Poisoned policeman's family attack 'mealy mouthed' Jeremy Corbyn over Russia amid rebellion by Labour MPs

William Pomeroy, whose daughter Sarah is married to Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey (pictured left), said he felt let down by Mr Corbyn
William Pomeroy, whose daughter Sarah is married to Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey (pictured left), said he felt let down by Mr Corbyn

The father in law of the Salisbury policeman who suffered the effects of the nerve agent used to poison Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter has criticised Jeremy Corbyn’s "mealy mouthed" response to the attack.

William Pomeroy, whose daughter Sarah is married to Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey - currently recovering from the nerve agent attack - said he felt let down by Mr Corbyn.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, the lifelong Labour supporter said: “I’m very disappointed in Mr Corbyn. He’s said almost nothing about this and has come across as very weak on it.”

He added: “He seems to have been a bit mealy mouthed about Russia’s involvement. It’s disappointing because he should be representing ordinary people like me.”

In contrast, Mr Pomeroy said Theresa May and her Government were doing “what they can”.

It came as the Labour leader refused to apologise for his earlier statements, suggesting that “mafia-like groups” rather than the Kremlin could be behind the Salisbury poisoning.

Writing for The Guardian, Mr Corbyn urged Mrs May not to “rush way ahead of the evidence”, as he repeated his claims that Russia may have lost “control” of the deadly Novichok agent which poisoned DS Bailey and the Skripals.

His refusal to point the finger at the Kremlin is likely to fuel growing anger among Labour MPs, with several openly defying the Labour leader and offering Mrs May their full support.

They included shadow defence secretary Nia Griffith, who said Mr Corbyn's statement had made it more difficult to focus on how to respond to Russia.

Anger over Mr Corbyn’s refusal to condemn Russia intensified as the day wore on, with 18 Labour MPs signing a motion declaring that they “unequivocally” believe Russia to be behind the attack.

Mr Corbyn said during a trip to Carlisle that he had been “extremely definite” in condemning the attack, adding that it was his job as leader of the Opposition to ask “questions”.

Meanwhile, his spin doctor, Seumas Milne, faced calls to step down after telling journalists that intelligence supplied by the security services had been “problematic” in the past.

Seumas Milne has faced calls to step down 
Seumas Milne has faced calls to step down 

His comments were derided by several Labour MPs, including Mike Gapes, who said his claims were not made “in my name”.

Mr Pomeroy, the son of a South Wales miner, spoke out as concern for DS Bailey’s family grew after Army and police sealed off his home and removed both his and his wife’s cars for examination.

Speculation grew that DS Bailey, 38, may have carried traces of the nerve agent Novichok home with him after attempting to resuscitate Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

DS Bailey, who was among the first to attend to Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia, was initially discharged from hospital after a check up - only to be later admitted to Accident and Emergency at Salisbury District Hospital  feeling extremely unwell.

It is not yet known whether he became exposed to the chemical when traces rubbed onto him when he tried to help them, or if he came into contact with it in the maroon BMW they used to drive into Salisbury or at Mr Skripal’s home on the edge of the city.

Police seal off the home of DS Bailey and his wife
Police seal off the home of DS Bailey and his wife Credit: Patrick Sawer

Mr Pomeroy, 65, said his son-in-law was recovering from the ordeal, but had suffered and “was not out of the woods yet”.

He added: “He has been feeling very poorly, but he can talk to Sarah and the children, who’ve been visiting him regularly. She’s really been through the mill since this happened.

“He’s got such a sense of duty that I think it’s almost as if he feels he’s let people down. I don’t know why because that’s not true. He went to help those people without hesitating.”

Jack Straw, the former Labour foreign secretary at the time of the Iraq war, told the BBC: "He [Jeremy Corbyn] needs to be quite careful when it comes to the people around him who have quite serious form when it comes to apologising for the Russian Federation.”

He added: "Seumas Milne is an old Trot, he’s a very bright man, an upper middle class chap whose hobby is left-wing politics, but he’s normally made the wrong call, as Trotskyists usually do.

"Now it’s more serious, and he and those around Mr Corbyn need to be more serious in the assessments they make."

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