Burnham says Russia interfered in Brexit referendum

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he had received confirmation of Russian interference in the 2016 referendum on leaving the European Union. Excerpts from his interview with The Rest Is Politics podcast were released on October 11.

Burnham said he had asked his advisers after entering Downing Street whether Russia had interfered in the vote and had received an affirmative answer. AP and ITV News reported the prime minister's remarks.

The excerpts quoted did not disclose the information underpinning his conclusion. The statement itself does not establish the scale of the alleged interference or its effect on the referendum's result.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly in September, Burnham also accused Russia of spreading disinformation. The Kremlin has rejected such accusations, while spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has described London's rhetoric as stoking anti-Russian sentiment.