evidence when asked about the referendum. He said Russia had attempted to interfere in several British democratic processes, was engaged in information warfare and was spending £1. 5 billion that year on disinformation and propaganda. Doughty said Burnham was making a wider point about efforts to destabilize British democracy, rather than raising the issue because he wanted Britain to rejoin the European Union.