MI5 chief says Russian Brexit interference was real but had little impact
After PM Andy Burnham said it was "clear" Russia meddled in the 2016 referendum, MI5's Ken McCallum confirms attempted interference but downplays its effect.
Part of a larger narrative
UK Rejoining EU Debate
- MI5 chief says Russian Brexit interference was real but had little impactyou are here
- Burnham tells Commons that spurning closer EU ties is a 'dereliction of duty'
What to know
- Burnham is the first UK prime minister to publicly say authorities are 'clear' Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum, though he will not say who told him or what evidence it rests on.
- MI5 director general Sir Ken McCallum later confirmed interference attempts occurred but said they had little practical impact, while cautioning against amplifying Russian propaganda via the row.
- Conservatives accused Burnham of trying to delegitimise the referendum result; Burnham insists he never said interference altered the outcome.
- Burnham is using the Russia claim to argue for closer UK-EU relations ahead of a summit focused on trade and migration.
The dispute Whether Burnham's claim is a genuine, overdue intelligence disclosure or an unsubstantiated political move aimed at reopening Brexit to support rejoining the EU. · positions read across 108 posts and comments
Burnham's claim is unsubstantiated and politically convenient, timed to support his push to reopen EU ties.
-
“This is an unsubstantiated claim by Burnham who is in the midst of trying to develop a policy proposal for rejoining the EU. You should take this statement as a form of electioneering”
AlfredsChild · reddit ↗
Russian interference may have happened but voters still chose Brexit for their own reasons, and the campaign's euroscepticism predates any meddling.
-
“Britons voted for Brexit. Individuals. People. They voted based on their beliefs. The russians exposed those beliefs... Don't think that eliminating bots will stop these horrendous situations from happening.”
cealild · reddit ↗
This is a vindicating, long-overdue admission after years of government denial and should trigger a proper inquiry.
-
“FINALLY after years of cover-ups & denials from the highest levels of the UK govt. That in itself deserves an inquiry.”
@carolecadwalla · X ↗
“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”
Andy Burnham, UK Prime Minister · Kyiv Independent ↗ · Oct 10
Andy Burnham UK Prime Minister
Kemi Badenoch Conservative Party leaderSir Ken McCallum Director General of MI5
Sergei Markov Former Putin spokespersonDame Emily Thornberry Labour MP, chair of Foreign Affairs Select Committee
How it unfolded 8 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesvideospostscomments
-
8
MI5 chief says Russian interference had 'little impact'
Sir Ken McCallum, MI5's director general, said it was openly documented that Russia sought to interfere in the 2016 referendum but that the effort had little practical effect, while warning against amplifying Russian propaganda through the row.
-
1 outlet first by BBC, 15h ago · read ↗
-
first by Evening Standard, 18h ago
-
-
7
Burnham sets trade and migration as summit priorities
Burnham said the UK-EU 'status quo is not good enough for Britain' and signalled he would prioritise trade and migration issues at the upcoming summit, following the interference row.
-
1 outlet first by EUobserver, 18h ago · read ↗
-
A
"The prime minister is a liar, yes, a liar." - Farage on Russian influence in Brexit. Nathan Gill, Farage's top man in Cymru, took £40K off Russian money to read prepared scripts by Oleg Voloshyn, to defend Russian TV channels, in the EU Parliament. Apparently these two things are not related? # Brexit # RejoinEU # RussianInterference # Farage…
2 more of the top 3 · 5 posts in this stretch
-
But when you say "we have proof" it's not an incredible "gotcha" moment for journalists to ask what the proof is. Alright . Direct link if you need it. Page 12 is especially pertinent . That's even with the inquiry being intentionally crippled by the Conservative government led by... er, pro-Brexit politicians at the time. Funny that.
