Mcdonnell distances himself from Corbyn’s stance on gas attack
Putin has questions to answer, says shadow chancellor, as Labour MPS seek to oust spin doctor
JEREMY CORBYN last night appeared increasingly isolated over his response to the Salisbury spy attack, after his closest Labour ally said it was “highly likely” Russia was responsible. Mr Corbyn has faced fierce criticism from dozens of moderate Labour MPS over his response to the Government’s conclusion that Moscow was responsible for the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia.
The growing unrest came as moderate Labour MPS prepared to try to oust Seumas Milne, Mr Corbyn’s spin doctor, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.
Theresa May, the Prime Minister, said on Monday it was “highly likely” Russia was responsible and then on Wednesday that there was “no alternative conclusion”.
The Labour leader has so far refused to blame Moscow explicitly for ordering the attack, merely saying the “evidence points towards Russia”.
He has kept open the option that Russia may have lost control of the Novichok nerve agent that was used and that the attack could have been carried out by “Mafia-like groups”.
Numerous Labour frontbenchers, including Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, Sir
Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, and Nia Griffith, the shadow defence secretary, have pointed the finger of blame more firmly at Vladimir Putin’s regime. Mr Corbyn was placed under even greater pressure yesterday after John Mcdonnell, the shadow chancellor, echoed the language used by Mrs May. He told ITV’S Peston on Sunday programme: “It’s important we base this on the evidence but there’s a pattern of people being murdered here, so therefore it leads you to the conclusion that Putin has questions to answer because this is highly likely this could be a state execution. What we don’t do in this country is that we don’t leap to conclusions without the evidence.”
He added: “In that way we can effectively build the coalition. If we leap to conclusions without the evidence … it will undermine the ability to build that coalition.
“Therefore the point that Jeremy was making the other day is we have to be careful how we handle this, if we’re going to be effective in tackling Putin and the barbaric acts his regime has undertaken.”
Mr Mcdonnell also said that “the key thing now is we agree with the Prime Minister, whatever happens; Russia is responsible for this”.
Last night, when asked if Mr Corbyn accepted that Mr Mcdonnell now appeared to back Mrs May on the origins of the attack, the Labour leader’s spokesman said: “As we said on Wednesday, the two alternatives she laid out are overwhelmingly likely and evidence points to Russia.”
So far 33 Labour MPS have signed a
‘It’s important we base this on the evidence but there’s a pattern of people being murdered here’
Commons motion criticising Mr Corbyn and “unequivocally accepting the Russian state’s culpability for the poisoning of Yulia and Sergei Skripal in Salisbury” using nerve agent.
The Telegraph understands some MPS will try to table a motion of no confidence in Mr Milne, who is seen as the architect of Mr Corbyn’s response, at a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party tonight.
Meanwhile, Labour MPS angered by Mr Corbyn’s stance have reportedly been in talks with the Lib Dems and at least one Tory MP about launching a new political party with the name Start Again.