Browse content similar to 14/03/2018. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
Line | From | To | |
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Last night's deadline came and went
without any Russian response to the | 0:00:08 | 0:00:14 | |
British ultimatum over the Salisbury
nerve gas attack. In an hour the | 0:00:14 | 0:00:18 | |
Prime Minister will reveal the
extent of British retaliation in one | 0:00:18 | 0:00:22 | |
of the toughest tests of Theresa
May's premiership. | 0:00:22 | 0:00:36 | |
Good morning - welcome
to this special edition | 0:00:57 | 0:00:59 | |
of the Daily Politics,
live from Westminister, | 0:00:59 | 0:01:01 | |
extended to bring you not only
Prime Minister's Questions, | 0:01:01 | 0:01:04 | |
but Mrs May's promised list
of sanctions against the Kremlin | 0:01:04 | 0:01:07 | |
and the response of the Leader
of the Opposition. | 0:01:07 | 0:01:11 | |
We expect to be on air
until at least 1.30. | 0:01:11 | 0:01:15 | |
This morning the Prime Minister met
with her National Security Council | 0:01:15 | 0:01:19 | |
to discuss the British response -
she'll make her statement just | 0:01:19 | 0:01:24 | |
after Prime Minister's Questions
and we'll bring it to you live. | 0:01:24 | 0:01:28 | |
Russia, which continues to deny any
involvement in the Salisbury attack, | 0:01:28 | 0:01:32 | |
has warned that any punitive action
on Britain's part will be met | 0:01:32 | 0:01:35 | |
with a tough response,
one Kremlin figure even reminding us | 0:01:35 | 0:01:38 | |
that Russia is a nuclear power. | 0:01:38 | 0:01:39 | |
As if we hadn't noticed. | 0:01:39 | 0:01:43 | |
But what are the Prime Minister's
options and how much international | 0:01:43 | 0:01:46 | |
support can she count
on for a robust British response? | 0:01:46 | 0:01:48 | |
We'll speak to a senior
former diplomat. | 0:01:48 | 0:01:54 | |
And of course, on top
of all this we'll be live | 0:01:54 | 0:01:56 | |
for Prime Minister's
Questions at noon. | 0:01:56 | 0:02:04 | |
All that coming up, and with me
for the duration Conservative Vice | 0:02:04 | 0:02:07 | |
Chair Chris Skidmore
and Shadow Treasury | 0:02:07 | 0:02:09 | |
Minister Jonathan Reynolds. | 0:02:09 | 0:02:12 | |
Welcome. | 0:02:12 | 0:02:15 | |
Well, as expected, Theresa May's
midnight deadline for a Russian | 0:02:15 | 0:02:18 | |
explanation for the poisioning
of former spy Sergei Skripal | 0:02:18 | 0:02:23 | |
in Salisbury passed with no response
from Moscow and now we wait to learn | 0:02:23 | 0:02:27 | |
what the Prime Minister's
next move will be. | 0:02:27 | 0:02:29 | |
Russia still denies any involvement
in the attack and has warned any | 0:02:29 | 0:02:35 | |
sanctions from us
will have consquences. | 0:02:35 | 0:02:37 | |
Lets get the latest from
Richard Galpin, who's in Moscow. | 0:02:37 | 0:02:45 | |
Is there any other credible
explanation doing the rounds in | 0:02:45 | 0:02:50 | |
Moscow, if this was not Russia in
Salisbury, who was at? They are | 0:02:50 | 0:02:57 | |
saying they got rid of chemical
weapons stockpile some time ago and | 0:02:57 | 0:03:03 | |
so it could not possibly be Russia
and they are insisting on that, they | 0:03:03 | 0:03:08 | |
are not giving other theories. I
have not heard anything in terms of | 0:03:08 | 0:03:12 | |
saying another country might have
done this. They are saying, the | 0:03:12 | 0:03:18 | |
Foreign Minister, that Russia had no
motive but obviously the British | 0:03:18 | 0:03:22 | |
Government will look at that with a
wry smile, given what happened in | 0:03:22 | 0:03:27 | |
London in 2006 with the
assassination of another man who | 0:03:27 | 0:03:32 | |
betrayed his country, Alexander
Litvinenko. The Russians have passed | 0:03:32 | 0:03:36 | |
form for assassinating people who
have betrayed them, intelligence | 0:03:36 | 0:03:42 | |
agents who have gone to the other
side, in this case working for MI6. | 0:03:42 | 0:03:46 | |
My understanding is Mrs May will
reveal the nerve agent used has been | 0:03:46 | 0:03:51 | |
produced only by the Russian
government and the Russian | 0:03:51 | 0:03:54 | |
government has stockpiles of that,
perhaps not large, but had an | 0:03:54 | 0:03:57 | |
element of it, and that will be the
reason she will say the British are | 0:03:57 | 0:04:02 | |
in no doubt the Russians did it and
she will outline sanctions including | 0:04:02 | 0:04:06 | |
expulsions. Are the Russians drawing
up a list of Riyadh -- a list of | 0:04:06 | 0:04:15 | |
retaliation? I am sure they are
prepared and I expect they will act | 0:04:15 | 0:04:21 | |
quickly. The Kremlin spokesman said
clearly, we will retaliate. If the | 0:04:21 | 0:04:29 | |
Russian ambassador for example is
expelled and the intelligence | 0:04:29 | 0:04:31 | |
officers working in the Russian
Embassy in London, many of those | 0:04:31 | 0:04:36 | |
will be expelled, possibly more.
There are hints there will be a | 0:04:36 | 0:04:42 | |
larger number than expulsions that
happened following the death of | 0:04:42 | 0:04:45 | |
Alexander Litvinenko. The Russians
are ready and they say they will | 0:04:45 | 0:04:52 | |
retaliate to everything Britain
does. One interesting quote that | 0:04:52 | 0:04:56 | |
stands out to me, coming from the
Kremlin spokesperson, he has | 0:04:56 | 0:05:03 | |
effectively fired a warning shot to
other countries, such as the | 0:05:03 | 0:05:09 | |
European Union, presumably the
United States, saying we hope other | 0:05:09 | 0:05:12 | |
countries will think about whether
there is evidence provided so far by | 0:05:12 | 0:05:16 | |
the UK. We know Theresa May, Boris
Johnson will be working hard to try | 0:05:16 | 0:05:22 | |
to get solidarity and unity in
Europe and other countries and get | 0:05:22 | 0:05:26 | |
these countries behind the UK on
this and Russia is now trying to | 0:05:26 | 0:05:31 | |
fragment that. It sounds like it is
escalating into a major | 0:05:31 | 0:05:36 | |
international story. Thank you. | 0:05:36 | 0:05:40 | |
It was on Monday that
the Prime Minister gave | 0:05:40 | 0:05:42 | |
her ultimatum to President Putin. | 0:05:42 | 0:05:43 | |
Here's a reminder of
what she said. | 0:05:43 | 0:05:51 | |
On Wednesday, we will consider in
detail the response from the Russian | 0:05:52 | 0:05:56 | |
state. Should there be no credible
response we will conclude this | 0:05:56 | 0:06:00 | |
action amounts to an unlawful use of
force by the Russian state against | 0:06:00 | 0:06:05 | |
the United Kingdom. And I will come
back to this House and set out the | 0:06:05 | 0:06:10 | |
range of measures we will take in
response. This attempted murder | 0:06:10 | 0:06:16 | |
using a weapons grade nerve agent in
a British town was not just a crime | 0:06:16 | 0:06:25 | |
against the two. It was an
indiscriminate and reckless act | 0:06:25 | 0:06:28 | |
against the UK, putting lives of
innocent civilians at risk and we | 0:06:28 | 0:06:32 | |
will not tolerate a brazen attempt
to murder innocent civilians on our | 0:06:32 | 0:06:36 | |
soil. That was the Prime Minister on
Monday. She is now coming back to | 0:06:36 | 0:06:44 | |
the Commons and will follow Prime
Minister's Questions with a more | 0:06:44 | 0:06:47 | |
detailed statement on what the
British response will be. | 0:06:47 | 0:06:51 | |
After the murder of former Russian
secret service operative | 0:06:51 | 0:06:53 | |
Alexander Litvinenko in 2006, | 0:06:53 | 0:06:55 | |
Britain expelled some Russian
diplomats and enforced tighter visa | 0:06:55 | 0:06:58 | |
restrictions on Russia officials. | 0:06:58 | 0:06:59 | |
But many argue that these measures
didn't go far enough. | 0:06:59 | 0:07:03 | |
So, what are Theresa May's options
now for retaliation? | 0:07:03 | 0:07:09 | |
She could... | 0:07:09 | 0:07:17 | |
Expel more Russia diplomats
from the UK, maybe including | 0:07:19 | 0:07:21 | |
the Russian ambassador. | 0:07:21 | 0:07:24 | |
The numbers will be important. Ted
Heath in 71 kicked out a large | 0:07:24 | 0:07:29 | |
number of diplomats. | 0:07:29 | 0:07:30 | |
Introduce asset freezes
and travel bans on Russians | 0:07:30 | 0:07:32 | |
involved in corruption
and human rights abuses. | 0:07:32 | 0:07:36 | |
Or at least toughen up the existing
powers. | 0:07:36 | 0:07:38 | |
Bar wealthy Russian oligarchs from | 0:07:38 | 0:07:40 | |
accessing their property in London
by seizing their assets. | 0:07:40 | 0:07:47 | |
Take RT - or Russia
Today - off the air. | 0:07:47 | 0:07:52 | |
The British believe it is a Kremlin
financed propaganda channel. | 0:07:52 | 0:07:59 | |
Or boycott the football World Cup
in Russia later this year. | 0:07:59 | 0:08:07 | |
And talk the British could launch
a cyber-attack on Russia. | 0:08:08 | 0:08:13 | |
This morning I was told that option
was downplayed. | 0:08:13 | 0:08:20 | |
They could convince
the EU to strengthen | 0:08:20 | 0:08:21 | |
sanctions against Putin. | 0:08:21 | 0:08:26 | |
The European Union put the sanctions
with British support in place after | 0:08:26 | 0:08:31 | |
Crimea and Ukraine. That is the sort
of thing that could be done. | 0:08:31 | 0:08:33 | |
Wth me now is Larissa Brown,
the defence and security editor | 0:08:33 | 0:08:36 | |
at the Daily Mail. | 0:08:36 | 0:08:38 | |
And Adam Thompson,
who was until recently Britain's | 0:08:38 | 0:08:40 | |
Permanent Representative to Nato. | 0:08:40 | 0:08:45 | |
Larissa Brown, Theresa May was
criticised when she was Home | 0:08:45 | 0:08:52 | |
Secretary for arguing for a weak
response to the Litvinenko business. | 0:08:52 | 0:08:58 | |
Issued under pressure to show she is
tougher than that? She is under | 0:08:58 | 0:09:02 | |
pressure and the worst thing she can
do is give a feeble response to the | 0:09:02 | 0:09:08 | |
poisoning of the double agent. I
think she will have to come out this | 0:09:08 | 0:09:15 | |
afternoon and give a strong
statement and outline various | 0:09:15 | 0:09:17 | |
measures which could cross the
diplomatic circles, which could be a | 0:09:17 | 0:09:25 | |
unilateral response. She could go to
Nato, the EU, UN, and call for a | 0:09:25 | 0:09:33 | |
unified, common international
response which would make Britain | 0:09:33 | 0:09:36 | |
look more powerful in response to
Putin. Do we have evidence there is | 0:09:36 | 0:09:42 | |
appetite in the European Union, in
Nato, or even in the Trump | 0:09:42 | 0:09:47 | |
administration in America to get
involved in this and to follow a | 0:09:47 | 0:09:53 | |
robust response, to back that
response, two -- to participate in | 0:09:53 | 0:10:01 | |
that response? We have seen warm
statements towards the UK from both | 0:10:01 | 0:10:05 | |
Nato Secretary General, apparently
Donald Trump, certain EU officials. | 0:10:05 | 0:10:13 | |
There will be at least verbal
support for what Theresa May decides | 0:10:13 | 0:10:17 | |
to do. But whether that is followed
through by action is going to be | 0:10:17 | 0:10:23 | |
dependent I think on how credible
Britain's diplomacy over this crisis | 0:10:23 | 0:10:27 | |
is. Does it help this happens as we
are leaving the EU, and that a man | 0:10:27 | 0:10:36 | |
in Washington who stood up most for
us, Rex Tillerson, Secretary of | 0:10:36 | 0:10:41 | |
State, was fired within 24 hours of
standing up for us. None of that | 0:10:41 | 0:10:45 | |
mood music is helpful. It probably
does not help but I'm not sure it | 0:10:45 | 0:10:49 | |
will get in the way, either. I think
serious Americans and Europeans, | 0:10:49 | 0:10:57 | |
seeing the first use of nerve agents
since the Second World War on | 0:10:57 | 0:11:02 | |
European territory will understand
it is a serious issue for them and | 0:11:02 | 0:11:05 | |
not just the UK. The law based on
this man who was trying to help | 0:11:05 | 0:11:14 | |
people get out of Russia. He was
imprisoned. It freezes assets of | 0:11:14 | 0:11:22 | |
those involved in corruption, there
are travel restrictions on these | 0:11:22 | 0:11:26 | |
people. My understanding is the
British Government says we can do a | 0:11:26 | 0:11:29 | |
lot of that in this country but it
will probably accept a version of | 0:11:29 | 0:11:34 | |
this law to show they can toughen it
up. It has gone through the Lords | 0:11:34 | 0:11:40 | |
and we expect it to come back to the
Commons and there have been | 0:11:40 | 0:11:44 | |
amendments to the UK version of
these laws that will basically | 0:11:44 | 0:11:48 | |
enable the UK to have the same
equivalent of what the US have. | 0:11:48 | 0:11:55 | |
Toughening up sanctions, freezing
assets, and potentially having a | 0:11:55 | 0:11:58 | |
list of Vladimir Putin's cronies,
oligarchs, that are linked to the | 0:11:58 | 0:12:03 | |
regime and they would be banned from
the UK. This is a measure the Prime | 0:12:03 | 0:12:09 | |
Minister could do which would not
necessarily have huge political | 0:12:09 | 0:12:13 | |
ramifications in Russia in the same
way as expelling our diplomats would | 0:12:13 | 0:12:17 | |
because Russia said they will
retaliate and Russia Today, there is | 0:12:17 | 0:12:23 | |
talk about the licence being revoked
but if the UK does that, in | 0:12:23 | 0:12:27 | |
response, Russia has said they could
end up banning our media | 0:12:27 | 0:12:32 | |
organisations from operating. That
would be a huge loss if BBC Russia | 0:12:32 | 0:12:37 | |
were expelled from Moscow. What does
Russia want out of all this? My | 0:12:37 | 0:12:45 | |
understanding is that what happened
was called by the Prime Minister in | 0:12:45 | 0:12:51 | |
the National Security Council a
Kremlin calling card, that the nerve | 0:12:51 | 0:12:55 | |
agent was chosen intentionally
because we would find out and know | 0:12:55 | 0:13:00 | |
that only they had it and the world
would know the Kremlin had done this | 0:13:00 | 0:13:07 | |
for all their denials. Why? What is
the message, what are they telling | 0:13:07 | 0:13:13 | |
us by doing this? It is hard to read
Russia. It always has been. I | 0:13:13 | 0:13:19 | |
hesitate, but there is a pattern of
Russian behaviour in terms of going | 0:13:19 | 0:13:25 | |
after opponents of the regime, and
throwing Russia's weight around in | 0:13:25 | 0:13:34 | |
Europe and its region a little bit.
