Bernard Opens Debate on 'Brexit Feasibility': Russia Interfered in Referendum
London – Agencies: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said yesterday that it was “clear” that Russia interfered in the United Kingdom’s 2016 Brexit referendum on leaving the European Union. Starmer stated that he had inquired about Russian interference in the vote, which Britons narrowly won in favor of leaving the bloc, upon taking office in July. Speaking on a recent episode of the podcast “The Rest Is Politics,” he said, “I asked the question when I arrived at Downing Street: Was there Russian interference in the 2016 referendum?... I received a clear answer: yes, there was interference.”
Although a British parliamentary committee in 2020 said it could not confirm Russian interference in the Brexit referendum, it criticized the Conservative government then in power for not opening an investigation into possible interference.
On the same day, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Stephen Doughty told LBC radio that Russia “attempted” to interfere in the vote but “did not succeed.”
Starmer also noted that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had previously told him that the far-right Alternative for Germany party was “clearly linked to Russia... I believe it is funded by it.” Starmer added, “There is certainly disinformation and media manipulation coming from Russia that affects German politics.” He said Britain should “help voters in Germany and France realize that some of these policies are being driven by our enemies.”
Last month, the British prime minister told world leaders at the United Nations that London had “evidence” that Moscow had attempted to interfere in the 2019 general election. He also announced the creation of a new center focused on countering disinformation to combat “information attacks launched by hostile states.”
Starmer is scheduled to address Parliament later, urging lawmakers to pursue a new agreement and build closer ties with the European Union, thereby reopening the divisive Brexit debate that has remained a political taboo since Britain formally left the EU in 2020. His office said, “Keir Starmer will declare that ignoring the possibility of striking a new deal with the EU would be a dereliction of duty.” It added, “He will say that we must face the reality that the costs of Brexit have outweighed its benefits and that the status quo is no longer good enough for Britain.”
