Prime Minister Andy Burnham has claimed in a United Nations speech that Vladimir Putin has exploited Brexit to sow division in Britain. The UK has faced an "industrial-scale assault" by Russian agencies using disinformation and lies to divide the country and interfere in elections, he stated. The government has announced a new National Centre for Information Defence to detect and disrupt such attacks, signalling the seriousness with which the administration treats the threat of hostile state interference.

Burnham alleged that Russian agencies have amplified far-right narratives, interfered with the 2019 General Election, and that the Kremlin spends £1.3 billion annually on information manipulation. The new disinformation unit will work with intelligence agencies, police, and social media companies to improve community cohesion and counter false narratives about Britain. The Prime Minister's remarks, coupled with hints that Labour might commit to EU rejoin in its next manifesto, have fuelled speculation about a broader push to reverse Brexit, though he has not made definite commitments to this course.