Prime Minister Keir Starmer said it is "clear" that Russia interfered with the Brexit referendum, according to BBC Politics. He stated voters were not "sufficiently" informed about how foreign actors sought to disrupt UK democracy during the 2016 vote.
Starmer's comments mark an explicit acknowledgment from the sitting UK prime minister that Russian interference occurred during the Brexit campaign. The statement addresses longstanding questions about foreign involvement in the referendum that resulted in Britain's exit from the European Union.
The prime minister highlighted the information gap voters faced regarding foreign interference attempts. He suggested the British public lacked adequate knowledge about how Russia and other external actors worked to influence the democratic process during the Brexit vote.
Starmer's remarks contribute to ongoing debate about the integrity of the 2016 referendum. Previous investigations and reports have examined Russian social media campaigns and other potential interference operations during the period leading up to the Brexit vote. His statement represents the government's formal position on the matter.
The acknowledgment of Russian interference comes amid broader concerns about election security and foreign interference in democratic processes across Western nations. UK officials have previously investigated various aspects of the Brexit campaign, though Starmer's direct statement about Russian interference represents a clear governmental assertion on the topic.
No specific details about the nature or scope of the alleged interference were provided in his statement.