Russian in?

Whilst Theresa May’s actions against Russia will have the commendable result of reducing our expenditure on profligate diplomatic missions in the light of the expected tit-fortat response to her expulsion of Russian diplomats, I fear she has underplayed her hand.

Whereas immediate nationalisation without compensation of all Russian-owned property in the UK might lead to a temporary downwards blip in the London property market, selling these assets off by auction could largely finance the costs of Brexit and would allow UK citizens to pick them up at a substantial discount and prices would soon rise again even without further government subsidy of the rental market by increased Housing Benefit. JOHN EOIN DOUGLAS Spey Terrace, Edinburgh Only “useless idiots” would call for an Ofcom ban on Russia Today as this would lead to retaliation against the BBC’S output to Russia. Of course, RT promotes Moscow’s propaganda just as the BBC beams London’s view of the world.

Following the killing of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006, Vince Cable, David Davies and Jeremy Corbyn all appeared on Russia Today and Lib Dem MP Mike Hancock was removed as Chair of Westminster’s Russia group for being too pro-putin. Litvinenko’s widow has called on Theresa May to return the £826,000 in donations the Tories have received from Russian oligarchs since July 2016, including the £20,000 which Lubov Chernukin, wife of the former Russian deputy finance minister, reportedly paid to dine with Ruth Davidson.

This is not the first time Russia has tried to influence UK politics as in 2014 the Kremlin’s official mouthpiece, Tass, reported that David Cameron sought the backing of Russian President Vladimir Putin against Scottish independence.

Alex Salmond’s first Russia Today chat show included a debate on LGBT rights and interviewed Baroness Helena Kennedy on civil liberties, which are hardly Russian propaganda issues.

Also, suggestions England should boycott the football World Cup will be welcomed by the citizens of Volgograd, Nizhny Novgorod and Kaliningrad, who will be spared the English hooligan element that will inevitably clash with their Russian counterparts.

MARY THOMAS Watson Crescent, Edinburgh