Salmond’s support for Corbyn (on his Russian chat show)
ALEX Salmond yesterday used his show on a Russian-backed TV station to question Theresa May’s response to the Salisbury nerve agent attack.
The former first minister echoed UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, saying more evidence was needed to back up the claim Russia was involved in the attempted murder of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.
Mr Corbyn sparked widespread criticism when he refused to condemn Russia on Monday, then insisted on Wednesday more evidence is needed. On his RT show yesterday, Mr Salmond backed Mr Corbyn
He said: ‘The UK Government is totally convinced the Russian state is involved and are therefore entitled to take a range of additional measures, diplomatic and economic. Of course, it is much more effective to operate in consort with friends and allies.
‘To succeed, the evidence has to be overwhelming and the case cast iron, as the Leader of the Opposition correctly pointed out to the Prime Minister. He didn’t get much support for that in the House of Commons, but that does not make him wrong.
‘When the UK Government produces evidence, the Russian government will have to answer.’
Mr Salmond also defended his decision to continue hosting his RT show, saying: ‘Don’t shut down TV stations because your standpoint is so uncertain that you must exclude other perspectives. The Prime Minister sensibly drew back from that proposal.
‘To censure would make a travesty of the concept of nation speaking unto nation, a mockery of freedom of speech and it would portray an image of a country lost in self-doubt.’
During First Minister’s Questions at Holyrood yesterday, Miss Sturgeon backed Mrs May over Mr Salmond. She said: ‘In a democracy, people are right to ask questions and scrutinise the evidence. The investigation is ongoing and will continue.
‘However, on the basis of what I have been told, which includes a briefing directly from the national security adviser, at this stage I believe the conclusion that Russia was responsible is a reasonable one. Therefore, the matter demands a proportionate but very firm response.’
But Miss Sturgeon refused to condemn RT when Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson branded it ‘a propaganda mouthpiece for Vladimir Putin’ and asked MSPs to ‘unite against propagandist channels that spread misinformation and undermine our values’.
Miss Sturgeon said: ‘Perhaps one of the differences between
‘The evidence has to be overwhelming’ ‘A propaganda mouthpiece’
this country and Russia is that it is not for politicians here to decide who gets to broadcast, as freedom of speech matters greatly to us.
‘On RT generally, I have made my view known in the past and I have not changed that view.’
Miss Sturgeon’s spokesman also refused to condemn Mr Salmond, saying: ‘Alex makes his own decisions and the First Minister could not have been clearer.’
Asked if he backed Mr Corbyn’s response, Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said: ‘I think there’s a reasonable belief the attack was carried out by the Russian state but it hasn’t been proven.’
It is understood none of the Russian diplomats due to be expelled from the UK is based in Scotland.
Stephen Daisley – Page 22