Russia did try to interfere with Brexit vote but had little impact, MI5 chief says
MI5 chief Sir Ken McCallum confirmed that Russia attempted to interfere in the 2016 Brexit referendum through online trolls and bots. However, he cautioned against overstating the impact of these efforts, noting that they were relatively unimpressive.
Why it matters
The statement clarifies the extent of foreign influence in a major democratic event, balancing the reality of interference with the need to avoid inflating the perceived power of adversaries.
Image source, Getty Images By Becky Morton Political reporter Published 39 minutes ago MI5 chief Sir Ken McCallum has said there was Russian interference in the the Brexit referendum, but warned against overstating its impact on the result.
It comes after Prime Minister Andy Burnham provoked a backlash from some Brexit campaigners by saying it was "clear" there had been interference by Moscow in the 2016 vote.
Sir Ken said it was "a matter of public record" that there was interference in the referendum by online trolls and bots.
However, he suggested Russian trolls would be "delighted" to be front page news again, "despite the comparative unimpressiveness" of their efforts.
He added: "There is a really important difference between interference attempted and outcome swayed.
"I am a little bit anxious that we don't play into our adversaries' hands by making these trolls look 10ft tall."
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