The question is whether Putin is | 0:13:34 | 0:13:40 | |
asking for attention in order to get
the west re-engaged with Russia on a | 0:13:40 | 0:13:48 | |
great power to great power kind of
negotiation, or whether he has | 0:13:48 | 0:13:56 | |
decided destabilising activities are
a useful thing for Russia in their | 0:13:56 | 0:13:59 | |
own right. We have just learned that
Britain is calling for an urgent | 0:13:59 | 0:14:04 | |
meeting of the UN Security Council.
We are one off the permanent | 0:14:04 | 0:14:12 | |
representatives, I assume this is an
attempt to internationalise this and | 0:14:12 | 0:14:16 | |
bring to attention to the other
members, that it is a potential | 0:14:16 | 0:14:20 | |
threat to all of them. Absolutely.
That is a basic first step is to be | 0:14:20 | 0:14:27 | |
taking to raise this in the security
council and potentially in the UN | 0:14:27 | 0:14:32 | |
General Assembly, the wider forum of
the UN. It is not the only thing it | 0:14:32 | 0:14:39 | |
should do internationally, in
addition to Boris Johnson's efforts | 0:14:39 | 0:14:42 | |
with allies, I am sure the UK will
go to the organisation for the | 0:14:42 | 0:14:47 | |
Prohibition of chemical weapons
which runs the 1997 Chemical Weapons | 0:14:47 | 0:14:53 | |
Convention to take that treaty
through its paces on a country | 0:14:53 | 0:14:59 | |
suspected of noncompliance, and of
still holding nerve agents. | 0:14:59 | 0:15:11 | |
We see the huge nuclear arsenal, we
see what was done in Crimea, those | 0:15:11 | 0:15:17 | |
motorised forces, and the claim of
undercover forces, and so we think | 0:15:17 | 0:15:20 | |
it is strong. But, actually, is this
a result of weakness? The Russian | 0:15:20 | 0:15:28 | |
GDP, the Russian economy, is smaller
than Italy's, it is a lot smaller | 0:15:28 | 0:15:32 | |
than Britain's, there is widespread
rampant poverty in Russia, the | 0:15:32 | 0:15:37 | |
moment you leave Moscow and the
other big cities. Its capital | 0:15:37 | 0:15:41 | |
structure of investment, partly
because of sanctions, is collapsing, | 0:15:41 | 0:15:45 | |
it's machine-tool industry is going
into dust, its oil industry is | 0:15:45 | 0:15:50 | |
desperately in need of new capital
investment and not getting it. Is | 0:15:50 | 0:15:55 | |
this partly to cover the fact that
the Russian economy, in many ways, | 0:15:55 | 0:15:58 | |
is a basket case? The Russians are
obviously very good at what has been | 0:15:58 | 0:16:03 | |
coined the information war and they
are very good at looking like... | 0:16:03 | 0:16:07 | |
They are brilliant at reacting on
the international stage and standing | 0:16:07 | 0:16:11 | |
up for Russian values, and obviously
we have got Putin's election coming | 0:16:11 | 0:16:17 | |
up and there have been a lot of
people who have suggested that by | 0:16:17 | 0:16:20 | |
looking like they're Tov, by coming
out with these statements, by | 0:16:20 | 0:16:25 | |
fighting back against Theresa May,
it will only help him in Russia and | 0:16:25 | 0:16:28 | |
make the Russian people think that
he's actually being strong. But | 0:16:28 | 0:16:34 | |
there are things that Britain can
do, of course, and there are many | 0:16:34 | 0:16:38 | |
things that we could do secretly to
hit back at Russia, such as | 0:16:38 | 0:16:41 | |
offensive cyber attacks. How robust
should the response be? Of Russia | 0:16:41 | 0:16:49 | |
are responsible and, let's be
honest, it is hard to see a credible | 0:16:49 | 0:16:51 | |
defence that they are not
responsible, there has to be a | 0:16:51 | 0:16:55 | |
response because this is one of the
most serious incidents I can recall | 0:16:55 | 0:16:58 | |
as a parliamentarian, but it has to
be effective. You talk of boycott of | 0:16:58 | 0:17:02 | |
the World Cup. I don't think that is
the quantum of activity we are in | 0:17:02 | 0:17:06 | |
but we also can't seek to normalise
this. We don't want this to be | 0:17:06 | 0:17:12 | |
continued for years to come. I do
think some of the things you've just | 0:17:12 | 0:17:18 | |
mentioned, the measures put into the
anti-money laundering bill last | 0:17:18 | 0:17:21 | |
week, which we almost got put
through, I think that is where we | 0:17:21 | 0:17:25 | |
can take some real action because,
frankly, where we are right now, in | 0:17:25 | 0:17:29 | |
terms of what we know and what the
Prime Minister will say, we've got | 0:17:29 | 0:17:33 | |
to respond to this robustly. Should
we? The amendments will now become | 0:17:33 | 0:17:38 | |
part of British law, I assume?
British government has already | 0:17:38 | 0:17:44 | |
looked as an anti-corruption
strategy. I think it is right that | 0:17:44 | 0:17:47 | |
we look what needs to take place
legislatively and non-legislative we | 0:17:47 | 0:17:50 | |
move forward. Why would you resist
the? These are laws | 0:17:50 | 0:18:00 | |
the? These are laws that allow you
to target those accused of human | 0:18:01 | 0:18:04 | |
rights abuses or I was a result of
corrupt practices. When you transfer | 0:18:04 | 0:18:12 | |
UK law to US law it is not as easy
as saying you can transfer it | 0:18:12 | 0:18:15 | |
across. Why would you not strengthen
it? We have bills going through the | 0:18:15 | 0:18:24 | |
House of Commons where in the past
we have looked at the strength of | 0:18:24 | 0:18:27 | |
anti-corruption practices so I can't
see why we wouldn't want to do that | 0:18:27 | 0:18:30 | |
in the future. Would it make sense
to close down Russia Today or would | 0:18:30 | 0:18:35 | |
that be a gift to the Russians? We
pride ourselves as this being a city | 0:18:35 | 0:18:40 | |
and country which is the home of
free speech. The Russians know that | 0:18:40 | 0:18:45 | |
what happens in Moscow is
increasingly controlled by the | 0:18:45 | 0:18:49 | |
state, whether it is a state
operated media or private. If we | 0:18:49 | 0:18:54 | |
close their outlets here, they will
retaliate and probably close the BBC | 0:18:54 | 0:18:58 | |
and others too. But, more
importantly, the British are meant | 0:18:58 | 0:19:02 | |
to be in favour of free speech but
at the moment they have a station | 0:19:02 | 0:19:05 | |
they don't like and they close it
down. I think that every action | 0:19:05 | 0:19:09 | |
there will be a reaction but that
shouldn't stop us looking at Russia | 0:19:09 | 0:19:14 | |
Today. Obviously, we want to work
with Ofcom over what sort of actions | 0:19:14 | 0:19:17 | |
may be taken but we have to stop
directly elected politicians going | 0:19:17 | 0:19:22 | |
on this programme. Alex Salmond, for
instance, should give up that | 0:19:22 | 0:19:25 | |
programme. He has his own show on
it. Would not be a better way, | 0:19:25 | 0:19:31 | |
rather than closing it down, to make
it well-nigh impossible for | 0:19:31 | 0:19:34 | |
mainstream politicians to appear on
it because they would be attacked | 0:19:34 | 0:19:38 | |
for doing so? I have never appeared
on it and I don't consider it to be | 0:19:38 | 0:19:44 | |
a news source in the way I would
consider the BBC or Sky to be a | 0:19:44 | 0:19:48 | |
legitimate impartial news
broadcaster. But I think if it was | 0:19:48 | 0:19:53 | |
unilaterally shut down by the
Government there is a massive danger | 0:19:53 | 0:19:57 | |
of propaganda problem and if it is
not with due process they will | 0:19:57 | 0:20:00 | |
appeal that and will enjoy taking us
through the courts over at. I think | 0:20:00 | 0:20:04 | |
the Labour Party will be reviewing
the advice given to all MPs as to | 0:20:04 | 0:20:08 | |
whether they should appear on it.
