UK, October 14: The head of the British intelligence service MI5, Ken McCallum, has warned against fuelling Russian propaganda efforts after Prime Minister Andy Burnham revealed Moscow's attempts to interfere in the 2016 Brexit referendum.
McCallum said Russian President Vladimir Putin's online trolls will be "delighted" if the furore caused by the prime minister's comments continues.
The spymaster confirmed Russia had sought to influence the vote but dismissed the "comparative unimpressiveness" of the efforts.
And he said the UK should not "play into our adversaries' hands" by amplifying the impact of Russian trolls.
Burnham told lawmakers on Monday that Russia had sought to intervene in the 2019 general election "and we think it is inconceivable that this was the first time." The prime minister had previously told "The Rest Is Politics" podcast that he was informed on entering Downing Street that it was "clear" Moscow had sought to interfere in the referendum.
His comments had been viewed by opponents as an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the referendum - something Burnham strenuously denied.
Speaking at MI5's Thames House headquarters, McCallum said: "There is a really important difference between interference attempted and outcome swayed. It's quite important to focus on the difference between what may have been attempted and what actually resulted.
"It is a matter of public record including in select committee reports published in 2019 - the DCMS Committee did a bit and the Intelligence and Security Committee did a bit also - that in 2016, before you even get to any secret intelligence. it is openly on the record that Russia Today and Sputnik and other Russian media organizations came in pretty strongly around the referendum."
Source: Qatar Tribune
