PM Andy Burnham claimed Russian interference in the Brexit vote.
Downing Street clarified Russia failed to alter the referendum result.
Burnham warned European voters about ongoing Russian political disinformation.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said that Russia had interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum that resulted in the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union.
Burnham said in an interview with The Rest Is Politics podcast that "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."
However, his office later clarified that Moscow was unable to influence the result and the decision to leave the European Union was legitimate, according to Reuters.
Speaking on the rise of the far-right parties in Europe, he said voters must be aware of influence from foreign states.
"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.
Burnham became Britain's leader in July and suggested last month that the country could consider rejoining the European Union down the road.
He is the first British prime minister to publicly state that there is evidence Russia interfered in the Brexit vote. Russia has previously denied interfering, saying Britain is just caught up in anti-Russian hysteria.
Government In Britain Says BREXIT Results Are Legitimate
Burnham's comments are a big shift from former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who led the campaign to leave the EU and said in 2020 that there was no proof Russia interfered in the vote. Back in 2016, Britons voted 52% to 48% to leave the EU, triggering the country's biggest political crisis since World War II.
Junior foreign office minister Stephen Doughty clarified Burnham's comments on Monday, stating that there is no proof Russia successfully altered the referendum, reuters reported.
When asked if Russian meddling could have changed the final result, he told Sky News: "They haven't succeeded."
A 2020 report by Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee revealed that the British government never actually checked whether Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit vote.
The report did find, however, that Russia tried to influence Scotland's 2014 independence referendum, where voters ultimately chose to stay in the UK.