Are Labour MPs going to be allowed | 0:20:08 | 0:20:13 | |
or encouraged to appear on it or
not? It is being reviewed. | 0:20:13 | 0:20:17 | |
Independent -- individual MPs have
their own views on it. Thank you. | 0:20:17 | 0:20:26 | |
The Prime Minister's statement will
be in under an hour. | 0:20:26 | 0:20:28 | |
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn came
under fire on Monday | 0:20:28 | 0:20:31 | |
for his reponse to Theresa May's
speech on Monday, with | 0:20:31 | 0:20:33 | |
the Conservative MP Johnny Mercer
describing it as "the most shameful | 0:20:33 | 0:20:35 | |
moment in the House of Commons
in my time to date". | 0:20:35 | 0:20:38 | |
Here's a flavour of what he said. | 0:20:38 | 0:20:42 | |
Mr Speaker, the events in Salisbury
on the 4th of March have | 0:20:42 | 0:20:45 | |
appalled the country,
and need thorough investigation. | 0:20:45 | 0:20:51 | |
The local community and public
services involved need reassurance | 0:20:51 | 0:20:53 | |
and the resources necessary. | 0:20:53 | 0:20:57 | |
The action the Government takes,
once the facts are clear, | 0:20:57 | 0:21:00 | |
needs to be both decisive
and proportionate, and focused | 0:21:00 | 0:21:07 | |
on reducing conflicts and tensions,
rather than increasing them. | 0:21:07 | 0:21:12 | |
We can speak to senior Labour back
bencher Chris Leslie, | 0:21:12 | 0:21:14 | |
who's in Central Lobby. | 0:21:14 | 0:21:21 | |
When Mr Corbyn called for a robust
dialogue with Russia, what do you | 0:21:21 | 0:21:26 | |
think he meant? Well, I think we're
having a robust dialogue. It | 0:21:26 | 0:21:31 | |
finished at midnight last night. I
think we waiting to see what the | 0:21:31 | 0:21:37 | |
Prime Minister's report is of the
Russian response. That is the sort | 0:21:37 | 0:21:42 | |
of approach that I think the vast
majority of MPs wanted to support | 0:21:42 | 0:21:45 | |
when they heard about the impact
that this chemical attack had on the | 0:21:45 | 0:21:52 | |
people of Salisbury. It was not
just, of course, the people directly | 0:21:52 | 0:21:56 | |
targeted but there were 38 people
taken to hospital, 500 people who | 0:21:56 | 0:22:02 | |
have been warned about their clothes
being affected and so forth, so this | 0:22:02 | 0:22:05 | |
is a big issue, and I think the
Prime Minister's proposals for | 0:22:05 | 0:22:10 | |
saying to Russia, "You have to
answer if you were directly | 0:22:10 | 0:22:16 | |
responsible or if you lost control
of this nerve agent - tell us by | 0:22:16 | 0:22:21 | |
midnight last night," so we are all
waiting to hear the response. I | 0:22:21 | 0:22:25 | |
think, actually, this is a time for
people to come together behind the | 0:22:25 | 0:22:30 | |
Government and say, let's get them
and from Roger. One of your | 0:22:30 | 0:22:36 | |
colleagues, John Woodcock, said that
they could not be read by anyone who | 0:22:36 | 0:22:40 | |
did not understand the threat Russia
poses to this nation. One of your | 0:22:40 | 0:22:46 | |
fellow Labour backbenchers. Does Mr
Corbyn understand the gravity of the | 0:22:46 | 0:22:48 | |
threat which Russia opposes to this
nation? I think he does. I want to | 0:22:48 | 0:22:54 | |
make sure that if we are led by
people that they do understand what | 0:22:54 | 0:22:57 | |
is actually happening. I think it is
pretty clear that when you have this | 0:22:57 | 0:23:03 | |
sort of absolutely exceptional and
quite atrocious activity within the | 0:23:03 | 0:23:10 | |
UK, we need a very firm response.
And, just as in the other conflicts | 0:23:10 | 0:23:16 | |
in times gone past, people of
different political parties, who | 0:23:16 | 0:23:21 | |
might have normally had
disagreements on day today issues | 0:23:21 | 0:23:24 | |
have managed to put those aside,
risen above it and come together. | 0:23:24 | 0:23:29 | |
Clement Attlee and Bevan came
together with Churchill in the | 0:23:29 | 0:23:32 | |
Second World War. The public want to
see their leaders come together to | 0:23:32 | 0:23:37 | |
stand up on behalf of the British
public if they are potentially under | 0:23:37 | 0:23:41 | |
attack. You thought Mr Corbyn's
response to the Prime Minister's | 0:23:41 | 0:23:46 | |
statement on Monday wasn't
appropriate. Why? I felt that part | 0:23:46 | 0:23:51 | |
of a single point scoring at a time
when our country was potentially | 0:23:51 | 0:23:54 | |
under attack was not appropriate. I
don't actually regard that as a | 0:23:54 | 0:23:59 | |
massively unusual statement to make.
There have been some people on | 0:23:59 | 0:24:02 | |
social media and elsewhere who have
said, if our country is under attack | 0:24:02 | 0:24:05 | |
that is appropriate still give
partisan attacks. I just disagree | 0:24:05 | 0:24:09 | |
with that. But, to be honest, I
think we need to move on from what | 0:24:09 | 0:24:13 | |
happened on Monday. Let's see what
the Prime Minister's course of | 0:24:13 | 0:24:18 | |
action is going to be and let's see
if Parliament can respond in an | 0:24:18 | 0:24:23 | |
appropriate way, because the public
are watching and those people who | 0:24:23 | 0:24:25 | |
have been affected by this attack
are watching. Detectives are in | 0:24:25 | 0:24:30 | |
Bailey and others, and Skripal is
still in hospital. This is a really | 0:24:30 | 0:24:36 | |
serious issue and I think the public
want to seriousness from all of | 0:24:36 | 0:24:39 | |
their elected representatives today.
Thank you for all that. We will let | 0:24:39 | 0:24:44 | |
you get from central lobby into the
wall for Prime Minister's Questions. | 0:24:44 | 0:24:50 | |
In Mr Corbyn's response to the Prime
Minister on Monday, there wasn't a | 0:24:50 | 0:24:54 | |
word of criticism of the Kremlin.
Why? He condemned the attack... He | 0:24:54 | 0:25:00 | |
condemned the attack but he didn't
involve the Kremlin. He condemned | 0:25:00 | 0:25:04 | |
the attack and called for action.
You could hardly not condemn a nerve | 0:25:04 | 0:25:09 | |
gas attack on somebody in this
country with the collateral damage. | 0:25:09 | 0:25:13 | |
He did, but he why did he not have a
word to say about the Kremlin? He | 0:25:13 | 0:25:19 | |
condemned it. I'm sorry. He didn't
condemn the Kremlin for the attack. | 0:25:19 | 0:25:25 | |
He didn't even say that if the
Kremlin is involved, we condemn it. | 0:25:25 | 0:25:30 | |
He obviously condemned the attack -
everybody condemns the attack - but | 0:25:30 | 0:25:34 | |
he had nothing to say, no words of
criticism, no words of indication | 0:25:34 | 0:25:40 | |
that the Kremlin was probably
involved and dog attacking them. Why | 0:25:40 | 0:25:42 | |
not? He demanded a response, he
proposed to gain what we had already | 0:25:42 | 0:25:47 | |
tried to get through the week before
in the anti-money-laundering bill, | 0:25:47 | 0:25:51 | |
the Magnitsky amendments, he propose
one way forward and an angry about | 0:25:51 | 0:25:55 | |
whether the NHS have the resources
to do it. That strikes me as a | 0:25:55 | 0:26:01 | |
proportionate response for the
Leader of the Opposition. Is there | 0:26:01 | 0:26:04 | |
not a suspicion in your party that
actually Mr Corbyn, John McDonnell | 0:26:04 | 0:26:09 | |
and those around them and their
private offices are rather | 0:26:09 | 0:26:12 | |
sympathetic to Russia, rather too
cosy with Russia? That is not fair | 0:26:12 | 0:26:17 | |
at all. If you look at things, not
just specific amendments around | 0:26:17 | 0:26:21 | |
replicating the Magnitsky law, the
things we have been trying to do in | 0:26:21 | 0:26:24 | |
that committee around registers of
foreign ownership of property in | 0:26:24 | 0:26:27 | |
London... That covers everybody, it
is not specific to Russia. We all | 0:26:27 | 0:26:34 | |
know London is the favoured
playground of very, very wealthy | 0:26:34 | 0:26:37 | |
Russian people, many of whom have
links to the Putin regime. Many of | 0:26:37 | 0:26:40 | |
those are enemies of Putin. That is
true and that is part of the process | 0:26:40 | 0:26:46 | |
but there is clearly a lack of
transparency and a lack of the law | 0:26:46 | 0:26:49 | |
being applied where we think it
could be. I know there are no talks | 0:26:49 | 0:26:52 | |
between the two frontbenchers... To
move on a common basis. I welcome | 0:26:52 | 0:26:58 | |
that and that is the right way
forward and I think we will see more | 0:26:58 | 0:27:01 | |
of that in a statement. That is not
far away. It is coming at dated | 0:27:01 | 0:27:08 | |
let's have a look at Big Ben. I'm
afraid Big Ben's basis rather than | 0:27:08 | 0:27:13 | |
scaffolding. It may be hiding its
face because of what is about | 0:27:13 | 0:27:17 | |
happen, it doesn't want to look!
Prime Minister's Questions is only a | 0:27:17 | 0:27:20 | |
couple of minutes away and Laura
Kuenssberg has just joined us. A | 0:27:20 | 0:27:23 | |
busy day for the political editor of
the BBC. My understanding is that we | 0:27:23 | 0:27:29 | |
will be getting some outline of what
the Prime Minister is going to say | 0:27:29 | 0:27:32 | |
and it will involve substantial
expulsions. I was told that you have | 0:27:32 | 0:27:36 | |
heard it could be on the scale of
close to what Ted Heath did in 1971. | 0:27:36 | 0:27:42 | |
Indeed, and there is a long history
of diplomatic expulsions of Russian | 0:27:42 | 0:27:46 | |
diplomats from the UK, and the Prime
Minister's strength of language on | 0:27:46 | 0:27:51 | |
Monday suggested that she would
really have to come back with | 0:27:51 | 0:27:54 | |
something that sounded quite
dramatic. She didn't say, we will | 0:27:54 | 0:28:00 | |
respond in due course with some sort
of detail. She has clearly said that | 0:28:00 | 0:28:03 | |
we must take stronger measures than
we have on previous occasions. She | 0:28:03 | 0:28:07 | |
really set the bar very high for
herself today, so while I don't | 0:28:07 | 0:28:11 | |
expect her to come to the Commons
with anything that will surprise us | 0:28:11 | 0:28:15 | |
in terms of the actual measure - I
don't mix is going to say anything | 0:28:15 | 0:28:20 | |
where we will say, "My goodness, I
didn't see that coming," - but I | 0:28:20 | 0:28:26 | |
think it will be very significant
and I think there will be some | 0:28:26 | 0:28:28 | |
promise of tightening up some of the
financial regimes around some | 0:28:28 | 0:28:32 | |
Russians here in London but not a
complete green light for the | 0:28:32 | 0:28:37 | |
Magnitsky Act because that doesn't
necessarily apply. If you don't know | 0:28:37 | 0:28:40 | |
who is behind a particular act,
because that is all about targeting | 0:28:40 | 0:28:43 | |
individuals. You need to know that
they had been responsible for humans | 0:28:43 | 0:28:49 | |
right abuse and the money was the
product of corruption. You have to | 0:28:49 | 0:28:52 | |
have specific information for this
law to click in. To stop and while | 0:28:52 | 0:28:56 | |
the Government at this point does
believe that Russia was either | 0:28:56 | 0:28:59 | |
directly or indirectly responsible
for this attack, I don't think it is | 0:28:59 | 0:29:03 | |
anywhere near the stage of being
able to point figures that | 0:29:03 | 0:29:05 | |
individuals. However, as John
Reynolds was just saying, there is | 0:29:05 | 0:29:12 | |
dialogue about how to move forward
with that act but not in terms of | 0:29:12 | 0:29:17 | |
the specific response to this
incident. This is a huge foreign | 0:29:17 | 0:29:21 | |
policy crisis for the Prime Minister
and the Prime Minister has got very | 0:29:21 | 0:29:24 | |
little previous experience of
foreign policy. She was Home | 0:29:24 | 0:29:28 | |
Secretary for six years. It is not
her field. Has she been active in | 0:29:28 | 0:29:34 | |
trying to bolster support in Europe
from the United States, difficult as | 0:29:34 | 0:29:39 | |
that is in Washington at the moment,
given that you don't know who the | 0:29:39 | 0:29:43 | |
secretary of state is from Monday to
the next, and, of course, we are | 0:29:43 | 0:29:48 | |
done trying to this for the UN
Security Council? Has it been a | 0:29:48 | 0:29:53 | |
broad campaign, almost, to get
international opinion on site? I | 0:29:53 | 0:29:57 | |
think there has been a very
considerable effort in government to | 0:29:57 | 0:30:00 | |
try to get her allies on board, not
just because they believe it is time | 0:30:00 | 0:30:06 | |
for the international community to
come together in terms of | 0:30:06 | 0:30:09 | |
condemnation but also the
realpolitik of it is that Britain is | 0:30:09 | 0:30:11 | |
an important country but not the
kind of power that it once was and | 0:30:11 | 0:30:16 | |
so therefore for a response to seem
meaningful, it must be done in | 0:30:16 | 0:30:20 | |
conjunction with support, not just
warm words, from other countries. | 0:30:20 | 0:30:26 | |
That is why it will be very
interesting to see whether or not | 0:30:26 | 0:30:29 | |
the UK is granted its wish in having
a place of the Security Council in | 0:30:29 | 0:30:35 | |
New York at benighted nations. We
know that the response from the | 0:30:35 | 0:30:39 | |
United States was, in the end,
pretty much along the lines of what | 0:30:39 | 0:30:43 | |
the UK was looking for. We know that
the Prime Minister has spoken to | 0:30:43 | 0:30:47 | |
Angela Merkel. President macron was
the first world leader that she | 0:30:47 | 0:30:50 | |
spoke to about this. There has
definitely been an effort. We will | 0:30:50 | 0:30:56 | |
see how Prime Minister's Questions
goes. Let's go to the comment about. | 0:30:56 | 0:31:07 | |
Members will also have seen reports
of a number of suspicious packages | 0:31:18 | 0:31:23 | |
targeting Muslim members. I am sure
the whole house will join in | 0:31:23 | 0:31:28 | |
condemning this app horror and
behaviour that has no place in our | 0:31:28 | 0:31:32 | |
society. I can tell the House an
investigation is under way and steps | 0:31:32 | 0:31:37 | |
are being taken to bring the
perpetrators to justice. I will make | 0:31:37 | 0:31:41 | |
a statement following PMQs updating
the house on the Salisbury incident. | 0:31:41 | 0:31:45 | |
This morning I had meetings, in
addition to my duties in this House | 0:31:45 | 0:31:50 | |
I will have further meetings today.
