Mr Burnham gave us all an unpleasant surprise when he decided to re open the Brexit decision taken in the UK’ s largest ever democratic vote. He has now compounded the damage by suggesting there was unwelcome interference in the referendum itself, some ten years ago.
His fellow Labour MPs won their seats in 2024 on a promise to respect the wise decision of the British people and to attempt only minor changes to the new relationship we have with the EU after exit. That was an important pledge which meant many pro Brexit voters felt they could vote for Labour or stay at home in protest at the choices on offer, safe in the knowledge Brexit was not at risk from the Labour government which the polls predicted.
The PM’s decision to go back on this promise followed close on the heels of his statements to get elected in Makerfield, a pro Brexit part of the country. There he said people did not want to re open the Brexit arguments and divisions. His thoughts when faced with voters on doorsteps were better than his second thoughts now driving government policy.
The basis of his change of approach was first said to be his wrong view that there had been economic damage from leaving which he could remedy with close alignment or rejoining the EU. Then he gave a podcast interview suggesting the referendum decision itself was suspect, as apparently he thought hopeless Brexit voters had been conned into voting Out through Russian subterfuge and distortion. He was corrected by a junior Minister saying whatever Russian interference there was did not change the result. This now seems to be the official Downing Street line.
It is never good politics to insult voters by suggesting they have got their votes wrong , that they were manipulated by evil forces, and failed to understand the superior wisdom the politician lays claim to. It is bizarre to think that in such a huge vote evil Russian bots and social media interventions could change people’s minds about something so fundamental as to how we are governed. Clearly some still find it difficult to grasp why many of us want the UK to control our own borders, set our own laws and avoid having to send large sums of money to Brussels. Remain politicians argue about narrow trade issues rather than seeing the big picture of the damage being done to the UK by EU taxes, EU dear energy policies, EU over regulation, and EU continental protectionism. Brexit Britain has been slow to change the poor inheritance from EU government now we are free to do so. Meanwhile our trade has continued to grow and we have a free trade agreement with the EU.
The referendum itself was of course of interest to a large number of overseas countries, governments and world bodies. Russia which does wrongly interfere in our public debates in underhand ways was not the only overseas force seeking to participate. The US government saw the President openly helping the Remain campaign. The IMF and OECD put out some wrong forecasts just like the domestic OBR to paint a picture of early economic pain if we voted out. The OBR forecasts were all disproved by what actually occurred, with house and share prices going up, unemployment going down and growth continuing against their view that the opposite would happen to all of those.
Mr Burnham should not have suggested Russia did influence the result in a podcast. When he finally got to make a statement in the Commons where he could be properly cross questioned, he produced no evidence to show how and where Russia sought influence, and certainly no evidence that Russia swung the result.
Labour was right in 2024 to accept the judgement of the British people that we wish to be self governed by our own Parliament. When MPs get it right we keep them. When they get it wrong we change them. EU government could not be changed by a UK vote, and was not susceptible to British public opinion as we were a modest minority part of the Union. Why doesn’t Mr Burnham understand our desire for sovereignty? Why doesn’t he get on and use the powers of self government we have restored to bring us greater freedom and prosperity? Giving power and money back to Brussels is the very opposite of his claimed belief in devolution.
October 15, 2026
As Brexit never really happened I’m not sure what he’s bleating on about. The Windsor Agreement was a travesty to keep us aligned with Brussels and despite a large majority the government refused to remove unnecessary EU legislation.
I voted leave and only remember Obama and the government misleading us over voting. Going to the back of the queue indeed.
October 15, 2026
You say ‘The US government saw the President openly helping the Remain campaign.’ The US was an ally. Russia was not. Mr Obama saw Europe as a bulwark against Russia.
October 15, 2026
Two days ago the head of MI5 told us Russia had interfered in the referendum. The interesting questions here are not why Mr Burnham has raised this matter of sabotage, but why successive Conservative Prime Ministers failed to
October 15, 2026
Good morning.
The whole thing is preposterous ! To think that the Russians when all I can recall is threats from the US President and dark mumblings from the EU and EFTA countries.
Let us just face it, Remainers just did not have bad arguments for remaining, they had no arguments. They ran a negative campaign because there was nothing good about out membership of the Stupid Club.
October 15, 2026
Just compare the UK with Germany over the last 10 years and see who fared better economically. Don’t forget that Germany is the economic motor of the eurozone. It has failt to start.