Andy Burnham says Russia 'clearly' interfered in 2016 Brexit referendum as he gives latest hint at bid to rejoin EU

Published: 09:59 BST, 11 October 2026 | Updated: 06:57 BST, 12 October 2026

Andy Burnham has claimed Russia 'clearly' interfered in the Brexit referendum – in another indication he is pushing to rejoin the EU.

The Prime Minister said he had asked on arriving in Downing Street in July whether Moscow had meddled in the 2016 contest, and was given 'the clear answer that yes, there was'.

The comments, on the Rest is Politics podcast, are thought to be the first time a premier has publicly declared there was foreign influence on the outcome of the referendum a decade ago. It is bound to fuel further speculation about Mr Burnham trying to reverse Brexit.

He used his Labour conference speech to reopen the issue of EU membership, despite vowing before taking over from Keir Starmer that he would not.

Mr Burnham told europhile party activists that he wanted to explore 'options' including committing to rejoin in the next election manifesto. He refused to say whether there would need to be another referendum. 

Andy Burnham said he had asked on arriving in Downing Street whether Moscow had meddled in the 2016 contest, and was given the answer 'yes'

Vladimir Putin's regime has been repeatedly accused of trying to influence democracies in the West

Speaking on the podcast, Mr Burnham said he had spoken to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz about the influence of Russia during a visit to Berlin this week.

'There is certainly misinformation, disinformation that is emanating from Russia into German politics,' he said.

'But 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. 

'I mean, these things are important now to put clearly on the record and help voters in Germany and France understand that some of this politics is instigated via our enemies, namely Russia.'

Mr Burnham said the UK had been 'too much on the back foot' and as a result voters had not been 'informed sufficiently about the extent to which people are seeking to disrupt the political process from overseas'.

Brexiteers have consistently played down the impact of any foreign influence on the outcome of the referendum, pointing out that the result was clear. 

Speaking at the UN general assembly last month, Mr Burnham referred more broadly to Russian meddling. 

He said: 'We have evidence that they tried to interfere with the 2019 general election. We also know that they have tried to stoke tensions and unrest in the wake of horrific events.'

Shadow foreign minister Wendy Morton said: 'The threats from hostile nations come in different shapes and sizes, and attempts to interfere in our elections are particularly concerning.

'However, the result of the Brexit referendum is legitimate and its authenticity should not be questioned. The public made their decision and Andy Burnham's attempts to turn back the clock to 2016 run against the best interests of our country.

'Measures to protect our democracy are welcome but they must not favour one side or the other.'