I want to thank the Prime Minister | 0:31:50 | 0:31:56 | |
for agreeing to meet with me to
discuss the work of the cross-party | 0:31:56 | 0:32:02 | |
use violence commission. Youth
violence is complex and needs | 0:32:02 | 0:32:07 | |
long-term solutions but some things
can be done now, such as legislating | 0:32:07 | 0:32:12 | |
to ensure all knives and sharp
instruments in shops are knocked | 0:32:12 | 0:32:16 | |
away or stored behind counters,
ensuring no one can steal them and | 0:32:16 | 0:32:22 | |
use them.
Will she do this? The honourable | 0:32:22 | 0:32:26 | |
lady raises an important issue. This
is a complex problem and we need to | 0:32:26 | 0:32:33 | |
ensure we have long-term solutions.
The Home Secretary will publish a | 0:32:33 | 0:32:37 | |
strategy that will put emphasis on
interventions early with young | 0:32:37 | 0:32:41 | |
people. It is important we have
tough legislation, but we need to | 0:32:41 | 0:32:48 | |
work in partnership with retailers.
We have consulted on measures | 0:32:48 | 0:32:52 | |
including restrictions on knives
sold online and in 2016 we reached a | 0:32:52 | 0:32:57 | |
voluntary agreement with major
retailers about how knives were | 0:32:57 | 0:33:01 | |
displayed and training given to
staff to support action to tackle | 0:33:01 | 0:33:05 | |
knife crime. She is right to raise
this as a concern. | 0:33:05 | 0:33:11 | |
On the subject of Northern Ireland,
does the Prime Minister stand-by | 0:33:11 | 0:33:16 | |
commitments made in the joint report
of December and will she confirm we | 0:33:16 | 0:33:21 | |
will accept nothing that will
undermine the integrity of the | 0:33:21 | 0:33:24 | |
United Kingdom.
Can I confirm that we stand by all | 0:33:24 | 0:33:30 | |
commitments we made in December. We
have been clear our preferred option | 0:33:30 | 0:33:35 | |
is to deliver them through the new
partnership with the EU with | 0:33:35 | 0:33:39 | |
solutions to address the unique
circumstances in Northern Ireland if | 0:33:39 | 0:33:42 | |
needed. The work we are undertaking
will include that on the final | 0:33:42 | 0:33:47 | |
so-called backdrop that will form
part of the agreement. I cannot | 0:33:47 | 0:33:54 | |
approve the text the commission
proposes. We stand ready to work | 0:33:54 | 0:33:58 | |
with commission and Irish
governments to ensure all | 0:33:58 | 0:34:01 | |
commitments are included in the
withdrawal agreement. | 0:34:01 | 0:34:07 | |
I along with the Prime Minister
absolutely condemn the vile messages | 0:34:08 | 0:34:13 | |
and threatening packages that have
been sent to Muslim members of the | 0:34:13 | 0:34:16 | |
house. Also the rise in Islamophobia
and abusive messages sent to Muslim | 0:34:16 | 0:34:24 | |
families all over the country. It
has to be condemned by all, as we | 0:34:24 | 0:34:29 | |
condemn anybody who attempts to
divide our country by racism or | 0:34:29 | 0:34:34 | |
extremism. We have to stand united
with any community under threat at | 0:34:34 | 0:34:38 | |
any time. I am sure the house will
join me in supporting what the Prime | 0:34:38 | 0:34:46 | |
Minister said about Stephen Hawking,
one of the most acclaimed scientists | 0:34:46 | 0:34:50 | |
of his generation who helped us to
understand about the world and | 0:34:50 | 0:34:54 | |
universe and was also concerned
about peace and the survival of the | 0:34:54 | 0:34:59 | |
world, and also a passionate
campaigner for the NHS. He said, I | 0:34:59 | 0:35:05 | |
have received excellent medical
attention in Britain. I believe in | 0:35:05 | 0:35:10 | |
universal health care and I am not
afraid to say so. If we believe in | 0:35:10 | 0:35:15 | |
universal health care, how can it be
possible someone lives and works in | 0:35:15 | 0:35:20 | |
this country, pays taxes, but is
denied access to the NHS for | 0:35:20 | 0:35:27 | |
life-saving cancer treatment?
Can the Prime Minister explain? I | 0:35:27 | 0:35:33 | |
join with him in saying there is no
place in society for hate crime or | 0:35:33 | 0:35:40 | |
racism. We should stand united
against such behaviour and | 0:35:40 | 0:35:44 | |
activities. Can I say to him that we
do ensure, and I am pleased we have | 0:35:44 | 0:35:52 | |
a good record on cancer provision we
make. We see more people surviving | 0:35:52 | 0:35:57 | |
cancer as a result of changes and
developments in the NHS, than ever | 0:35:57 | 0:36:03 | |
before. We works to ensure the
situation we are... The treatments | 0:36:03 | 0:36:09 | |
we are making available of the best
we can. I am not aware of the case | 0:36:09 | 0:36:15 | |
the right honourable gentleman
raises. | 0:36:15 | 0:36:21 | |
raises. But we do want to ensure all
those who are entitled to service | 0:36:21 | 0:36:28 | |
and treatment through the NHS are
able to achieve it. There are | 0:36:28 | 0:36:33 | |
questions around particular drug is
made available to individuals, which | 0:36:33 | 0:36:37 | |
we continue to look at. I will be
writing to the Prime Minister about | 0:36:37 | 0:36:43 | |
the case. It is a man who has lived
in this country for 44 years, worked | 0:36:43 | 0:36:50 | |
and paid his taxes. He is an older
gentleman and is now denied cancer | 0:36:50 | 0:36:55 | |
treatment. I suspect he is not alone
and I urge her to discuss this with | 0:36:55 | 0:37:01 | |
the Home Office and others. I
received a letter from Hillary, a | 0:37:01 | 0:37:06 | |
British pensioner, and it goes to
the point the Prime Minister just | 0:37:06 | 0:37:10 | |
said, and she says, I am now having
to pay for my thyroid medication | 0:37:10 | 0:37:16 | |
because the CCG needs to save money.
I have worked all my life, paid | 0:37:16 | 0:37:21 | |
National Insurance and this is not
fair. Last March the Health | 0:37:21 | 0:37:26 | |
Secretary said it is essential we
get back to the 95% target for | 0:37:26 | 0:37:32 | |
accident and emergency waiting times
and he said it should happen, I | 0:37:32 | 0:37:36 | |
quote, in the course of the next
calendar year. The calendar year is | 0:37:36 | 0:37:40 | |
up, can she explain why this is no
longer possible? On the individual | 0:37:40 | 0:37:46 | |
case I look forward to receiving
details from the right honourable | 0:37:46 | 0:37:51 | |
gentleman. May I take the
opportunity of reminding him I think | 0:37:51 | 0:37:54 | |
he raised a case about Georgina with
me last October and has not written | 0:37:54 | 0:37:58 | |
to me about that. | 0:37:58 | 0:38:04 | |
So... As I say, I look forward to
receiving the details of the case he | 0:38:11 | 0:38:17 | |
has just set out. What we have done
in relation to cancer treatment is | 0:38:17 | 0:38:21 | |
ensure there are more tests taking
place. We see more people being seen | 0:38:21 | 0:38:28 | |
by specialists for suspected cancer
and more people starting treatment | 0:38:28 | 0:38:32 | |
for cancer which is why I say we
have seen an improvement in cancer | 0:38:32 | 0:38:36 | |
treatment available in this country,
and in relation to accident and | 0:38:36 | 0:38:42 | |
emergency, we have more doctors
working in accident and emergency | 0:38:42 | 0:38:45 | |
and we have put more money in, for
winter pressures and to ensure | 0:38:45 | 0:38:51 | |
accident and emergency departments
can provide treatment right for the | 0:38:51 | 0:38:54 | |
patient before them, because for
some, they do not need to be | 0:38:54 | 0:39:01 | |
admitted to hospital, they need to
see a GP. We are working with the | 0:39:01 | 0:39:06 | |
NHS to ensure the treatment patients
receive is right for them. My | 0:39:06 | 0:39:13 | |
understanding is Georgina's case was
resolved before. Following my | 0:39:13 | 0:39:16 | |
raising it here. | 0:39:16 | 0:39:22 | |
raising it here. If nothing else, Mr
Speaker, it proves the power of | 0:39:25 | 0:39:28 | |
Parliament. Key A&E waiting targets
have not been met since 2015. NHS | 0:39:28 | 0:39:36 | |
managers say they will not be met
until 2019, and February was the | 0:39:36 | 0:39:41 | |
worst ever month for accident and
emergency performances. The NHS | 0:39:41 | 0:39:50 | |
providers director said, this is the
first time we have had to accept the | 0:39:50 | 0:39:55 | |
NHS will not meet its key
constitutional standards, if we want | 0:39:55 | 0:40:00 | |
to provide quality of care, we need
the right long-term financial | 0:40:00 | 0:40:04 | |
settlement. The NHS is clearly in
crisis, so why was there not a penny | 0:40:04 | 0:40:11 | |
extra for the NHS in yesterday's
statement by the Chancellor? We did | 0:40:11 | 0:40:19 | |
not wait until yesterday's Spring
statement to announce more money, we | 0:40:19 | 0:40:22 | |
announced it in the budget last
autumn. As a result of that the NHS | 0:40:22 | 0:40:31 | |
is getting £2.5 billion more in the
forthcoming financial year and more | 0:40:31 | 0:40:36 | |
to fund the nurses' pay settlement
when resolved. | 0:40:36 | 0:40:43 | |
when resolved. Under Labour, the 18
week target for nonurgent operations | 0:40:45 | 0:40:49 | |
was in place. The target has been
abandoned by the Prime Minister. | 0:40:49 | 0:40:54 | |
When will it be reinstated? The
right honourable gentleman talks | 0:40:54 | 0:41:00 | |
under Labour things were being
delivered, perhaps he might look to | 0:41:00 | 0:41:04 | |
see what Labour are doing in Wales.
