Skip to content

PoliticsDeveloping

Burnham says Russia interfered in 2016 Brexit vote; No 10 says the result was legitimate

By

Coverage spectrum

Covered by 10 outlets, mostly left-leaning (60%).

13 articles in total, 1 of them opinion. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Man in glasses and dark suit, hand on chin, seated before a Union Jack and EU flag.
Image via Al Jazeera EnglishHow images are chosenReport this image

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said it is clear that Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum, and that he was told so after entering Downing Street. Downing Street then said Burnham believes the result was legitimate and that it is inconceivable Russia did not try to influence it. Russia has previously denied meddling, and Boris Johnson said in 2020 there was no evidence of interference. Burnham made the remarks in an interview on The Rest is Politics podcast. Nigel Farage called him a liar, and the Conservatives said he had been carelessly vague.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said it is clear that Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum, and that he was told so after entering Downing Street.

    Reported byFar Left1Left5Center4Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    HuffPost
    Left
    The Guardian, ABC News, Al Jazeera English, Bloomberg, The Washington Post
    Center
    Financial Times, BBC News, France 24, Deutsche Welle
    Far Right
    Breitbart News

  2. Burnham has not said who gave him the answer he cites.

    One outletThe Guardian· Left

  3. Downing Street said Burnham believes the 2016 result was legitimate and that it is inconceivable Russia did not try to influence it.

    Reported byLeft1Center1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The Washington Post
    Center
    BBC News
    Far Right
    Breitbart News

  4. Russia has previously denied meddling in the Brexit vote, and Boris Johnson said in 2020 there was no evidence of interference.

    One outletFrance 24· Center

  5. Burnham made the remarks in an interview on The Rest is Politics podcast.

    Reported byCenter2Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Center
    France 24, BBC News
    Far Right
    Breitbart News

  6. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called Burnham a liar, and the Conservatives said he had been carelessly vague.

    One outletBBC News· Center

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum.

    Burnham says it is clear and that he was told so on entering Downing Street. Russia has denied meddling, and Boris Johnson said in 2020 there was no evidence of interference. Farage called Burnham a liar and the Conservatives said he had been carelessly vague.

  • Burnham was trying to undermine faith in the Brexit result.

    Downing Street says Burnham believes the result was legitimate and that he thinks Russia did not succeed. Breitbart reports that he sought to undermine public faith in the outcome, and Farage says he cannot be trusted on British sovereignty.

How each side tells it

Compare views

All sides report Burnham’s claim that Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit vote, and No 10’s statement that the result was legitimate. Left and center outlets present the claim as his statement and debate its significance; the right-side coverage casts it as a climb-down.

  • the left

    6 outlets

    Left headlines report Burnham’s own words, mostly as “clear” or “says”, while some add conflict or accusation, as in the Washington Post’s “accuses” and Bloomberg’s “Opens Fight”.

    Andy Burnham says it is clear Russia interfered in Brexit vote
    The GuardianLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    4 outlets

    Center headlines quote Burnham directly, mostly as “clear” interference, and the BBC’s follow-up headline puts Downing Street’s view that the referendum was legitimate first.

    PM believes Brexit vote was legitimate despite Russia claims, No 10 says
    BBC NewsCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    0 outlets · 1 opinion

    The only right-side coverage, from the Far Right outlet Breitbart, casts Burnham as weak, hypocritical and forced into a humiliating climb-down over his claim.

    Farage: 'Loaded modifier“Weak and Hypocritical”Sets a verdict on the prime minister’s character in the headline rather than reporting his words.More neutral: criticisesThese are Nigel Farage’s words. The outlet is reporting them.Disagree with this highlight?' PM Burnham Loaded modifier“Captured by Brussels”Asserts that the prime minister is under Brussels’ control, which the coverage does not show.More neutral: who favours closer ties with the EUDisagree with this highlight? and Loaded verb“Running From His Own Words”Presents a clarification as evasion, which is a judgement of motive.More neutral: clarified his earlier remarksDisagree with this highlight? on Brexit
    Breitbart NewsFar RightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left4

    tried to play downOpens Fightunexpectedly reopenedscrambled

  • Center2

    Moscow-backed effortsopenly complain of

  • Right3

    conspiracy theoryCaptured by BrusselsRunning From His Own Words

In the outlets’ own words

  • Absolutist framing

    Moscow-backed effortsMore neutral: efforts that Burnham linked to Russia

    States Moscow’s backing of the efforts as fact, while the Russian government denies meddling and the article reports no evidence given for the claim.

