Kremlin threats
FOR Theresa May’s Statement, the House was utterly silent. Nary a mutter or cough in the wings. But when Jeremy Corbyn started putting the Russians’ side of things – Counsel for the Kremlin – the Chamber did not bother to contain its disbelief.
After his poor reviews on Monday, few expected Mr Corbyn to pull the same lavatory chain. But yesterday he was even worse. It is not a question of parliamentary inexperience or political ‘tin ear’.
It can only be a dogmatic refusal to think ill of Moscow and a determination to regard British claims through narrowed eyes. Russia good. Britain suspicious.
The Prime Minister had made a Statement just before 1pm. She announced the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats/spies. As she spoke gravely about Russia’s unlicensed production of chemical weapons, most MPs accorded her respect. But was there the hint of a sneer curled under the snout of Dennis Skinner (Lab, Bolsover)?
‘Correct’. That was the word used about Mrs May’s bearing and judgment by Cheryl Gillan (Con, Chesham & Amersham) and David Hanson (Lab, Delyn). Many other Labour MPs would praise her. But first we had to hear from Agent Corbyn.
He began okay – the voice deeper, slower than on Monday – but it soon unravelled into conspiracy theory and quibbling.
If he condemned President Putin, I did not hear it. Instead he wanted Mrs May to hand Moscow some of the deadly evidence from Salisbury. I’m not sure they’d want to touch it if we did.
The Corbyn voice started to rise, the higher its note, the more peevish its character.
When he started to demand details of what contacts there had been with the Russians, Labour MPs reacted by closing their eyes, massaging their brows and whispering to one another – Vernon Coaker to Yvette Cooper and Rachel Reeves, Jim Cunningham to a bleak-faced Jack Dromey. Boris Johnson shook his head at Mr Corbyn’s antics. Mr Corbyn reacted by shouting ‘the Foreign Secretary demeans his office!’ When Mr Corbyn moaned about post- Cold War defence cuts, Chancellor Philip Hammond pulled an expression of astonishment. Did Mr Corbyn ever in his life demand more money for Defence?
Finally, the dribbling gibberish ended.
Mrs May, chilly but fastidious, instructed Mr Corbyn that the Salisbury outrage had not been caused by British diplomacy. It was ‘a question of the culpability of the Russian state.’
Our international allies agreed with her. Labour backbenchers with her. The only person who did not was ‘the Right Hon Gentleman’.
Loud hear hears from across the House. Ben Bradshaw (Lab, Exeter) was one of several Labour MPs to nod his head.
Mr Corbyn looked isolated. But not entirely. That commissar of
the Islington oblast, Emily Thornberry, dignitary of the London legal inns, possessor of a ladyship, was twitching with ire. ‘HOW DARE YOU?’ she screeched at the Tories. ‘SHAME ON YOU!’
Give this to Miss Thornberry, she has a yowl on her. Her shriek carried easily over the turbulence. She’d be handy if you wanted to hail a cab in High Holborn. Not that you might want to share it with such a vixen.
Ian Blackford, Commons leader of the SNP, offered Mrs May solid support. What a contrast he cut with Corbyn. Ditto the Lib Dems’ Sir Vince Cable, who mentioned two London-based oligarchs, one of whom owned a flat overlooking the MoD.
‘Gangster!’ said Mr Bradshaw about one of those men.
Several MPs criticised the Russian ambassador, Chris Bryant (Lab, Rhondda) saying the diplomat had ‘lied’ to MPs and had even tried to stop Commons debates on Russia.
Anna Soubry (Con, Broxtowe) spoke up for ‘ our great British democracy’ – she really did – and Pat McFadden (Lab, Wolverhampton SE) implored Mrs May to accept that some people in the Labour party were actually pro-Britain.
Mrs May said she quite understood that.
Mr Corbyn clutched one knee with both hands, affecting nonchalance. Beside him, like Mrs Brezhnev (look her up, Comrades), sat Miss Thornberry, by now laughing. Laughing!