The latest annual data shows when | 0:41:04 | 0:41:15 | |
looking at 12 hour waiting times in
A&E that 3.4% of patients waited | 0:41:15 | 0:41:20 | |
over 12 hours in Wales, compared to
1.3% in England. If he wants to talk | 0:41:20 | 0:41:27 | |
about meeting targets he should talk
to a Labour government in Wales. NHS | 0:41:27 | 0:41:34 | |
England abandoned the A&E targets
until April 20 19. It is a bit rich | 0:41:34 | 0:41:39 | |
for the Prime Minister to be
scaremongering about Wales when she | 0:41:39 | 0:41:43 | |
has abandoned targets in England. A
recent... Order. Lots of questions | 0:41:43 | 0:41:53 | |
to get through. A recent report
states NHS funding will fall by 0.3% | 0:41:53 | 0:42:03 | |
in 2019. People'slives are at stake.
Is the Prime Minister really saying | 0:42:03 | 0:42:11 | |
A&E doctors are wrong, NHS managers
are wrong, Royal colleges are wrong, | 0:42:11 | 0:42:16 | |
health unions are wrong, and
actually it is only she who knows | 0:42:16 | 0:42:20 | |
best about the NHS? Can I point out
to the right honourable gentleman, | 0:42:20 | 0:42:29 | |
he talks about scaremongering in
Wales, I was pointing out the facts | 0:42:29 | 0:42:33 | |
about what is happening in the NHS
in Wales. That is why we do see | 0:42:33 | 0:42:41 | |
people in Wales often trying to get
treatment in England, rather than in | 0:42:41 | 0:42:46 | |
Wales. Can I also say, we are
putting more money into the NHS, but | 0:42:46 | 0:42:56 | |
what you need in order to be able to
do that is to ensure you have a | 0:42:56 | 0:43:01 | |
strong economy to provide the money
for the National Health Service. | 0:43:01 | 0:43:04 | |
What we know about Labour's
policies, it would cause a run on | 0:43:04 | 0:43:08 | |
the pound, cause a crash on the
economy and there would be less | 0:43:08 | 0:43:13 | |
money for the NHS. When people are
dying because of overcrowding and | 0:43:13 | 0:43:18 | |
long waiting in hospitals I think
the Prime Minister should get a grip | 0:43:18 | 0:43:21 | |
on it and ensure the NHS now has the
money it needs to deal with the | 0:43:21 | 0:43:26 | |
patient demands. In a recent
interview the Health Secretary said | 0:43:26 | 0:43:32 | |
of NHS staff, when they signed up to
go into medicine, they knew there | 0:43:32 | 0:43:37 | |
would be pressurised moments. What
they also expected was a | 0:43:37 | 0:43:41 | |
recognition, annual pay rise,
without cuts in paid leave, proper | 0:43:41 | 0:43:46 | |
funding for the NHS. When there are
100,000 unfilled posts, clearly not | 0:43:46 | 0:43:51 | |
enough staff around them to share
the burden. We started with | 0:43:51 | 0:43:58 | |
Professor Stephen Hawking who said a
few months ago, there is | 0:43:58 | 0:44:03 | |
overwhelming evidence that NHS
funding and the number of doctors | 0:44:03 | 0:44:06 | |
and nurses are inadequate, and it is
getting worse. Does she agree with | 0:44:06 | 0:44:13 | |
Professor Hawking? I am very happy
to point out facts. We have 14,900 | 0:44:13 | 0:44:22 | |
more doctors in the NHS, we have
almost 13,900 more nurses working on | 0:44:22 | 0:44:30 | |
our wards, why did we put an
emphasis on nurses working in our | 0:44:30 | 0:44:36 | |
awards? Because of what we saw under
the Labour government in Mid | 0:44:36 | 0:44:39 | |
Staffordshire. And I say this, what
we need to do to ensure we can | 0:44:39 | 0:44:46 | |
provide the funding for the NHS, and
we are providing record levels of | 0:44:46 | 0:44:51 | |
funding for the NHS, is to ensure we
take a balanced approach to the | 0:44:51 | 0:44:55 | |
economy, an approach that deals with
debts, keeps taxes low on working | 0:44:55 | 0:45:00 | |
families, and puts more money into
public services like hospitals and | 0:45:00 | 0:45:05 | |
schools. Labour's approach would
increase debt and mean less money | 0:45:05 | 0:45:09 | |
for schools and hospitals, and it
would mean higher taxes for ordinary | 0:45:09 | 0:45:14 | |
working people because what we know
about the Labour Party, it is always | 0:45:14 | 0:45:19 | |
ordinary people who paid the price
of Labour. | 0:45:19 | 0:45:25 | |
Last week's launch of a consultation
on all aspects of domestic violence | 0:45:28 | 0:45:32 | |
will be widely welcomed in
Gloucester and across the country, | 0:45:32 | 0:45:36 | |
so will the Prime Minister, who has
done so much on these issues, | 0:45:36 | 0:45:39 | |
confirmed today that the Government
intends to increase spending, bed | 0:45:39 | 0:45:45 | |
provision and, when Cesare, women's
refuges so that those who have | 0:45:45 | 0:45:49 | |
survived get the help and save haven
they deserve? My honourable friend | 0:45:49 | 0:45:53 | |
has raised a very important issue,
which I have not only given | 0:45:53 | 0:45:58 | |
considerable attention to but my
right honourable friend the Home | 0:45:58 | 0:46:02 | |
Secretary continues to follow. It is
a very important point. We are | 0:46:02 | 0:46:07 | |
entirely committed to developing a
sustainable funding model for | 0:46:07 | 0:46:10 | |
refugees. -- refugees. I can
guarantee that funding will continue | 0:46:10 | 0:46:16 | |
to refuges at a similar level to
today because I know how important | 0:46:16 | 0:46:19 | |
it is to people at a time of crisis.
We will increase the funding for | 0:46:19 | 0:46:25 | |
short-term supported housing overall
including Refuges indefinitely, | 0:46:25 | 0:46:30 | |
which means no refuge should worry
about closing or have any doubts | 0:46:30 | 0:46:34 | |
about our commitment to ensuring we
find a sustainable model for them. | 0:46:34 | 0:46:42 | |
Thank you, Mr spigot it can I
associate myself with the remarks of | 0:46:42 | 0:46:45 | |
the Prime Minister and the Labour
Party leader about Islam phobia and | 0:46:45 | 0:46:51 | |
our thoughts are with the family and
friends of doctor Steven Holker in. | 0:46:51 | 0:46:54 | |
Mr Speaker, four months the devolved
administrations have been waiting | 0:46:54 | 0:47:00 | |
for the devolved straight to table
amendments to close 11. On Monday | 0:47:00 | 0:47:03 | |
bees long awaited amendments were
published but without the agreement | 0:47:03 | 0:47:07 | |
of the devolved governments. Can the
Prime Minister Talbot House why | 0:47:07 | 0:47:14 | |
these amendments have been forced on
the devolved administrations? Can I | 0:47:14 | 0:47:19 | |
say to him, in one sentence he says
he was waiting for this amendment, | 0:47:19 | 0:47:24 | |
and the reason we were taking time
is because we were talking with the | 0:47:24 | 0:47:27 | |
Scottish Government and the Welsh
Government, and when we do publish, | 0:47:27 | 0:47:35 | |
we -- he complains that we have
published it. You need to get his | 0:47:35 | 0:47:39 | |
sorry state it I would encourage the
Prime Minister to listen to the | 0:47:39 | 0:47:42 | |
question because it was a about
agreement. The Prime Minister | 0:47:42 | 0:47:48 | |
famously claimed that the UK was
made up of equal partners. What an | 0:47:48 | 0:47:52 | |
irony, now that she is overseeing
the demolition of the demolition | 0:47:52 | 0:47:57 | |
settlement. In 1997, the Tories were
happy to oppose the re-establishment | 0:47:57 | 0:48:01 | |
of the Scottish | 0:48:01 | 0:48:06 | |
of the Scottish Parliament. Things
haven't changed. Now in 2018 they | 0:48:07 | 0:48:10 | |
are happy to systematically
destroyed the settlement that the | 0:48:10 | 0:48:13 | |
parliament provides for. Can I call
upon the Prime Minister once again - | 0:48:13 | 0:48:19 | |
stop this attack on devolution and
redouble your efforts in working | 0:48:19 | 0:48:22 | |
with the devolved administrations
and finding agreement. | 0:48:22 | 0:48:28 | |
and finding agreement. This is a
government that has given more | 0:48:29 | 0:48:30 | |
powers to the Scottish Government,
this is a government that will be | 0:48:30 | 0:48:35 | |
giving more powers to the Scottish
Government, significant extra powers | 0:48:35 | 0:48:39 | |
will be devolved to the Scottish and
Welsh Government as a result of the | 0:48:39 | 0:48:42 | |
decisions we are taking around
Brexit. But we have given more | 0:48:42 | 0:48:46 | |
powers, including, of course, the
tax-raising powers. It is just a | 0:48:46 | 0:48:51 | |
pity that the Scottish Nationalists
have chosen to use their tax-raising | 0:48:51 | 0:48:55 | |
powers on people earning £26,000 or
more. | 0:48:55 | 0:49:02 | |
more. Horsham last week held an
apprenticeship there, hailed as a | 0:49:02 | 0:49:07 | |
success. Since 2010 there has been a
70% reduction in youth unemployment. | 0:49:07 | 0:49:14 | |
Nationally we see increasing
exports, increasing productivity, | 0:49:14 | 0:49:16 | |
increasing real wages. Were right
honourable friend remind the House | 0:49:16 | 0:49:21 | |
that it is that sustained economic
performance that underpins our | 0:49:21 | 0:49:25 | |
investment in our value public
services? Can I commend Horsham for | 0:49:25 | 0:49:31 | |
holding an apprenticeship there. It
is important we give young people an | 0:49:31 | 0:49:35 | |
opportunity for those
apprenticeships but he is right, we | 0:49:35 | 0:49:38 | |
can only fund those public services
if we have the strength and our | 0:49:38 | 0:49:41 | |
economy providing the income to
enable us to do that. In the last | 0:49:41 | 0:49:45 | |
few weeks we have seen money factory
output which has grown for several | 0:49:45 | 0:49:51 | |
months for the first time since
1968. We have seen the best two | 0:49:51 | 0:49:56 | |
quarters of productivity growth
since the financial crisis and the | 0:49:56 | 0:49:59 | |
lowest year-to-date net borrowing
since 2008 and employment near a | 0:49:59 | 0:50:03 | |
record high. That is what
Conservatives are doing, delivering | 0:50:03 | 0:50:06 | |
a strong economy, new jobs,
healthier finances, an economy that | 0:50:06 | 0:50:11 | |
is really fit for the future. Mr
Speaker, last week GKN workers came | 0:50:11 | 0:50:17 | |
to Parliament, typically 2530 years'
service, their mums and dads before | 0:50:17 | 0:50:23 | |
them working for a British
engineering icon 259 years old. Sat | 0:50:23 | 0:50:30 | |
opposite were the three fabulously
wealthy owners of Melrose, | 0:50:30 | 0:50:34 | |
determined to stage a hostile
takeover of their company, break it | 0:50:34 | 0:50:37 | |
up and sell it off. Can I ask the
Prime Minister this - she told | 0:50:37 | 0:50:42 | |
parliament she would at a national
interest. The next ten days will | 0:50:42 | 0:50:46 | |
decide the future. Wushu use the
powers she has two intervened to | 0:50:46 | 0:50:52 | |
block this hostile takeover in the
British national interest? I say to | 0:50:52 | 0:50:57 | |
the honourable gentleman, as he
knows, the Business Secretary has | 0:50:57 | 0:51:00 | |
been speaking to both of these
companies on an impartial basis. We | 0:51:00 | 0:51:04 | |
will always act in the UK national
interest. Actually, it is under this | 0:51:04 | 0:51:10 | |
government that we've seen the
changes introduced to the takeover | 0:51:10 | 0:51:14 | |
code to provide greater transparency
to give target firms more time to | 0:51:14 | 0:51:17 | |
respond. There are a narrow range of
scenarios where ministers can | 0:51:17 | 0:51:23 | |
intervene on mergers on public
interest grounds but we will always | 0:51:23 | 0:51:27 | |
act in the national interest. | 0:51:27 | 0:51:34 | |
act in the national interest. 3157
medical students are going into | 0:51:34 | 0:51:36 | |
