RIP WORLD CUP OUT OF PUTIN’S GRASP
MPs question Russia’s right to stage event
PRESSURE was growing last night for a mass World Cup boycott this summer in retaliation for the Salisbury nerve agent outrage.
There were calls urging the Prime Minister and MPs to consider pressing allies to withdraw from the event in Russia or strip them of the tournament
to send a stark message to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Some called for an urgent parliamentary debate on whether the England team should take part in the tournament. And there were calls for the Football Association to consider unilaterally pulling out.
The World Cup calls intensified last night as international support for Theresa May’s tough response to the Kremlin following the attempted murder of Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, grew.
France, Germany and the US all backed a joint statement with the Government abhorring the attack and agreeing that Russian state involvement was the only credible explanation.
Ministers are understood to be keen to demonstrate that Britain is a democracy where the Government does not tell sporting organisation and other civil bodies what to do in contrast to the dictatorial behaviour of President Putin’s regime.
But an increasing number of MPs have said the pressure on Moscow should be increased with a campaign for a World Cup boycott.
Appalling
Labour MP John Woodcock said: “I would like to see a parliamentary debate on whether concerted Government action together with other countries to postpone the World Cup or move it to another venue would be the right way to go.
“This is a decision which should be shared between the Government, the fans and the FA.
“I don’t want to see anyone dictated to and I am not calling for England to unilaterally withdraw from the tournament.
“But there is a growing appetite among MPs to push for concerted international action over the World Cup. It should be on the table because of the appalling magnitude of what Russia has done.”
Ian Austin, another Labour MP, said: “I am very concerned that Putin will use the World Cup in the same way that Hitler used the 1936 Munich Olympics, as a public relations exercise for a brutal dictatorship.”
Mr Austin, who also expressed fears for the safety of England fans, said pressing for a mass boycott should be investigated.
Senior Tory MP Bernard Jenkin said: “In the end this is a matter for the Football Association, after consulting the players and other stakeholders, and for individual players, fans and others.
“We live in a free country. The Government cannot ban people from going. But I would not go.
“After the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, nobody was banned from going to the 1980 summer Olympics in Moscow but the UK government and the Royal Family refused and many competitors and teams voluntarily pulled out.”
But Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson yesterday insisted there were no plans to stop England competing in the World Cup.
He said: “I don’t want to punish either English fans or the English team. That is not the plan. What we are certainly not going to have is high-level representation at the World Cup.”
In a statement, the FA said it will “continue to work closely with the Government and relevant authorities”.
It added: “Our priority for all England matches is to ensure the safety and security of the fans, players and staff. As is standard practice, we will take all travel guidance from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.”
In further signs of international backing for Britain, Nato chiefs yesterday promised to defend “all allies against any threat” while warning that Russia posed an increasing global risk.
The military alliance’s support came a day after Mrs May announced
measures including the expulsion of 23 Russian alleged spies as punishment for the attempted assassination Mr Skripal.
As the UK awaited Moscow’s promised retaliation yesterday, US President Donald Trump’s administration slapped its own sanctions on Russian individuals and entities for meddling in the 2016 US election and cyber attacks on America’s energy grid.
A joint statement was issued in the names of Mrs May, Mr Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, as the Prime Minister visited Salisbury.
Mr Macron initially indicated doubts about blaming Moscow but after he spoke again to Mrs May yesterday morning, the president’s team said France agreed it was the only plausible explanation.
Offensive
In Washington, Donald Trump said: “It certainly looks like the Russians were behind it. We are taking it very seriously.”
The statement “abhorred” the Salisbury attack and agreed Russian involvement was the only believable explanation. This use of a military-grade nerve agent, of a type developed by Russia, constitutes the first offensive use of a nerve agent in Europe since the Second World War,” they went on.
“It is an assault on UK sovereignty and any such use by a state party is a clear violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and a breach of international law.
“It threatens the security of us all.”