Russian’s conspiracy claims rejected

Russia’s ambassador to the UK was mocked by MPS as he claimed British agents could have been behind the Salisbury poisoning.

Alexander Yakovenko suggested the nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia could have been a conspiracy aimed at justifying British hostility to Russia.

Mr Yakovenko, questioned by MPS and peers on the Russia all-party parliamentary group, accused the UK of violating international law by not granting access to Ms Skripal and repeated his demand for Moscow to be given samples taken from Salisbury.

Suggesting that “UK security services” were behind the incident in March, he said Russia had been blamed by the Government but the British authorities admitted they had no suspects.

The UK viewed Russia as “enemy number one”, he claimed, adding: “The people don’t buy this kind of policy.

“And what happened next, in order to get their support, something extraordinary should be done in this country in order to make people believe that this is the Russians who did this, who basically poisoned the Skripals.”

Mr Skripal remains in hospital and Yulia, who was also taken ill, was released to a secure location last month.

Labour MP Chris Bryant told the ambassador: “I’m not a Conservative but I don’t think it’s in a Conservative government’s interest to start murdering Russian people, who come over to Britain and spy for us, in Salisbury.”

Tory MP Bob Seely, who questioned Mr Yakovenko on subjects including the downing of the Malaysia Airlines MH17 flight over Ukraine, told Mr Yakovenko: “People treat you like they treated (former Iraqi propaganda chief) Comical Ali in Iraq – someone who is great entertainment value who relies on conspiracy theories.”

Mr Skripal, pictured in 2006, remains in hospital.