Labour MP: Russian Hackers ‘Probably’ Swayed Brexit Vote

Russian hackers “probably” swayed the Brexit vote in favour of Leave, a Labour MP has claimed.

Ben Bradshaw, who was a leading Remain campaigner and former cabinet minister, admitted he did not have any evidence for the claim, but nonetheless told the House of Commons it was “probable”.

Speaking in an emergency debate on the situation in Syria, Mr Bradshaw said: “I don’t think we have even begun to wake up to what Russia is doing when it comes to cyber warfare.

“Not only their interference, now proven, in the American presidential campaign, probably in our own referendum last year.”

“We don’t have the evidence for that yet, but I think it’s highly probable,” he added.

“Certainly in the French presidential election, they will be involved, and there are already serious concerns in the German secret service that Russia is already interfering in the elections coming up.

“We’ve got to wake up to this.”

The Labour MP was widely mocked for the suggestion. Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen told MailOnline: “That’s a bit rich coming from a prominent Remain supporter who was part of a campaign that employed all the tactics of the discredited Soviet Pravda in pursuit of Project Fear.

“I would ask him to bring forward what evidence he has that Russia hacked the referendum.

“I do know the EU were paying people to Tweet.”

Double standards? Here’s @BenPBradshaw, currently ranting about Russian “interference” in the #Brexit referendum, on Obama’s little visit: pic.twitter.com/WVEcYJ831a

— Jack Montgomery (@JackBMontgomery) December 14, 2016

His colleague Michael Tomlinson said: “I assume he must be joking and this is a crazy claim from someone who does not want to accept the will of the people.”

A spokesman for the Prime Minister also dismissed the claim, saying: “I have not come across any evidence that Russian cyber warfare was used to influence the referendum.

“The referendum was run in this country, it was a very clear vote and we are now getting on with delivering on the will of the people to take Britain out of the European Union.”