-
E
The UK-EU "status quo is not good enough for Britain", claimed the British prime minister after accusing Russia of meddling in the Brexit referendum. https:// euobserver.com/242451/burnham- to-prioritise-trade-and-migration-at-uk-eu-summit-after-accusing-russia-of-meddling-in-brexit-referendum/
-
-
6
Former Putin spokesperson Markov calls the claim 'a direct lie'
On BBC Newsnight, former Kremlin spokesperson Sergei Markov rejected Burnham's claim outright, saying either the prime minister or British intelligence was lying.
“It's a direct lie... Either Prime Minister Burnham is lying, or the intelligence service of Great Britain.”
— Sergei Markov -
"It's a direct lie... Either Prime Minister Burnham is lying, or the intelligence service of Great Britain." Former Putin spokesperson Sergei Markov says that the PM's claim that Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum is "absolutely a clear lie." #Newsnight
1 more of the top 2 · 2 posts in this stretch
-
N
From # Brexit with love: # BrexitBritain ’s PM confirms Russian interference in 2016 referendum
-
-
5
Burnham links Russian meddling to case for closer UK-EU ties
Burnham said Russian attempts to meddle in European politics show why Britain must forge closer relations with the EU, as the UK and EU confirmed the date of a summit.
-
1 outlet first by Japan Today, 1d ago · read ↗
-
Burnham calling a spade a spade. If Britain wants to strike a blow against Putin the single best thing we could do is rejoin the EU.
-
-
4
Burnham denies saying Russia altered the referendum result
Responding to an MP's question in the Commons about how Russia could have altered the outcome, Burnham clarified he had not claimed the result itself was changed.
“I didn't say that. I haven't at any point said it altered the result.”
— Andy Burnham -
🇬🇧🇷🇺 It's Russia. AGAIN. 😂 Immigration? Russia. Trump? Russia. AfD gaining popularity in Germany? Russia. And now Britain's PM Andy Burnham says he's been told Russia interfered in the Brexit referendum TEN YEARS AGO. Who told him? We don't know. What did they find? He
2 more of the top 3 · 6 posts in this stretch
-
W
Farage has accused Burnham of being a lier regarding Russian interference in UK politics. Peter Jukes summarises much of the evidence here. Leaving that aside, foreign ‘interference’ form the likes of Palantir are being embedded in politics and political decision making in the UK. I wonder whether Burnham might be assumed of roofing a smokescreen…
-
If Russia interfered in the UK's elections, by that logic, Boris Johnson should be a Russian agent as well. His party won in 2019 and just recently, they claimed Russia interfered in that election too. Source here: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-53433523 Last time I checked, Johnson hates Russia with a passion. Did Russia help Johnson get…
-
-
3
Tories accuse Burnham of being 'dangerous and divisive'
A Conservative shadow minister said the referendum was a 'legitimate vote' and accused Burnham of trying to reopen the Brexit debate; Kemi Badenoch questioned him directly in the Commons.
-
first by UPI, 2d ago · also Guardian
1 more headline
-
🚨 @andyburnham’s admission that Russia interfered in the 2016 referendum changes the political and constitutional debate, even if it does not automatically undo Brexit in law. For years, the government’s formulation was that it had seen no evidence of successful Russian
2 more of the top 3 · 35 posts in this stretch
-
G
I should add, that clip from a @cnn.com interview is from 2022, when @carolecadwalla.bsky.social won a case against pals of Russia. The revelations weren't followed up back then, PM Burnham just acknowledged tat there was Russian interference in the brexit vote.
-
F
# BBCNews - PM says it is 'clear' Russia interfered with Brexit vote https://www. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6jdm3 zggl0ko
-
-
2
Journalists and commentators call it a vindicating admission
Reporters and commentators, including Carole Cadwalladr and Luke Harding, framed the statement as ending years of government denial and called for a fuller inquiry.
“FINALLY after years of cover-ups & denials from the highest levels of the UK govt. That in itself deserves an inquiry.”
