Jeremy Corbyn backtracks over Kremlin involvement in spy poisoning and says 'the evidence points towards Russia'

Jeremy Corbyn: The Labour leader has backtracked on his Russia stance after being criticised by his own MPs over his initial response
REUTERS

Jeremy Corbyn appears to have backtracked on his reaction to Theresa May’s decision to blame Moscow for the Salisbury nerve agent attack.

The Labour leader today said “the evidence points towards Russia” after he sparked a huge rift in his party by refusing to back the Prime Minister’s assertion of the Kremlin’s responsibility.

Mr Corbyn had come under fire, including from his own MPs, after he failed to condemn Russia over the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

In a bid to clarify his stance on the issue he told reporters that it looked likely Vladimir Putin’s former Soviet state was behind the poisoning, urging that he had raised questions yesterday because "that's what Oppositions are there for".

He said: “The evidence points towards Russia on this, therefore responsibility must be borne by those that made the weapon, those that brought the weapon into the country and those that used the weapon.”

Corbyn aide raises doubts over who is behind Sergei Skripal nerve agent attack

Responding to Mrs May’s decision during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Mr Corbyn appeared to suggest that the nerve agent could have been used by someone not directed by the Russian state.

Forensics search The Mill pub in Salisbury in Britain after ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were attacked with a nerve agent in the city
EPA

The row later intensified when his spokesman appeared to compare the evidence, or lack of, for direct Russian involved with the case for war in Iraq saying: “There’s a history in relation to WMD and intelligence which is problematic to put it mildly.”

But after a day of intense fury against Mr Corbyn’s stance, the Labour leader urged he was “extremely definite” in his condemnation of the attack.

Theresa May had outlined sanctions for Russia following the attack in Salisbury 
Getty Images

He said: “The international chemical weapons convention must be invoked and the source of this weapon, which appears to be Russia either from the state or from a rogue element of the state, must be brought to justice as a result of it.

"This is a very serious issue and has to be dealt with. I made that very clear yesterday."

Mr Corbyn was asked about comments made by his shadow defence secretary Nia Griffith, who has said "it would have been easier for us" if the Labour leader had made it clear he backed the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats over the attack.

Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia speaks during the UN Security Council meeting
AFP/Getty Images

He said: "What I was asking [during Prime Minister's Questions] was questions, questions about the identity of the weapon, questions about the reference to the weapons convention and also the support of other allies. That's what Oppositions are there for."

Ms Griffith’s comments were supported by many Labour MPs but shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said media reports of Mr Corbyn's comments were at odds with what the Labour leader said in Parliament.

Mrs May slammed his initial comments as “outrageous” as a group of Labour backbenchers joined together to sign a motion saying they "unequivocally accept" the Russian state's responsibility for the attack that left Mr Skripal and his daughter fighting for their lives.

Speaking at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council called by the UK in the wake of the incident, the Russian ambassador to the UN said "Russia had nothing to do with this incident”.

Vassily Nebenzia added: “The ultimatum from London is something that we cannot pay attention to and we expect that the UK will act in strict adherence to the other instruments including the European Convention on Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters.”

"This is the only civilised way of settling the issue."