general practice this year, which is
excellent news. But we are still | 0:51:36 | 0:51:43 | |
losing too many experienced GPs in
their mid-50s due to the tax | 0:51:43 | 0:51:48 | |
penalties on their old pension
scheme. Would be Government look at | 0:51:48 | 0:51:54 | |
a targeted, time-limited exemption
on this dedicated group of | 0:51:54 | 0:51:59 | |
commissions who do so much for the
health of us all? This is an | 0:51:59 | 0:52:05 | |
important point. As he will know,
experienced senior hospital doctors | 0:52:05 | 0:52:10 | |
and GPs who become a member of the
National Health Service pensions | 0:52:10 | 0:52:14 | |
scheme benefit from one of the best
defined benefit occupational health | 0:52:14 | 0:52:18 | |
schemes and we provide generous tax
relief stoop allow everyone to build | 0:52:18 | 0:52:22 | |
up a pension pot worth just over £1
million tax-free but the issue he is | 0:52:22 | 0:52:27 | |
raising is that GPs are not
penalised if they work after age 55 | 0:52:27 | 0:52:33 | |
but many may have exhausted the
generous allowance for tax relief | 0:52:33 | 0:52:36 | |
that is available by that time. But
I can say to the honourable friend | 0:52:36 | 0:52:41 | |
that the Chancellor of the Exchequer
was listening to a question that he | 0:52:41 | 0:52:44 | |
raised. The 13th of April this year
represents the 99th | 0:52:44 | 0:52:59 | |
represents the 99th anniversary of a
massacre in India, in which more | 0:52:59 | 0:53:03 | |
than 1000 peaceful protesters were
murdered by soldiers under the | 0:53:03 | 0:53:07 | |
command of general Dire. Will the
Prime Minister join me in | 0:53:07 | 0:53:12 | |
commemorating the massacre and meet
with me and others campaigning for | 0:53:12 | 0:53:16 | |
this shameful episode to be
remembered across the UK? The | 0:53:16 | 0:53:20 | |
honourable gentleman has raised a
very specific issue and a very | 0:53:20 | 0:53:24 | |
specific point and I will be happy
to look at the question he has | 0:53:24 | 0:53:27 | |
raised with me and respond in
writing. In my constituency, | 0:53:27 | 0:53:33 | |
Farnborough in the borough of
Rushmore, is the birthplace of | 0:53:33 | 0:53:36 | |
British aviation and now home to a
thriving range of aviation, | 0:53:36 | 0:53:42 | |
aerospace and other businesses. Will
the Prime Minister join me in | 0:53:42 | 0:53:45 | |
extending our best wishes to the
Zephyr team as they look forward to | 0:53:45 | 0:53:49 | |
making a world record breaking
attempt for high altitude unmanned | 0:53:49 | 0:53:53 | |
aviation? I'm very happy to join
with my honourable friend in wishing | 0:53:53 | 0:53:59 | |
all the very best to the Zephyr team
in the attempt they are making but | 0:53:59 | 0:54:02 | |
he is right that his constituency
plays a very crucial role in the | 0:54:02 | 0:54:05 | |
aerospace industry and I am pleased
to say that we are continuing to | 0:54:05 | 0:54:10 | |
work with that industry through the
aerospace growth partnership, to | 0:54:10 | 0:54:14 | |
ensure that we can further enhance
that industry and we wish the Zephyr | 0:54:14 | 0:54:17 | |
team well. UK has the lowest growth
in the G7, so why is the Government | 0:54:17 | 0:54:23 | |
's answer to this to give hand-outs
to the wealthiest bankers to fund an | 0:54:23 | 0:54:29 | |
already lavish lifestyle, paid for
by taking the crumbs off the table | 0:54:29 | 0:54:35 | |
of those on Universal Credit, whose
children depend on free school | 0:54:35 | 0:54:39 | |
meals? | 0:54:39 | 0:54:46 | |
meals? First of all, the honourable
gentleman might not have noticed | 0:54:46 | 0:54:49 | |
that the wealthiest 1% people in
this country are now paying the | 0:54:49 | 0:54:52 | |
biggest share of tax, 28%, than they
ever did under a Labour government. | 0:54:52 | 0:55:00 | |
If he is referring to the bank levy,
can I also say to him, it was the | 0:55:00 | 0:55:07 | |
Conservative Party that introduced
the bank levy that has raised £15 | 0:55:07 | 0:55:10 | |
billion and is predicted to raise a
further £11 billion that we can | 0:55:10 | 0:55:15 | |
spend on public services. It is the
Conservative government that is | 0:55:15 | 0:55:17 | |
changing the way we do it so we do
it in a better way, so in future we | 0:55:17 | 0:55:23 | |
will be raising nearly £19 billion
extra from the banks over the next | 0:55:23 | 0:55:28 | |
five years. That is £3 billion more
money from the banks to be spent on | 0:55:28 | 0:55:32 | |
public services. | 0:55:32 | 0:55:39 | |
public services. Great British food
is produced by hard-working farming | 0:55:39 | 0:55:41 | |
families in this country. As we
produce the new British agricultural | 0:55:41 | 0:55:48 | |
policy, does my right honourable
friend agree with me that supporting | 0:55:48 | 0:55:51 | |
food production in this country is a
public good? I'm very happy to agree | 0:55:51 | 0:55:59 | |
with my honourable friend. The
importance of food production in | 0:55:59 | 0:56:02 | |
this country... I am also happy to
commend the work of hard-working | 0:56:02 | 0:56:05 | |
farmers up and down the country, but
also all those who work in our food | 0:56:05 | 0:56:11 | |
production industry and we now have,
as he will know, a historic | 0:56:11 | 0:56:15 | |
opportunity as we leave the EU to
deliver a farming policy that is | 0:56:15 | 0:56:18 | |
going to work for the whole
industry. Just minutes ago, Facebook | 0:56:18 | 0:56:23 | |
announced that they will be taking
down several pages associated with | 0:56:23 | 0:56:26 | |
the extremist group Britain First.
Does the primaries to join me in | 0:56:26 | 0:56:32 | |
welcoming that, but does she not
also accept that Benny is to be a | 0:56:32 | 0:56:36 | |
clear rule provided by government to
give guidance to social media | 0:56:36 | 0:56:39 | |
companies on how they operate in our
democracy I certainly welcome at | 0:56:39 | 0:56:46 | |
announcement by Facebook and I'm
pleased to say that my right | 0:56:46 | 0:56:49 | |
honourable friend the Home Secretary
has been working with these | 0:56:49 | 0:56:51 | |
companies to ensure that they do do
more, act more clearly in taking | 0:56:51 | 0:56:56 | |
down material of an extremist
nature, but I'm very pleased to | 0:56:56 | 0:57:00 | |
welcome the announcement that
Facebook has made and I hope other | 0:57:00 | 0:57:02 | |
companies will follow. May I first
congratulate the Prime Minister on | 0:57:02 | 0:57:08 | |
her pioneering work in fighting
modern day slavery. However, has she | 0:57:08 | 0:57:12 | |
been advised that the central plank
of her law enforcement policy is not | 0:57:12 | 0:57:16 | |
working? With 65 prosecutions of
traffickers abandoned last year | 0:57:16 | 0:57:20 | |
because of victim fear as to their
safety and no reparations orders to | 0:57:20 | 0:57:25 | |
compensate victims for the ordeal is
made against convicted traffickers? | 0:57:25 | 0:57:31 | |
I thank the raising what is a very
important issue. In fact, at the | 0:57:31 | 0:57:36 | |
meeting that I chaired recently in a
matter of two weeks ago, I think it | 0:57:36 | 0:57:41 | |
was, of the Modern Slavery Bill task
force that I have brought together | 0:57:41 | 0:57:44 | |
to bring people from across
government but also from law | 0:57:44 | 0:57:47 | |
enforcement, from the judiciary...
Sorry, from criminal justice more | 0:57:47 | 0:57:52 | |
generally, and from others to look
at how we are working on this, we | 0:57:52 | 0:57:58 | |
are looking at prosecutions and how
we can ensure that more prosecutions | 0:57:58 | 0:58:01 | |
go ahead in future and perpetrators
are brought to justice. Shockingly | 0:58:01 | 0:58:08 | |
in this country, in 2017, there were
2120 children who were identified as | 0:58:08 | 0:58:15 | |
being a potential victims of child
slavery. I know the Prime Minister's | 0:58:15 | 0:58:21 | |
personal commitment to tackling this
issue but surely we ought to have | 0:58:21 | 0:58:25 | |
more data. We have no idea how many
of those children go missing, we | 0:58:25 | 0:58:30 | |
have no idea how many are deported
and we have no idea how many are | 0:58:30 | 0:58:35 | |
trafficked again. In this country in
2018, a modern democracy, that isn't | 0:58:35 | 0:58:40 | |
to not good enough. Can the Prime
Minister tell us what she will do | 0:58:40 | 0:58:44 | |
about that? He has raised a very
important issue and it has for a | 0:58:44 | 0:58:49 | |
long time where children identified
as the victims of slavery and human | 0:58:49 | 0:58:54 | |
trafficking, and when sometimes we
do see them, sadly, being in a | 0:58:54 | 0:58:58 | |
position where they are then able to
be taken out by traffickers and | 0:58:58 | 0:59:04 | |
resubmitted to the horrible
circumstances that that brings to | 0:59:04 | 0:59:06 | |
them. Just on the point that he is
making about asylum and deportation, | 0:59:06 | 0:59:11 | |
we don't return unaccompanied
children who don't qualify for | 0:59:11 | 0:59:16 | |
asylum or humanitarian protection
unless we can confirm that there are | 0:59:16 | 0:59:19 | |
safe and adequate reception
programmes and arrangements in place | 0:59:19 | 0:59:22 | |
in their home country, and if we
can't confirm such arrangements we | 0:59:22 | 0:59:26 | |
grant temporary leave up until the
child is 17.5. We confirmed our | 0:59:26 | 0:59:31 | |
commitment to roll out independent
child trafficking advocates across | 0:59:31 | 0:59:34 | |
the country. This is a system we
piloted previously, which will give | 0:59:34 | 0:59:38 | |
support to those child victims to
ensure they are given the support | 0:59:38 | 0:59:42 | |
they need and they don't fall back
into the hands of traffickers. Like | 0:59:42 | 0:59:49 | |
many towns and cities across the
country, Telford has had some | 0:59:49 | 0:59:54 | |
experiences of distressing cases of
child sexual exploitation. The | 0:59:54 | 0:59:59 | |
authorities in Telford have now
agreed to conduct an independent | 0:59:59 | 1:00:03 | |
inquiry to find out what happened
and to give victims answers. Will my | 1:00:03 | 1:00:08 | |
right honourable friend join me in
congratulating two brave women, | 1:00:08 | 1:00:12 | |
campaigner Holly archer and Sunday
Mirror journalist Geraldine McKelvey | 1:00:12 | 1:00:18 | |
for their working bringing this
about and will she do everything | 1:00:18 | 1:00:22 | |
possible to ensure this inquiry
starts without delay and leaves no | 1:00:22 | 1:00:25 | |
stone unturned? | 1:00:25 | 1:00:29 | |
I think we have all been shocked by
the horrific case we have seen in | 1:00:29 | 1:00:35 | |
Telford or some of the most
vulnerable being preyed upon by | 1:00:35 | 1:00:39 | |
ruthless criminals. Sadly this is
not the first example we have seen | 1:00:39 | 1:00:43 | |
taking place across our country. I
am happy to join my honourable | 1:00:43 | 1:00:48 | |
friend in congratulating Holly and
Geraldine for their work. It is not | 1:00:48 | 1:00:53 | |
easy but it is right they have
brought this to light and action can | 1:00:53 | 1:00:56 | |
be taken and I am pleased the
authorities will conduct an enquiry. | 1:00:56 | 1:01:00 | |
It is important it begins its work
in order to get to the truth does it | 1:01:00 | 1:01:05 | |
as quickly as possible. I understand
my honourable friend will meet | 1:01:05 | 1:01:13 | |
Parliamentary Under Secretary for
crime, safeguarding and | 1:01:13 | 1:01:15 | |
vulnerability to discuss this.
