I think Russia has effectively become a criminal state under his leadership. I think Russia is at least if not more dangerous to our peace and security now than it has ever been. Despite this I cannot see how it could have interfered in the mechanics of the referendum voting process itself. However, did Russia set up so called troll farms and manipulate news stories in the referendum? I don't know. It's possible. Ironically it's also possible, in the absence of evidence, that claims of the modern equivalent of reds under the bed is not dissimilar to what the Russians are accused of doing.

Surely this alone demands a new vote !, Stupid leave voters!

I know it's a minor detail but he didn't actually say that.

As your link and others explain, he said it was "highly probable" that Russia had interfered in the referendum.

The point being that they interfered in our country's affairs, not that they changed the result.

How did they "intefere" in the referendum?

Obama came here and sought to interfere in our country's affairs by telling us we would go to the back of the queue for future trade deals if we didn't vote remain?

He effectively sought to blackmail us.

Seems people had no issue with foreign leaders interfering in the referendum when they were telling us to vote remain - so there is a certain double standard.

He said it was highly probably that they interfered but that there was no evidence.

I don't think he could have put it more clearly than that.

It's just that some people have chosen to interpret that as meaning "Russian hackers were behind Brexit", which is very clearly not what he said.

The accusation is likely to be that Russia used internet trolls on social media to spread misinformation, and to encourage the spread of false news stories etc. In the US they're accused of hacking email servers used by prominent democrats for information to spread. It's possible in as much as all actors in elections are probably doing the same thing.

That is the nature of the world we live in though isn't it! A story doesn't have to be true. It merely has to be credible to spread doubt at least or even to become the established 'truth'.

A bit like the "promised an extra £350 million for the NHS" untruth

It can't be highly probable if there is no evidence.

Exactly. We don't need Russian lies. We are quite capable of generating British lies!

Can't it? Isn't that how bankers and bookies make their money, by assessing probability based on previous form? The Russians have form for hacking, so it's highly probable they are still at it.

I explained that one earlier, they hacked the vehicle paintworks back in 2013. And did nobody spot the bus was *red*? Talk about slapping everyone in the face with it! They could have made it an actual trout with wheels and the same thing written on the side and still nobody would have noticed until it was too late...

I heard a rumour that the EU and US were seeking to interfere in our referendum. Making various comments about how it was such a bad idea for Britain to leave the EU. There are even rumours of vague threats from the US president about us being at the back of the queue that sort of thing. I don't believe any of it of course. It's all just misinformation put about by brexiters. It never happened.

Blimey, so not only did the Russians out wit the combined efforts,scare tactics and project fear program of the big banks,multinationals and establishment they then entered peoples minds just before they walked into the polling booths, A-maz-zing!!

So do I
And anything is blimming possible

Me too

And by coincidence I am 60 too

That part is certainly plausible at least. The theory would be that Putin would like to see the EU in disarray and weakened. It's extremely unlikely it had any effect on the result but that wouldn't necessarily preclude Russia getting up to dirty tricks behind the scenes.

Therefore by the logic vested in me I declare you are both the same person and I contend even this piece of magnificent logic is superior to the 'blame the russians' conclusion

Was it as good as the dodgy dossier the fcukwits produced for the vile Blair?

MI5 are no doubt keen on as much funding as possible and the way to get that is to encourage the plebs to be frightened of their own shadows.

What on earth are you on about?

Politician addressing debate about Syria says hackers probably hack. That's all. Any fantasy about Russia being "behind Brexit" is the work of DS posters' overactive imaginations.

Purely for the sake of clarity on credit where credit is due, I'm reasonably sure MI5 didn't have much involvement in the dodgy dossier - I think it was MI6 that Chilcot had some uncharitable things to say about though.

Did Putin shove his hand up Merkels arse in order to manipulate her vocal chords?

Perhaps his outrageously talented hackers took time out from manipulating our paper ballot papers in order to trigger a DDOS attack on her brain?

I vote option 3.

And?

Anyone who takes their news from social media is a moron and deserves to be manipulated.

Either Putin interfered or he didn't. It's completely binary when we're talking about international diplomacy, as an experienced politician he knows this, so his use of "probably" tells us more about his attitude toward Putin than it does, Putins involvement in the referendum.

I don't know what point he was getting at but he had know right to say it so publicly without any supporting evidence what-so-ever.