Jeremy Corbyn faces a growing revolt within his party over his reluctance to blame Russia for the Salisbury attack, as MPs today blasted the Labour leader’s response as “inadequate”.
Senior Labour backbencher Sir Kevin Barron criticised Mr Corbyn for a failure to engage in Labour foreign policy and for being driven by ideology.
Sir Kevin, a former member of the Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee, said: “Jeremy has not been engaged in the foreign policy of the Labour Party for decades.
"He has a different view on the international scene than many members of the Labour Party. Jeremy’s response was not in my view an adequate response to the situation.”
Sir Kevin’s comments followed senior front-bencher Sir Keir Starmer’s demand that there must be no “ifs or buts” in criticising Russia for the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.
Sir Keir’s condemnation of the attack and call to unite behind the Prime Minister’s economic sanctions and expulsion of Russian diplomats follows shadow defence secretary Nia Griffith who said Russia was responsible.
