UK PM Burnham Says Russia Interfered in 2016 Brexit Vote, a First for a British Prime Minister
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit vote, as he warned voters in France and Germany about Moscow-backed efforts to influence their politics. Burnham, who took over as Britain's leader in July and said last month that Britain could consider rejoining the European Union in the future, is the first British prime minister to say openly there was evidence of Russian interference in the referendum a decade ago. “I asked the question coming to Downing Street, was there interference in the 2016 referendum from Russia? And I've had the clear answer that yes, there was,” he said in an interview with The Rest Is Politics podcast released on Sunday.
Burnham did not spell out how he believed Russia interfered and gave no details on the evidence. The Russian embassy in London did not immediately respond to a request for comment; Russia has previously denied meddling, casting Britain as gripped by anti-Russian hysteria. His comments depart from those of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who campaigned to leave the EU and said in 2020 there was no evidence of Russian interference. Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee reported in 2020 that the government had failed to establish whether Russia meddled in the referendum. Burnham's office later clarified that Moscow had failed to influence the result and that the referendum outcome remains legitimate; junior foreign minister Stephen Doughty said on Monday there was no evidence Russia successfully interfered.
(Source: Reuters)
Source: Reuters
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 英国首相安迪·伯纳姆，CC BY 2.0（Wikimedia Commons）
