MI5 chief warns against exaggerating ‘Russian influence’ on Brexit

Ken McCallum’s remarks came after Prime Minister Andy Burnham claimed Moscow had interfered in the 2016 referendum MI5 chief Ken McCallum has urged the public not to exaggerate the impact of alleged Russian attempts to influence the outcome of the UK’s 2016 Brexit referendum.McCallum’s comments came after some pro-Brexit politicians accused Prime Minister Andy Burnham of questioning the legitimacy of the vote by claiming it was “clear” that Moscow had interfered. Russia has consistently denied seeking to meddle in British domestic politics, including the 2016 referendum.“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,” the UK spy chief said on Tuesday, as quoted by the Guardian.McCallum suggested that “Russian trolls” would “be delighted because they are front page news again despite the comparative unimpressiveness of what they do at all points along the journey.”“I am a little bit anxious that we don’t play into our adversaries’ hands by making these trolls look 10ft tall,” he said.Without providing supporting data, the MI5 ch...