    …said interfered in the 2016 vote, as he warned voters in and Germany about Moscow-backed efforts to influence their politics.

    Used byFrance 24 (Center)

  • Loaded verb

    openly complain ofMore neutral: publicly said that Russia had tampered with

    Complain frames Burnham's factual statement as a grievance rather than a claim about what happened.

    UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Sunday became the first British leader to openly complain of Russian tampering in the Brexit referendum a decade ago.

    Used byDeutsche Welle (Center)

  • Loaded verb

    tried to play downMore neutral: responded to

    Describing the minister’s response as an attempt to play it down assigns a motive; the report could state what the minister said instead.

    A UK government minister tried to play down Andy Burnham’s claim of Russian interference in the Brexit vote of 10 years ago,…

    Used byBloomberg (Left)

  • Sensational language

    Opens FightMore neutral: Minister Questions Burnham’s Russia Claim Before EU Speech

    Calling the minister’s response a fight adds drama that the report does not describe.

    Burnham Opens Fight Over Russia’s Brexit Role Before EU Speech

    Used byBloomberg (Left)

Show 5 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Loaded verb

    unexpectedly reopenedMore neutral: discussed

    Adds the writer’s view that the remark was a surprise and revived an issue, which is a judgement about its purpose.

    …over whether Russia did seek to influence the 2016 referendum Andy Burnham unexpectedly reopened an old Brexit debate when he said he had been told after becoming prime…

    Used byThe Guardian (Left)

  • Loaded verb

    scrambledMore neutral: sought

    Suggests panic and disarray, which the coverage does not show.

    Officials scrambled to clarify that Andy Burnham’s remarks did not mean the government rejected the…

    Used byThe Washington Post (Left)

  • Delegitimizing label

    conspiracy theoryMore neutral: describe the claim and the evidence against it

    Ends the discussion by labeling; state the claim.

    PM had to hurriedly row back after "dredging up" the old conspiracy theory that Russia did successfully interfere in Brexit Referendum.

    Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    Captured by BrusselsMore neutral: who favours closer ties with the EU

    Asserts that the prime minister is under Brussels’ control, which the coverage does not show.

    Farage: 'Weak and Hypocritical' PM Burnham Captured by Brussels and Running From His Own Words on Brexit

    Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    Running From His Own WordsMore neutral: clarified his earlier remarks

    Presents a clarification as evasion, which is a judgement of motive.

    Farage: 'Weak and Hypocritical' PM Burnham Captured by Brussels and Running From His Own Words on Brexit

    Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

Words quoted from someone else (1)Hide the quoted words

Loaded words that outlets reported someone else saying. They show what was said, not how the outlet chose to say it.

  • Loaded modifier

    Quoted

    Weak and HypocriticalMore neutral: criticises

    Sets a verdict on the prime minister’s character in the headline rather than reporting his words.

    Farage: 'Weak and Hypocritical' PM Burnham Captured by Brussels and Running From His Own Words on Brexit

    Quoted byBreitbart News (Far Right)

    These are Nigel Farage’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

6 outlets

Leads with

  • Burnham’s claim that Russia interfered
  • that he was told so on entering No 10
  • the first time a UK prime minister has acknowledged it
  • the revived debate over the 2016 vote
See the 6 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • The Washington PostLeft

    U.K. prime minister accuses Russia of meddling in Brexit vote

    Officials Loaded verb“scrambled”Suggests panic and disarray, which the coverage does not show.More neutral: soughtDisagree with this highlight? to clarify that Andy Burnham’s remarks did not mean the government rejected the outcome of the controversial 2016 referendum.

    Read at The Washington Post (opens in a new tab)
  • The GuardianLeft

    How significant are Burnham’s remarks on Kremlin interference in Brexit vote?

