PM believes Brexit vote was legitimate despite Russia claims, No 10 says
Downing Street has confirmed that Prime Minister Andy Burnham views the 2016 Brexit referendum as legitimate, despite acknowledging Russian interference in the vote. The statement follows political backlash after Burnham suggested foreign disruption of the democratic process.
Why it matters
The tension between acknowledging foreign interference and maintaining the legitimacy of democratic outcomes is a significant issue in modern UK politics.
Image source, Reuters By Kate Whannel Political reporter Published 7 minutes ago Andy Burnham believes the 2016 Brexit referendum result was "legitimate", Downing Street has said, after the prime minister claimed there was Russian interference in the vote.
It is "inconceivable" that Russia did not try to use the referendum to its advantage, a No 10 spokesman said, but the PM believed it did not succeed in influencing the result.
Burnham told The Rest is Politics podcast, , external that upon arriving in Downing Street, he had asked if there had been Russian interference in the vote, adding: "I've had the clear answer that, yes, there was."
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called the prime minister a "liar" while the Conservatives said he had been "at best... carelessly vague".
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5 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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