— @carolecadwalla -
NEW: Ten years on, Prime Minister @andyburnham tells @campbellclaret & @RoryStewartUK that there was ‘clear’ Russian interference in the Brexit vote. FINALLY after years of cover-ups & denials from the highest levels of the UK govt. That in itself deserves an inquiry. 1/
2 more of the top 3 · 59 posts in this stretch
-
F
Breaking news: UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has accused Moscow of meddling in the 2016 Brexit referendum and warns European voters of the Russian threat ft.
-
H
Andy Burnham has said UK authorities are “clear” that there was Russian interference in the Brexit vote: this is the first time a prime minister has confirmed Kremlin involvement in the 2016 referendum. https:// observer.co.uk/news/national/a rticle/from-russia-with-interference-burnham-first-pm-to-confirm-kremlin-role-in-brexit-vote # Ukraine #…
-
-
1
Burnham tells podcast Russia 'clearly' interfered in Brexit vote
On The Rest Is Politics podcast, Burnham said he asked on entering Downing Street whether Russia had tried to influence the 2016 referendum and was told it had, marking the first time a UK prime minister has confirmed Kremlin involvement.
“I asked the question coming to Downing Street: well, was there interference in the 2016 referendum from Russia? I've had the clear answer that yes, there was.”
— Andy Burnham -
first by Philadelphia Inquirer, 2d ago · also ABC News, Times of India, Al Jazeera, Hindustan Times, The Independent, Meduza EN +14
8 more headlines
- UK prime minister says it's 'clear' Russia interfered in Brexit referendum ABC News · 2d ago
- UK PM says Russia interfered in Brexit vote, warns Europe faces same threat Times of India · 2d ago
- UK PM Andy Burnham says it is ‘clear’ Russia interfered in 2016 Brexit vote Al Jazeera · 2d ago
- ‘Yes, there was’: UK PM Andy Burnham says Russia ‘clearly’ interfered in 2016 Brexit vote Hindustan Times · 2d ago
- Andy Burnham says Russia 'clearly' interfered with Brexit vote The Independent · 2d ago
- Russia interfered in Brexit referendum, UK prime minister says Meduza EN · 1d ago
- UK Prime Minister Say It Is 'Clear' Russia Interfered In 2016 Brexit Referendum HuffPost · 1d ago
- UK PM Burnham says Russia interfered in 2016 Brexit vote Reuters · 1d ago
-
first by ITVX, 2d ago · also Evening Standard, CP24, FT, Guardian, RTÉ, RTE News +4
11 more headlines
- Burnham says it is ‘clear’ Russia interfered in Brexit referendum Mastodon · 2d ago
- It is ‘clear’ Russia interfered in 2016 Brexit referendum, U.K. PM says CP24 · 2d ago
- Russia ‘interfered’ in 2016 Brexit vote, says Burnham FT · 2d ago
- Andy Burnham says it is clear Russia interfered in Brexit vote Guardian · 2d ago
- Andy Burnham says it is clear Russia interfered in Brexit referendum Mastodon · 2d ago
- ‘Clear’ Russia interfered in Brexit vote, says Burnham RTÉ · 2d ago
- Russia ‘interfered’ in 2016 Brexit vote, says Andy Burnham Financial Times · 2d ago
- UK premier accuses Russia of interfering in 2016 Brexit referendum Anadolu Agency · 2d ago
- UK prime minister say it's 'clear' Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum KCRA · 2d ago
- PM says it is 'clear' Russia interfered with Brexit vote BBC · 2d ago
- It is ‘clear’ Russia interfered in Brexit referendum, says UK PM Burnham SCMP · 2d ago
-
Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet
-
first by Evening Standard, 1d ago · also Guardian Business
2 more headlines
- Was Burnham right to talk about Russian interference in Brexit? – podcast Guardian Business · 1d ago
- Burnham pushes for closer EU ties and questions Russian interference over Brexit Evening Standard · 1d ago
-
first by Bloomberg, 1d ago · also Bloomberg Politics
-
first by France 24 EN, 2d ago · also France 24
and 2 smaller pieces
What people are saying 17 voices from 4 sites · best of 108 · verbatim
- Who gave Burnham the 'clear answer' that Russia interfered, and what evidence is it based on?
