MI5 chief says Russia tried to influence Brexit vote

MI5 chief Ken McCallum said Russia attempted to influence the 2016 Brexit referendum through media coverage and online activity, while stressing that evidence of interference does not show that it changed the result. Speaking at his annual threat briefing on October 13, McCallum said Russian media organisations, including RT and Sputnik, promoted material around the referendum. He also cited attempts to influence public opinion through online trolls and bots. He described the media activity as a matter of public record and distinguished attempted interference from proof that the referendum outcome was swayed. McCallum cautioned against allowing the dispute to dominate public debate, saying that renewed attention could benefit the Kremlin by giving its online operatives greater prominence. He said the activity did not appear particularly effective, and warned against overstating the capabilities of those involved. The comments followed Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s account that, after taking office, he asked whether Russia had interfered in the referendum and was told that it had. Burnham has not provided details of the intelligence behind that account in the material available.