Downing Street was forced into desperate backtracking today after Andy Burnham claimed that there was Russian interference in the EU referendum.
The PM declared in a podcast that he had been told ‘clearly’ on arriving in No10 Street that Vladimir Putin had meddled in the 2016 vote.
It is thought to be the first time a premier has publicly declared there was foreign influence on on the process – and caused a storm of protests from Brexiteers.
The Tories said the comments were ‘dangerous and divisive’, while Nigel Farage accused Mr Burnham of being a ‘liar’. ‘The Prime Minister is a liar…. there was no Russian interference and the Russia hoax runs all the way through this,’ he told a press conference.
And within hours Downing Street had to clarify that the Russian interference had not been successful, stressing that the Government believes the result was ‘legitimate’.
‘Given everything we know about Russia, it is inconceivable they did not seek to use the referendum to their benefit,’ the official spokesman said.
‘But… we do not believe they have succeeded.’
The spokesman added: ‘The PM accepts the referendum result, he is not looking back he is looking to the future.’
He declined to confirm that Mr Burnham had been shown specific evidence of interference.
Andy Burnham will reignite Brexit wars in the Commons today after declaring he could campaign for the UK to rejoin
Earlier one of Mr Burnham’s own ministers had seemed to be trying to walk back the remarks.
Foreign minister Stephen Doughty told LBC: ‘We know what the result was. I don’t think they’ve succeeded in their efforts.
‘I don’t think they’ve succeeded in their efforts to undermine our elections.’
He added: ‘The security minister’s been very clear that they’ve attempted but not succeeded, in his evidence that he gave previously on this.
‘But the fact is that they are attempting to interfere, and we all need to be alert to that and respond accordingly.’
The latest row erupted when Mr Burnham made claims about Russian interference during an appearance on The Rest is Politics podcast.
Mr Burnham said he had spoken to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz about the influence of Russia during a visit to Berlin last week.
‘There is certainly misinformation, disinformation that is emanating from Russia into German politics,’ he said.
‘But 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.
‘I mean, these things are important now to put clearly on the record and help voters in Germany and France understand that some of this politics is instigated via our enemies, namely Russia.’
Mr Burnham said the UK had been ‘too much on the back foot’ and as a result voters had not been ‘informed sufficiently about the extent to which people are seeking to disrupt the political process from overseas’.
The muddle came as Mr Burnham prepares to reignite Brexit wars in the Commons, after suggesting he could support rejoining the EU.
The PM is set to make a statement to MPs later arguing that cutting ties with Brussels has not ‘delivered what was promised’.
He will tee up a summit with the EU next month, saying failing to seek closer relations would be a ‘dereliction of duty’.
Last week Mr Burnham used his conference speech to reopen the issue of EU membership, despite vowing before taking over from Keir Starmer that he would not.
Mr Burnham told Europhile party activists that he wanted to explore ‘options’ including committing to rejoin in the next election manifesto. He refused to say whether there would need to be another referendum.
Ahead of the Commons returning this afternoon, a No10 source said: ‘Andy understands why some politicians don’t want to face up to the reality that Brexit has not delivered what they once promised.
‘But it is time for a different conversation about what our long-term relationship should be.
‘Sticking with the status quo and not working relentlessly to secure a good deal that boosts growth would be a major dereliction of duty.’
More in Common polling released today underlined the scale of the challenge facing Mr Burnham in winning public support for any option.
Two-thirds of Brits were adamant a referendum would be needed to rejoin the EU.
But large proportions have tricky red lines, with 45 per cent saying any contributions to Brussels coffers would be unacceptable. Some 40 per cent insisted access to UK fishing waters would be a dealbreaker – even though EU boats have been granted rights even after Brexit.
Tory frontbencher Andrew Bowie told Times Radio Mr Burnham’s remarks on the referendum were ‘dangerous and divisive’.
‘We know that Russia and indeed Iran and other adversaries of ours around the world have been interfering or seeking to interfere in elections and referendums in this country and indeed within our allies for many, many years,’ he said.
Vladimir Putin’s regime has been repeatedly accused of trying to influence democracies in the West
‘But that Brexit referendum was a legitimate vote.
‘People voted in this country in record numbers to leave the European Union. And I actually think it’s very dangerous and divisive of the prime minister to reopen this debate in such an explosive fashion.
‘He knows that the division that was sowed by that referendum, the best way to resolve any lingering issues around that referendum is to get on and make the most of what we have now through Brexit, the best of the trade deals that we have, and indeed the benefits that we can get from being outside the European Union, such as being exempt from Trump’s tariffs that he introduced earlier this year.’
