Salmond urged to quit RT
Alex Salmond has been urged to quit working for a Kremlinbacked news channel after the poison attack on an ex-Russian spy.
The former first minister hosts a weekly politics show on RT, a channel which spouts Vladimir Putin’s propaganda.
The station, formerly known as Russia Today, accused British media of “spinning pretty wild theories” about the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.
Scots Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie said: “Surely the events in Salisbury will prick the conscience of Alex Salmond. He should cancel his show on RT as it is wrong to lend the credibility of the office of the First Minister to Putin’s mouthpiece.”
Sergei Skr ipal , 66, and daughter Yulia, 33, remain in a “very serious” condition a week after they were found slumped on a bench in the city.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd yesterday chaired an emergency meeting of the Government’s Cobra committee to assess the case.
She said afterwards there were more than 250 off icers from eight out of 11 of the country’s counter-terrorism units involved in the probe.
Rudd added: “This is a serious, substantial investigation.
“We need to give the police and the investigators the space to get on with that.
“I want to stress that they are proceeding with speed and professionalism. We are putting in enormous resources to ensure that they have all the support that they need to do that.”
Police are probing whether former Russian spy Skripal and Yulia were poisoned at home before being found unconscious in the city centre.
Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, part of the initial police response, is also in a serious condition.
It emerged that he had visited Skripal’s house after trying to help him at the scene where he was found collapsed.
A statement released by Wiltshire Police on behalf of the officer said: “He wants to say that he does not consider himself a hero.
“He states he was merely doing his job – a job he loves and is immensely proud of – just like all of his other dedicated colleagues do, day in, day out, in order to protect the public and keep people safe.”
A 180- strong military team remain in Salisbury carrying out “sensitive site exploitation”.
They are hunting for further traces of the nerve agent used and possible clues or evidence.
It was revealed yesterday that Skripal was a highly paid MI6 spy, codenamed Forthwith, who provided detailed intelligence to Britain over a 10-year period.
He was able to suppl y information including the entire