Thornberry booed over defence of Russia

Emily Thornberry was booed by the audience of the BBC’S Question Time after she denied Russia was interfering in an inspection by officials of the site in Syria in which an alleged chemical weapons attack killed 75 people

The shadow foreign secretary caused a backlash after saying she “did not accept” allegations that Russian interference had held up an inspection from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

She said the delays were the result of the UN and its “red tape... and their safety stuff ”. Critics said her remarks echoed those by Sergei Ryabkov, Russia’s deputy foreign minister.