UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Sunday accused Russia of interfering in the 2016 Brexit referendum, according to The Guardian newspaper.
"I asked the question coming to Downing Street: well, was there interference in the 2016 referendum from Russia? I've had the clear answer that yes, there was," Burnham told The Rest Is Politics podcast.
Burnham did not disclose the source of the assessment, the evidence supporting it or whether the alleged interference had influenced the referendum result, the newspaper reported.
He stressed the need for the UK to be more transparent about attempts by hostile states to interfere in its politics.
"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," Burnham said.
He acknowledged that the government had not sufficiently informed the public about the extent of attempts by foreign actors to disrupt the country's political process.
Burnham also said he had discussed the threat posed by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during a visit to Berlin this week.
He added that Merz had expressed concerns over the party's alleged links to Russia.
"One thing I did say to Chancellor Merz … is we need to support you in taking on the threat that you face and particularly the type of politics that you're facing," he said.
"You know, he was saying to me that the AfD are clearly linked to Russia-funded, I believe," Burnham added.
He also claimed that Russia was "certainly" spreading misinformation and disinformation within German politics.
