British Prime Minister: Russia intervened in 2016 Brexit referendum
Quick Look
- British Prime Minister Andy Burnham claimed that Russia interfered in the Brexit referendum and revealed that similar activities were taking place in France and Germany.
- No specific evidence or method was provided, and pro-Brexit groups criticized this as an attempt to undermine legitimacy.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Prime Minister Burnham said he had received a clear answer after checking the possibility of Russian intervention in the Brexit referendum, but did not provide specific evidence or methods. In 2020, the British Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee also investigated the possibility of Russian intervention, but was unable to reach a definitive conclusion.
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim A-ram = British Prime Minister Andy Burnham claimed that Russia intervened in the 2016 Brexit (Britain's withdrawal from the European Union) referendum and that similar activities were taking place in France and Germany.
According to the BBC on the 11th (local time), Prime Minister Burnham made this statement while appearing on the political podcast 'The Rest is Politics'.
He said that after taking office as prime minister, he checked the possibility of Russian intervention in the Brexit referendum and “received a clear answer that there was intervention.”
He added, “In fact, I think we have responded to this issue too defensively,” adding, “We have not sufficiently informed the public about the extent of attempts to disrupt the political process abroad.”
However, Prime Minister Burnham did not explain in detail which organization the response was received from, how Russia intervened, and whether it actually influenced the referendum result.
The BBC explained that this is the first time that a British prime minister has publicly stated that Russia interfered in the Brexit referendum.
The Prime Minister's remarks were criticized by the pro-Brexit group Britain Unbound as "a crude attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the decision made by the British people in 2016."
The group said foreign interference in the UK election was "clearly unacceptable" but said there were "no reasonable grounds to believe that Russian interference influenced the outcome of the 2016 referendum."
Prime Minister Burnham also revealed that he discussed the issue of Russian intervention with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during his recent visit to Germany. He said, “It is clear that false and fabricated information originating from Russia is flowing into German politics.”
“It is important to clearly formalize these facts now,” he said. “It will help German and French voters understand that some political movements are being promoted by our enemy, namely Russia.”
Even before Prime Minister Burnham's remarks, there were warnings in British political circles that Russia was trying to exert influence on British politics.
In 2020, the British Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) published a report investigating possible Russian interference in the UK's elections and Brexit referendum.
At the time, the report did not make a definitive conclusion about whether Russia interfered in the Brexit referendum, but criticized the British government and intelligence agencies for failing to sufficiently assess the threat.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The British government will prepare additional investigations or response plans to Russian election interference.
Likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- How did Russia intervene?
- Which organization did you receive a response from?
- Did it actually influence the referendum result?
