Kinnock calls for World Cup finals to be postponed

The United Kingdom should ask Fifa to postpone the football World Cup to 2019 and take it away from Russia in retaliation for the Salisbury poisoning, an MP has said.

The sporting extravaganza is due to kick off in Moscow on June 14, and is expected to be used by Vladimir Putin as a massive PR opportunity for his country.

But Labour’s Stephen Kinnock said Fifa should be asked whether it was appropriate to mount a celebration of football in a state suspected of being behind the deployment of a nerve agent on the streets of the UK.

Mr Kinnock told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I think we should seriously consider making a coordinated approach to Fifa and talk about moving the World Cup to 2019 and have it hosted in another country or countries.

“Putin has invested billions of roubles in the World Cup and sees it as an opportunity to show- case his regime to the world.”

Theresa May has said no Government ministers or members of the Royal Family will attend the World Cup and the Foreign Office has warned England fans planning to travel to Russia that they should “be aware of the possibility of anti-British sentiment or harassment”.

But the Government has not given its backing to a boycott of the tournament, insisting that the England team’s involvement is a matter for the Football Association.