Shortly after the Prime Minister | 1:01:15 | 1:01:20 | |
took office she said she wanted to
put the government on the side of | 1:01:20 | 1:01:24 | |
the poorest in society. She even
stood in front of a crumbling sign | 1:01:24 | 1:01:29 | |
that said she wanted a country that
works for everyone, but with the | 1:01:29 | 1:01:34 | |
recent IFS report stating 37% of
children are set to live in poverty | 1:01:34 | 1:01:40 | |
by 2022, what went wrong, Prime
Minister? | 1:01:40 | 1:01:46 | |
Minister? We have seen 200,000 fewer
children living in absolute poverty | 1:01:46 | 1:01:50 | |
under this government. We continue
to take action to ensure we are | 1:01:50 | 1:01:55 | |
helping families get a regular
income by helping people into work, | 1:01:55 | 1:01:59 | |
we are ensuring the lowest paid get
that pay increase, through | 1:01:59 | 1:02:06 | |
increasing the national living wage,
and ensuring we help people with the | 1:02:06 | 1:02:08 | |
standard of living by cutting taxes
for 31 million people. Is she aware | 1:02:08 | 1:02:17 | |
the inspirational music man project
in Southend that works with people | 1:02:17 | 1:02:21 | |
who have learning difficulties has
now set a world record for tinkling | 1:02:21 | 1:02:26 | |
of the most number of triangles
ever? Does my right honourable | 1:02:26 | 1:02:33 | |
friend agree that is yet another
reason why Southend should be made a | 1:02:33 | 1:02:38 | |
city, and will she please now
organise a contest with her | 1:02:38 | 1:02:45 | |
honourable friends so that Southend
becomes the first post Brexit city? | 1:02:45 | 1:02:52 | |
I am very happy to congratulate the
music man project in Southend for | 1:02:52 | 1:02:56 | |
the record achieved in tinkling
triangles. I am sure he has heard | 1:02:56 | 1:03:04 | |
his bid for Southend to become a
city. I have to say that of course | 1:03:04 | 1:03:08 | |
there will be a number of members of
the house who will put forward their | 1:03:08 | 1:03:12 | |
own towns for that accolade. I knew
a city had to have a cathedral, I | 1:03:12 | 1:03:18 | |
did not know it had to have tinkling
triangles and! The Prime Minister | 1:03:18 | 1:03:22 | |
will be | 1:03:22 | 1:03:27 | |
will be aware the notorious rapist
John Worboys was released from high | 1:03:28 | 1:03:33 | |
security prison. One of my
constituents who gave evidence at | 1:03:33 | 1:03:36 | |
his trial as a victim wants to know
why he was not tested first in open | 1:03:36 | 1:03:43 | |
prison conditions, and why the
parole board is not required to | 1:03:43 | 1:03:48 | |
publish the reasoning behind its
release decisions, including | 1:03:48 | 1:03:50 | |
evidence of contrition? There is a
case before the courts at the moment | 1:03:50 | 1:03:57 | |
and I understand as part of the case
the parole board will be required to | 1:03:57 | 1:04:01 | |
explain the reasons why they took
the decision but in terms of the | 1:04:01 | 1:04:04 | |
overall issue of parole board
decisions, when this decision became | 1:04:04 | 1:04:11 | |
clear, my right honourable friend
the then Justice Secretary called | 1:04:11 | 1:04:18 | |
for work to be done which is being
continued under the current Justice | 1:04:18 | 1:04:23 | |
Secretary to look at the question of
decisions and transparency around | 1:04:23 | 1:04:27 | |
them. Thank you. I am immensely
proud to have the world's leading | 1:04:27 | 1:04:37 | |
teaching hospital of Adam Brookes in
my constituency. Their excellence | 1:04:37 | 1:04:41 | |
means they rely heavily on doctors
from overseas but of late have | 1:04:41 | 1:04:45 | |
struggled to bring doctors in
because of restrictions on visa | 1:04:45 | 1:04:51 | |
numbers and with applications
reducing, it is a problem. Can you | 1:04:51 | 1:04:56 | |
reassure me and Adam | 1:04:56 | 1:05:01 | |
reassure me and Adam -- the
hospital? I am aware of that | 1:05:02 | 1:05:05 | |
particular issue. In the longer
term, one of the things we are doing | 1:05:05 | 1:05:10 | |
is to ensure we can train more
doctors in the UK but I am aware of | 1:05:10 | 1:05:14 | |
the issue she has raised. I will
look into it. Last year the Prime | 1:05:14 | 1:05:21 | |
Minister acknowledged our social
care system is broken and promised | 1:05:21 | 1:05:25 | |
to fix it. Since then two care
providers in Crewe and Nantwich have | 1:05:25 | 1:05:30 | |
been placed in special measures and
another is worried it may close | 1:05:30 | 1:05:33 | |
because of a lack of funding. What
do she say to providers whose state | 1:05:33 | 1:05:40 | |
the local government settlement does
not go far enough and they cannot | 1:05:40 | 1:05:43 | |
afford to wait for the government
green paper? I would say that as she | 1:05:43 | 1:05:49 | |
will know, I have always said there
were short-term measures that needed | 1:05:49 | 1:05:53 | |
to be taken in terms of pressure on
social care and medium and long-term | 1:05:53 | 1:05:57 | |
measures. In the short-term we have
provided more funding, 2 billion | 1:05:57 | 1:06:03 | |
extra was announced by the
Chancellor. We are seeing more money | 1:06:03 | 1:06:07 | |
going into social care in local
authorities. In the medium term we | 1:06:07 | 1:06:11 | |
need to assure best practice is
spread across the country and we | 1:06:11 | 1:06:16 | |
also need to ensure we can develop a
long-term sustainable funding model | 1:06:16 | 1:06:20 | |
and that is what we continue to work
on. It is sadly a matter of public | 1:06:20 | 1:06:30 | |
record that RBS and HBOS
deliberately asset stripped | 1:06:30 | 1:06:34 | |
thousands of potentially viable
businesses to benefit their own bank | 1:06:34 | 1:06:37 | |
or bankers. Evidence before the High
Court indicates Lloyds might also | 1:06:37 | 1:06:41 | |
beat guilty of the same. Would she
considered the cause of the | 1:06:41 | 1:06:47 | |
all-party group for their business
banking, which has been endorsed by | 1:06:47 | 1:06:52 | |
the chief executive Andrew Bailey
for a public inquiry into this | 1:06:52 | 1:06:57 | |
disgraceful scandal? This is an
issue of concern to many. Small | 1:06:57 | 1:07:04 | |
businesses the backbone of the
economy and we need to ensure we | 1:07:04 | 1:07:06 | |
learn lessons from what happened at
RBS and HBOS. The SCA has reported | 1:07:06 | 1:07:14 | |
areas of widespread inappropriate
treatment of firms by RBS, who | 1:07:14 | 1:07:18 | |
apologised and set up a compensation
scheme for victims. There an | 1:07:18 | 1:07:23 | |
investigation conducted by the SCA
into RBS and also they are | 1:07:23 | 1:07:29 | |
undertaking separate investigations
into HBOS but we will continue to | 1:07:29 | 1:07:32 | |
work with the regulator and industry
to ensure small and medium | 1:07:32 | 1:07:35 | |
businesses get the support they
need. Since Christmas there have | 1:07:35 | 1:07:41 | |
been five high-profile gun crimes in
Haringey, including last Thursday | 1:07:41 | 1:07:48 | |
when a 19-year-old young man was
shot in the head with the Marx man | 1:07:48 | 1:07:53 | |
on the back of the mopeds, to the
entrance of the cinema inward green. | 1:07:53 | 1:07:58 | |
We know our streets are plagued by
knife crime, now the intent to kill | 1:07:58 | 1:08:02 | |
with a gun takes the epidemic to a
new level. It cannot go one. Will | 1:08:02 | 1:08:08 | |
the Prime Minister meet with me and
community leaders to put an end to | 1:08:08 | 1:08:13 | |
this epidemic of gun crime? | 1:08:13 | 1:08:19 | |
this epidemic of gun crime? I
suggest she meets with the Home | 1:08:19 | 1:08:21 | |
Secretary who will publish a
strategy in relation to this issue | 1:08:21 | 1:08:26 | |
of serious violence that takes
place. We are concerned about... The | 1:08:26 | 1:08:29 | |
use of mopeds has been used for
snatching amasses what we have been | 1:08:29 | 1:08:37 | |
looking at and working on with the
police but on the issue of gun | 1:08:37 | 1:08:40 | |
crime, I am sure my right honourable
friend will meet her. | 1:08:40 | 1:08:49 | |
friend will meet her. Could I agree
entirely with what the member said, | 1:08:49 | 1:08:53 | |
the Prime Minister has done more
than anyone to end the terrible | 1:08:53 | 1:08:57 | |
modern day slavery but we have one
problem and that is the treatment of | 1:08:57 | 1:09:03 | |
child victims. They are put in the
care of local authorities. They are | 1:09:03 | 1:09:08 | |
then trafficked again. Could we have
a system like we do for adults when | 1:09:08 | 1:09:13 | |
safe homes all provided Sentry, not
by local government, so that | 1:09:13 | 1:09:18 | |
trafficking again can not occur? He
follows up on an important point | 1:09:18 | 1:09:25 | |
about child victims of trafficking.
I will look at the issue he has | 1:09:25 | 1:09:30 | |
raised. The Independent child
advocates I referred to was one way | 1:09:30 | 1:09:36 | |
where we can give greater support to
child victims to ensure we do not | 1:09:36 | 1:09:42 | |
see them being lost to the local
authorities and trafficked again | 1:09:42 | 1:09:46 | |
because it is a scandal when a
victim goes into the care of the | 1:09:46 | 1:09:50 | |
local authority and somebody comes
along and removes them from care and | 1:09:50 | 1:09:55 | |
takes them back into slavery. Order.
Statement. | 1:09:55 | 1:10:04 | |
Do everything | 1:10:44 | 1:10:44 | |
I set out that Sergei Skripal and
his daughter were poisoned with | 1:10:51 | 1:10:56 | |
Novichok, a military grade nerve
agent developed by Russia. | 1:10:56 | 1:11:06 | |
The UK Government concluded it was
highly likely it was Russia who was | 1:11:10 | 1:11:15 | |
responsible for this reckless and
despicable act. There were only two | 1:11:15 | 1:11:21 | |
plausible explanations, either a
direct act by the Russian state | 1:11:21 | 1:11:24 | |
against our country or the Russian
government could have lost control | 1:11:24 | 1:11:28 | |
of the military grade nerve agent
and allowed it to get into the hands | 1:11:28 | 1:11:31 | |
of others. Mr Speaker it was right
to offer Russia the opportunity to | 1:11:31 | 1:11:37 | |
provide an explanation. Their
response has demonstrated complete | 1:11:37 | 1:11:41 | |
disdain for the gravity of these
events. They have provided no | 1:11:41 | 1:11:47 | |
credible explanation that could
suggest they lost control of their | 1:11:47 | 1:11:51 | |
nerve agent. No explanation as to
how this agent came to be used in | 1:11:51 | 1:11:56 | |
the United Kingdom, no explanation
as to why Russia has a chemical | 1:11:56 | 1:12:03 | |
weapons programme not declared in
contravention of international law. | 1:12:03 | 1:12:07 | |
Instead, they have treated the use
of the military grade nerve agent in | 1:12:07 | 1:12:12 | |
Europe with sarcasm, contempt and
defiance. Mr Speaker, there is no | 1:12:12 | 1:12:18 | |
alternative conclusion other than
the Russian state was culpable for | 1:12:18 | 1:12:21 | |
the attempted murder of Sergei
Skripal and his daughter and for | 1:12:21 | 1:12:27 | |
threatening the lives of other
British citizens in Salisbury, | 1:12:27 | 1:12:31 | |
including Detective Sergeant Nick
Bailey. It is an unlawful use of | 1:12:31 | 1:12:37 | |
force by the Russian state against
the UK. It has taken place against | 1:12:37 | 1:12:41 | |
the backdrop of a well-established
pattern of Russian state aggression | 1:12:41 | 1:12:46 | |
across Europe and beyond. It must
therefore be met with a robust | 1:12:46 | 1:12:51 | |
response beyond the actions we have
already taken, since the murder of | 1:12:51 | 1:12:56 | |
Mr Litvinenko and to counter this
pattern of Russian aggression | 1:12:56 | 1:13:00 | |
elsewhere. As the discussion on
Monday May clear, it is essential we | 1:13:00 | 1:13:04 | |
come together with allies to defend
our security, to stand up for our | 1:13:04 | 1:13:10 | |
values, and to send a clear message
to those who would seek to undermine | 1:13:10 | 1:13:15 | |
them. This morning I chaired a
meeting of the National Security | 1:13:15 | 1:13:19 | |
Council where we agreed immediate
action to dismantle the Russian | 1:13:19 | 1:13:23 | |
espionage network in the UK, urgent
work to develop new powers to tackle | 1:13:23 | 1:13:27 | |
all forms of hostile state activity
and to ensure those seeking to carry | 1:13:27 | 1:13:33 | |
out such activity cannot enter the
UK and additional steps to suspend | 1:13:33 | 1:13:37 | |
all planned high-level contacts
between the United Kingdom and the | 1:13:37 | 1:13:42 | |
Russian Federation. Let me start
with immediate actions. The house | 1:13:42 | 1:13:47 | |
will recall that following the
murder of Mr Litvinenko, the UK | 1:13:47 | 1:13:53 | |
expelled four diplomats. Under the
Vienna Convention on the United | 1:13:53 | 1:13:57 | |
Kingdom will now expelled 23 Russian
diplomats, who have been identified | 1:13:57 | 1:14:03 | |
as undeclared intelligence officers.