- What specific methods or extent of Russian interference occurred, since no details have been disclosed?
- Did the interference actually affect the referendum outcome, and how does that square with MI5's 'little impact' assessment?
- Oct 12
-
You say that, but then you react to the mere acknowledgement that Russian interference happened by accusing the speaker of trying to delegitimise the vote. Andy Burnham wants us to rejoin. Everyone knows that, he's not denied that. You don’t need to delegitimise the vote itself in order to make that case, and nothing he has said so far has…
-
Amongst others.... How spineless were Cameron and his pathetic government?
-
Among others... How useless were Cameron and his spineless government?
-
That is interesting how you frame a single news headline from just one day which is more immediate and urgent than the colossal history summarized inadequately above on the UK relationship to the EU, which says more about the human perception tendency than a logical evaluation of the weight of contribution and volume of factual evidence available…
- Oct 11
-
D
Han er ved at gøde jorden for en ny afstemning om at begynde forhandlinger med EU om optagelse.
-
You don't know there was propaganda. We don't know the method, meat or bones to what Burnham is saying Unless we're told what exactly was the meddling, statements like these are fairly pointless. If you take a recentish European election like Georgia, both sides (as in Western Europe and Russia+friends) both seemed to try and influence the vote by…
-
Nah it's because the report's conclusions don't fit the media agenda, and it's also embarrassing for all parties across the political spectrum. The TL:DR; is that Russia funds both sides in an effort to sew division. They don't want one side or the other to "win", and if they do support something (like Brexit) they immediately try to mess it up as…
-
E
Burnham has confirmed what May, Johnson, Truss, Sunak, and Starmer refused to - that Russian interfered in the Brexit referendum. (Via @theguardian.com)
-
B
# BBC # News PM says it is 'clear' Russia interfered with Brexit vote
-
N
Observer - Andy Burnham is the first UK prime minister to confirm publicly that British authorities are “clear” that there was interference by the Kremlin in the 2016 Brexit vote. https:// observer.co.uk/news/national/a rticle/from-russia-with-interference-burnham-first-pm-to-confirm-kremlin-role-in-brexit-vote
-
I know Ben Wallace has (as the former Security Minister who investigated Russian interference in Brexit) said that "British intelligence found no evidence that Russian interference successfully altered the outcome of the 2016 Brexit referendum". We all know Russia is meddling in any number of issues across the world, but I think too many people…
-
Horse shit. Yes rlussia is a fucking cancer and needs to be excised, but.... Britons voted for Brexit. Individuals. People. They voted based on their beliefs. The russians exposed those beliefs and the British leaders and politicians did their maths and supported those messages. The British voters accepted those messages. Don't think that…
-
S
# Russia behind # Britain 's # Brexit vote, # UK # primeminister admits for first time https:// kyivindependent.com/russia-beh ind-britains-brexit-vote-uk-prime-minister-admits-for-first-time-2/
-
E
From russia with interference: Burnham first # UK PM to confirm kremlin role in Brexit vote The prime minister has revealed UK authorities told him there was 'clear evidence' that moscow meddled in the referendum https:// observer.co.uk/news/national/a rticle/from-russia-with-interference-burnham-first-pm-to-confirm-kremlin-role-in-brexit-vote
-
C
NEW: Prime Minister Andy Burnham finally breaks a decade of UK govt silence…& reveals there was ‘clear’ Russian interference in the Brexit vote. 1/
-
Big story: Andy Burnham confirms that Russia meddled in the 2016 Brexit referendum. A vindicating moment
-
Andy Burnham says UK authorities are “clear” there was Russian interference in the Brexit referendum as @CatNeilan reports in today’s @ObserverUK