British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has claimed that Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum, warning voters in France and Germany about Moscow-backed attempts to influence political developments in their countries.
Burnham, who became Britain's prime minister in July and said last month that the country could consider rejoining the European Union in the future, is the first British prime minister to publicly state that there was evidence of Russian interference in the referendum held 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," Burnham said in an interview with The Rest Is Politics podcast released on Sunday.
However, Burnham did not explain how he believed Russia had interfered in the referendum or provide details about the evidence supporting his statement.
The Russian embassy in London did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Moscow has previously denied interfering in the Brexit vote, accusing Britain of being caught up in anti-Russian hysteria.
Burnham's remarks differ from those of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who campaigned for Britain to leave the EU and said in 2020 that there was no evidence of Russian interference in the referendum.
In 2016, Britons voted 52% to 48% in favour of leaving the European Union, triggering Britain's most significant political crisis since the Second World War.
Burnham said voters in European democracies needed greater awareness of attempts to undermine their political systems.
"I mean, these things are important now to put clearly on the record, and I believe, help voters in Germany and France understand that some of this politics is instigated via our enemies, namely Russia," he said.
A 2020 report by Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee found that the British government had failed to determine whether Russia had interfered in the 2016 EU membership referendum.
The report also concluded that Russia had attempted to influence Scotland's 2014 independence referendum, in which voters rejected the proposal to become independent.
Last month, Burnham said he could campaign for Britain to rejoin the European Union at the next general election, reopening the country's divisive debate over its relationship with the continent.
