A Question in Downing Street
When he entered Number 10, he asked whether there had been interference from Russia in the 2016 referendum. The answer he received was clear: Yes, there was. Burnham made that answer public this week on the podcast “The Rest is Politics.” [1] His statement marks a significant departure from the position taken by past Conservative governments, which had insisted there was no evidence of successful Russian interference in the hugely consequential referendum vote.
Who gave him that assessment, what evidence it was based on, or whether any interference affected the result of the vote, he did not disclose.
Burnham said Britain needs to be more open about attempts by hostile states to interfere in its politics. That openness is particularly important, he said, as European leaders grapple with the rise of the far right. In doing so, he connects the British debate to a continental European problem: the political process is being challenged not only from within but also from outside.
The Report That Listed Failures
In 2020, parliament’s intelligence and security committee published a report that sharply criticised the government and intelligence agencies. The cross-party committee found that ministers had failed to seek a full assessment of Moscow’s activities. There was evidence of attempts to influence British politics through Russian state-backed media outlets and social media accounts. The report noted that the government had not provided any post-referendum assessment of Russian attempts at interference — in contrast to the investigation undertaken in the US after the 2016 presidential election.
The committee made a fundamental point: whether a hostile state had sought to influence a democratic process was important regardless of whether those efforts had succeeded. The committee’s point was that the attempt itself mattered. This logic undermines the argument that without proven effect, there is no need for action.
The prime minister had attacked Russian information warfare last month in a speech to the UN general assembly. He said there was evidence Moscow had tried to interfere with the 2019 general election. This widened the debate over interference from 2016 to later electoral contests.
The Connection to Berlin
During a visit to Berlin this week, Burnham discussed the threat posed by the far-right Alternative für Deutschland with German chancellor Friedrich Merz. Burnham said Merz raised concerns about the party’s links to Russia. Burnham said Merz told him the AfD were clearly linked to Russia — funded, he believes. [1] Burnham added that there is misinformation and disinformation coming from Russia into German politics. [1] Burnham said he told Merz that Britain needed to support him in taking on the threat he faces, particularly the type of politics he is facing. This statement is part of a broader argument: Burnham said these things are important now to put clearly on the record, and he believes they help voters in Germany and France understand that some of this politics is instigated via enemies, namely Russia. He thus makes Russian influence a European topic, not a British special case.
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