Nigel Farage has launched a fierce attack on Prime Minister Andy Burnham, calling him "a liar" for stating that Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum. Speaking at a press conference, Farage rejected Burnham's assertion and claimed that when Boris Johnson became foreign secretary, one of his first questions concerned whether Russian interference had been detected in the referendum campaign—and the answer, Farage said, was no.
Burnham's remarks marked the first time a UK prime minister had publicly stated that Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum, though he did not specify the alleged methods or evidence. The 2016 vote saw 52% of voters back leaving the EU and 48% support remaining.
Farage pointed to Stephen Doughty, a Foreign Office minister, who appeared on the Today programme and walked back Burnham's claim within 24 hours, stating that even if some interference had occurred, it would have made no difference to the outcome.
The prime minister is a liar. Yes, a liar.Farage declared, adding that
There was no Russian interference. And the Russia hoax has run all the way through this.
Farage also defended his ally Arron Banks, who faced accusations related to the Russian interference narrative.
I particularly have to mention my friend and supporter Arron Banks, who was severely libelled over this. But in the end, I'm pleased to say, [he] won in the high court.
What does Burnham claim about Russian interference?
Burnham stated that Russia attempted to interfere in the 2016 Brexit referendum and said he wanted the alleged interference placed on the record partly to alert voters in France and Germany to similar threats they might face. Burnham also said the UK had evidence Russia tried to interfere in the 2019 general election and had sought to stoke tensions after later events.
However, Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee had previously noted in 2020 that the government had not fully assessed whether Russia attempted to influence the referendum and criticised the lack of a proper assessment. The committee report also discussed the potential role of Russian state media and online "troll" accounts in any such efforts.
How does Farage respond to claims about Brexit's impact?
When pressed on Burnham's argument that Brexit has done more harm than good, Farage countered by comparing Britain's economic performance to other major European nations.
[Burnham] says Brexit has done more harm than good. Well, I don't think our growth figures are anything to write home about. But I tell you what, they're a damn sight better than France and Germany and Italy.
Farage acknowledged that Brexit has created more "inconvenience" for people trading with the EU, but argued that protecting borders necessarily involves some level of inconvenience. He also conceded that for some businesses, Brexit has made operations marginally harder, but maintained that others have benefited from leaving the bloc.
When questioned about businesses in Kent struggling with post-Brexit arrangements, Farage noted that
There's no doubt that for some businesses Brexit makes life marginally harder. It's also true that, for some businesses who do their business outside of the European Union, Brexit has made their lives easier.He pointed out that 95% of Kent businesses conduct no overseas trade and questioned why they should be subject to rules designed for international commerce between multinational corporations.
Farage used the opportunity to criticise Kemi Badenoch, who served as business secretary in the previous government, saying she had the chance to remove 4,000 regulations with "a stroke of a pen" but chose not to do so.
What is Farage's position on Trump and Russian energy?
When asked whether he supported Donald Trump's plan to purchase diesel oil from Russia, Farage said he did not. However, he pivoted to accuse the European Union of hypocrisy on the matter.
There is a point you ought to write about – that is, who has been buying vast amounts of Russian petrochemicals, who's been buying huge amounts of Russian gas, who's been helping fund for the last five months, much of the last five years, the Ukraine war? Germany and the other countries in the European Union. And it's a point that never, ever, ever, ever, ever gets made.
On whether he had sought advice from Trump on implementing his policies, Farage said no, though he indicated he was prepared to disagree with "many things" the president has said recently. He did, however, praise Trump's record on cutting immigration.
What has Farage said about the Conservative Party's prospects?
Farage expressed confidence that the Conservative Party cannot win the next general election, citing their collapse in support across key regions.
Literally they've disappeared in the Midlands, in the north. And I think in counties like Kent and Essex, they even on a good day could not come back with a fraction of the seats they won back in 2019, let alone the last election.
He also criticised the Sun newspaper for what he described as part of an "establishment ecosystem" attempting to maintain the two-party system and preserve traditional power structures.
[It's] almost like a desperate attempt by the establishment ecosystem to keep the two-party system and the appointments to quangos and the OBEs and the knighthoods and the membership of the House of Lords. 'Let's not change anything. Let's leave everything as it is. It doesn't matter that Britain's going to hell on a handcart. As long as we're OK. That's all that really matters.'
What are Farage's immigration and asylum policies?
Farage outlined his approach to immigration enforcement, stating that under his party's policy, up to 24,000 illegal migrants could be detained at any point. When questioned about whether this would continue to affect local communities, he responded that
none of them will be free to roam the streets, [to] molest people, intimidate people.
On the question of whether children among asylum seekers would be exempt from deportation or repatriation, Farage said they would not be exempt, arguing that allowing children to remain would open the door to family reunions.
What warnings has Farage issued about political trust?
Farage suggested that if his party were to fail to deliver on its promises to cut immigration, it could be replaced by an even more extreme political force.
I think the single biggest problem in British politics is the increasing feeling that people say things to the electorate that they never actually intend to carry out, and that trust in the whole system is beginning to break down. If we were to let people down in that way, I shudder to think what would come after us. I genuinely shudder to think.
He appeared to be referring to recent masked protests when making this point, having earlier stated his disapproval of protesters wearing balaclavas. The comments reflect broader concerns about political accountability and public confidence in democratic institutions.
Key Facts
- Farage called Prime Minister Burnham "a liar" for claiming Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum, which resulted in a 52-48 vote to leave the EU.
- Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty walked back Burnham's claims within 24 hours, stating that even if interference occurred, it would have made no difference.
- Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee criticised in 2020 the government's failure to fully assess whether Russia attempted to influence the referendum.
- Farage acknowledged that Brexit has made operations marginally harder for some businesses but argued that 95% of Kent firms conduct no overseas trade.
- Farage warned that if his party fails to deliver on immigration promises, it could be replaced by an even more extreme political movement.
