UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said authorities had told him Russia interfered in the 2016 referendum in which Britain voted to leave the European Union. Speaking on The Rest Is Politics podcast, Burnham said he had asked about possible Russian involvement after arriving at Downing Street and received a clear affirmative answer.
Burnham did not provide evidence or details of the alleged interference. Deutsche Welle reported that the referendum result was 52% for leaving the EU and 48% against. The reports described Burnham as the first British prime minister to publicly acknowledge Russian interference in the vote. He said the issue should be made clear to voters in France and Germany, according to Al Jazeera. The Observer said his comments could lead to greater government transparency about what UK authorities knew.