    Prime minister has reopened the debate over whether Russia did seek to influence the 2016 referendum Andy Burnham Loaded verb“unexpectedly reopened”Adds the writer’s view that the remark was a surprise and revived an issue, which is a judgement about its purpose.More neutral: discussedDisagree with this highlight? an old Brexit debate when he said he had been told after becoming prime minister that Russia had interfered in the 2016 EU referendum. …

    Read at The Guardian (opens in a new tab)
    1 more from The Guardian
  • BloombergLeft

    Burnham Sensational language“Opens Fight”Calling the minister’s response a fight adds drama that the report does not describe.More neutral: Minister Questions Burnham’s Russia Claim Before EU SpeechDisagree with this highlight? Over Russia’s Brexit Role Before EU Speech

    A UK government minister Loaded verb“tried to play down”Describing the minister’s response as an attempt to play it down assigns a motive; the report could state what the minister said instead.More neutral: responded toDisagree with this highlight? Andy Burnham’s claim of Russian interference in the Brexit vote of 10 years ago, ahead of what is likely to be a fraught debate over the prime minister’s plan for closer ties with the European Union.

    Read at Bloomberg (opens in a new tab)
  • Al Jazeera EnglishLeft

    UK PM Andy Burnham says it is ‘clear’ Russia interfered in 2016 Brexit vote

    Claim marks the first time a UK prime minister has publicly acknowledged Russia's interference in the vote to leave EU.

    Read at Al Jazeera English (opens in a new tab)
  • ABC NewsLeftAssociated Press report

    UK prime minister says it's 'clear' Russia interfered in Brexit referendum

    Countries across Europe are facing the same threat, Burnham says.

    Read at ABC News (opens in a new tab)

    Also published by HuffPost. It counts once.

  • HuffPostFar LeftAssociated Press report

    UK Prime Minister Say It Is 'Clear' Russia Interfered In 2016 Brexit Referendum

    HuffPost published a report that is shown in full at ABC News. The headline is the one HuffPost gave it.

    Read at HuffPost (opens in a new tab)

From the center

4 outlets

Leads with

  • Burnham’s “clear” claim of interference
  • Downing Street’s view that the result was legitimate
  • warning European voters about Russian influence
  • the podcast interview as the source of the remarks
See the 4 headlines from the centerHide the headlines

From the right

0 outlets · 1 opinion

Leads with

  • Burnham as weak and hypocritical
  • Brussels’ influence over him
  • a humiliating climb-down
  • Farage’s criticism of his trustworthiness
See the headline from the rightHide the headlines
  • Breitbart NewsFar RightOpinion

    Farage: 'Loaded modifier“Weak and Hypocritical”Sets a verdict on the prime minister’s character in the headline rather than reporting his words.More neutral: criticisesThese are Nigel Farage’s words. The outlet is reporting them.Disagree with this highlight?' PM Burnham Loaded modifier“Captured by Brussels”Asserts that the prime minister is under Brussels’ control, which the coverage does not show.More neutral: who favours closer ties with the EUDisagree with this highlight? and Loaded verb“Running From His Own Words”Presents a clarification as evasion, which is a judgement of motive.More neutral: clarified his earlier remarksDisagree with this highlight? on Brexit

    PM had to hurriedly row back after "dredging up" the old Delegitimizing label“conspiracy theory”Ends the discussion by labeling; state the claim.More neutral: describe the claim and the evidence against itDisagree with this highlight? that Russia did successfully interfere in Brexit Referendum.

    Read at Breitbart News (opens in a new tab)

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    26 min later

    Its first report, Oct 11, 11:15 AM EDT

  • Center

    First to report

    Financial Times, Oct 11, 10:50 AM EDT

  • Right

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. Financial TimesCenterOct 11, 10:50 AM EDT
  2. The GuardianLeftOct 11, 11:15 AM EDT
  3. BBC NewsCenterOct 11, 2:00 PM EDT
  4. France 24CenterOct 11, 3:42 PM EDT
  5. ABC NewsLeftOct 11, 5:55 PM EDT
  6. Deutsche WelleCenterOct 11, 6:18 PM EDT
  7. Al Jazeera EnglishLeftOct 11, 9:12 PM EDT
  8. BloombergLeftOct 12, 5:53 AM EDT
  9. HuffPostFar LeftOct 12, 6:54 AM EDT
  10. The Washington PostLeftOct 12, 1:05 PM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

Read next

Help someone else find the truth beneath the surface

Most people see one side of a story. Share this one, so they can see how every side is telling it and decide for themselves.

Email it

Seen a mistake? Tell us what is wrong with this page