They have just one week to leave. It | 1:14:03 | 1:14:08 | |
will be the single biggest expulsion
for over 30 years and reflects the | 1:14:08 | 1:14:12 | |
fact it is not the first time the
Russian state has acted against our | 1:14:12 | 1:14:17 | |
country. Through these expulsions we
will fundamentally degrade Russian | 1:14:17 | 1:14:22 | |
intelligence capability in the UK
for years to come and if they seek | 1:14:22 | 1:14:29 | |
to rebuild it, we will prevent them
from doing so. We will urgently | 1:14:29 | 1:14:32 | |
develop proposals for new powers to
harden defences against all forms of | 1:14:32 | 1:14:37 | |
hostile state activity. It will
include the addition of the targeted | 1:14:37 | 1:14:41 | |
power to detain those suspected of
hostile state activity at the UK | 1:14:41 | 1:14:45 | |
border. This power is only permitted
currently in relation to those | 1:14:45 | 1:14:50 | |
suspected of terrorism. I have asked
the Home Secretary to consider | 1:14:50 | 1:14:55 | |
whether there is a need for new
counter espionage powers to clamp | 1:14:55 | 1:14:58 | |
down on the | 1:14:58 | 1:15:04 | |
As I set out on Monday we will table
a government amendment to... In | 1:15:07 | 1:15:14 | |
doing so, we will play our part in
an international effort to punish | 1:15:14 | 1:15:18 | |
those responsible for the sorts of
abuses suffered by surrogate | 1:15:18 | 1:15:23 | |
Magnitsky and I hope, as with all
the measures I'm setting out today, | 1:15:23 | 1:15:27 | |
this will command cross-party
support. We will also make full use | 1:15:27 | 1:15:32 | |
of existing powers to enhance our
efforts to monitor and track the | 1:15:32 | 1:15:36 | |
intentions of those travelling to
the UK who could be engaged in | 1:15:36 | 1:15:39 | |
activity that of the UK and bye
allies, so we will increase checksum | 1:15:39 | 1:15:46 | |
private flights, customs and
freight. We will freeze Russian | 1:15:46 | 1:15:51 | |
state assets wherever we have the
evidence that they may be used to | 1:15:51 | 1:15:54 | |
threaten the life or property of UK
nationals or residents and, led by | 1:15:54 | 1:16:01 | |
National Crime Agency, we will
continue to bring all the | 1:16:01 | 1:16:03 | |
capabilities of UK law enforcement
to bear against serious criminals | 1:16:03 | 1:16:06 | |
and corrupt elites. There is no
place for these people or their | 1:16:06 | 1:16:10 | |
money in our country. Mr Speaker,
let me be clear - while our response | 1:16:10 | 1:16:17 | |
must be robust, it must also remain
true to our values as a liberal | 1:16:17 | 1:16:21 | |
democracy that believes in the rule
of law. Many Russians have made this | 1:16:21 | 1:16:26 | |
country their home, abide by our
laws and make an important | 1:16:26 | 1:16:30 | |
contribution to our country, which
we must continue to welcome. But to | 1:16:30 | 1:16:35 | |
those who seek to do us harm, my
message is simple - you are not | 1:16:35 | 1:16:39 | |
welcome here. Let me turn to our
bilateral relationship. As I said on | 1:16:39 | 1:16:45 | |
Monday, we have had a very simple
approach to Russia - engaged but | 1:16:45 | 1:16:50 | |
beware - and I continue to believe
it is not in our national interest | 1:16:50 | 1:16:53 | |
to break off all dialogue between
the UK and the Russian Federation. | 1:16:53 | 1:16:57 | |
But in the aftermath of this
appalling attack against our | 1:16:57 | 1:17:00 | |
country, this relationship cannot be
the same so we will suspend all | 1:17:00 | 1:17:06 | |
planned high level bilateral
contacts between the UK and the | 1:17:06 | 1:17:09 | |
Russian Federation. This includes
revoking the invitation to Foreign | 1:17:09 | 1:17:13 | |
Minister Lovegrove to pay a
reciprocal visit to the UK and | 1:17:13 | 1:17:15 | |
confirming there will be no
attendance by ministers or bumpers | 1:17:15 | 1:17:18 | |
of the Royal family at this summer's
World Cup in Russia. Finally, we | 1:17:18 | 1:17:24 | |
will deploy a range of tools from
across the full breadth of our | 1:17:24 | 1:17:27 | |
national security apparatus in order
to counter the threats of hostile | 1:17:27 | 1:17:33 | |
state activity. We will set out some
of these measures today. Members on | 1:17:33 | 1:17:37 | |
all sides will understand that there
are some that cannot... | 1:17:37 | 1:17:47 | |
are some that cannot... Should we
face further Russian provocation. | 1:17:47 | 1:17:51 | |
None of the actions we take are
intended to damage legitimate | 1:17:51 | 1:17:55 | |
activity or prevent contacts between
our populations. We have no | 1:17:55 | 1:18:00 | |
disagreement with the people of
Russia, who have been responsible | 1:18:00 | 1:18:03 | |
for so many great achievements
throughout their history. Many of us | 1:18:03 | 1:18:08 | |
looked at a post-Soviet Russia with
hope. We wanted a better | 1:18:08 | 1:18:13 | |
relationship and it is tragic that
President Putin has chosen to act in | 1:18:13 | 1:18:17 | |
this way. But we will not tolerate
the threat to life or British people | 1:18:17 | 1:18:22 | |
and others on British soil from the
Russian government, nor will we | 1:18:22 | 1:18:26 | |
tolerate such a flagrant breach of
Russia's international obligations. | 1:18:26 | 1:18:31 | |
As I set out on Monday, the United
Kingdom does not stand alone in | 1:18:31 | 1:18:36 | |
confronting Russian aggression. In
the last 24 hours, I've spoken to | 1:18:36 | 1:18:40 | |
President Trump, Chancellor Merkel
and President Macron. We have agreed | 1:18:40 | 1:18:44 | |
to cooperate closely in responding
to this barbaric act and coordinate | 1:18:44 | 1:18:48 | |
our efforts to stand up for the
rules -based international order | 1:18:48 | 1:18:51 | |
which Russia seeks to undermine. I
will also speak to other allies and | 1:18:51 | 1:18:56 | |
partners in the coming days and I
welcome the strong expressions of | 1:18:56 | 1:19:00 | |
support from Nato and from partners
across the European Union and | 1:19:00 | 1:19:04 | |
beyond. Later today in New York, the
UN Security Council will hold open | 1:19:04 | 1:19:10 | |
consultations, where we will be
pushing for a robust international | 1:19:10 | 1:19:14 | |
response. We have also notified the
Organisation for the Prohibition of | 1:19:14 | 1:19:19 | |
Chemical Weapons about Russia's use
of this nerve agent and we are | 1:19:19 | 1:19:22 | |
working with the police to enable
the OPCW to independently verify our | 1:19:22 | 1:19:26 | |
analysis. Mr Speaker, this was not
just an act of attempted murder in | 1:19:26 | 1:19:33 | |
Salisbury, nor just an act against
the UK. It is an affront to the | 1:19:33 | 1:19:37 | |
prohibition of the use of chemical
weapons and it is an affront to the | 1:19:37 | 1:19:40 | |
rules -based system on which we and
our international partners depend. | 1:19:40 | 1:19:47 | |
We will work with our allies and
partners to confront such actions | 1:19:47 | 1:19:50 | |
wherever they threaten our security
at home and abroad and I commend | 1:19:50 | 1:19:54 | |
this statement to the house. Jeremy
Corbyn. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I | 1:19:54 | 1:20:03 | |
would like to thank the Prime
Minister Brad Barnes side of her | 1:20:03 | 1:20:05 | |
statement and echo absolutely her
words about the service of our | 1:20:05 | 1:20:10 | |
emergency services. -- for advanced
site. The attack in Salisbury was an | 1:20:10 | 1:20:16 | |
appalling act of violence. Nerve
agents are abominable if used in any | 1:20:16 | 1:20:20 | |
walk. It is utterly reckless to use
them in a civilian environment. This | 1:20:20 | 1:20:26 | |
attack on Britain has concerned our
allies in the European Union, Nato | 1:20:26 | 1:20:28 | |
and the UN and their words of
solidarity has strengthened our | 1:20:28 | 1:20:34 | |
position diplomatically. Our
response as a country must be guided | 1:20:34 | 1:20:37 | |
by the rule of law, support for
international agreements and respect | 1:20:37 | 1:20:43 | |
for human rights. So when it comes
to the use of chemical weapons on | 1:20:43 | 1:20:47 | |
British soil, it is essential that
the Government works with the United | 1:20:47 | 1:20:52 | |
Nations to strengthen its chemical
weapons monitoring system and | 1:20:52 | 1:20:57 | |
involves the office of the
prohibition of chemical weapons. The | 1:20:57 | 1:21:01 | |
Prime Minister said on Monday,
either this was a direct act by the | 1:21:01 | 1:21:05 | |
Russian state or the Russian
government lost control of their | 1:21:05 | 1:21:08 | |
potentially catastrophically
damaging nerve agent and allowed it | 1:21:08 | 1:21:12 | |
to get in the hands of others. Our
response must be both decisive and | 1:21:12 | 1:21:18 | |
proportionate and based on clear
evidence. Is the Government believes | 1:21:18 | 1:21:23 | |
that it is still a possibility that
Russia negligently lost control of a | 1:21:23 | 1:21:29 | |
military grade nerve agent, what
action is being taken through the | 1:21:29 | 1:21:33 | |
OPCW with our allies? I welcome the
fact the police are working with the | 1:21:33 | 1:21:39 | |
OPCW... And has the Prime Minister
taken the necessary steps under the | 1:21:39 | 1:21:45 | |
chemical weapons convention to make
a formal request for evidence from | 1:21:45 | 1:21:51 | |
the Russian government under article
9.2? How has she responded to the | 1:21:51 | 1:21:58 | |
Russian government's request for a
sample of the agent used in the | 1:21:58 | 1:22:01 | |
Salisbury attack to run its own
tests? | 1:22:01 | 1:22:08 | |
tests? Has high-resolution trace
analysis been run on a sample of the | 1:22:08 | 1:22:12 | |
nerve agent, and has that revealed
any evidence as to the location of | 1:22:12 | 1:22:17 | |
its production or the identity of
its perpetrators? And can the Prime | 1:22:17 | 1:22:24 | |
Minister update the house on what
conversations, if any, she has had | 1:22:24 | 1:22:28 | |
with the Russian government? And,
while suspending planned high level | 1:22:28 | 1:22:37 | |
contact, does the Prime Minister
agree that it is essential to | 1:22:37 | 1:22:40 | |
maintain a robust dialogue with
Russia? In the interests of our own | 1:22:40 | 1:22:47 | |
and wider international security.
With many countries, Mr Speaker, | 1:22:47 | 1:22:54 | |
speaking out alongside us, the
circumstances demanded that we build | 1:22:54 | 1:23:02 | |
an international consensus to
address the use of chemical weapons. | 1:23:02 | 1:23:06 | |
We should urge our international
allies to join us and call on Russia | 1:23:06 | 1:23:10 | |
to reveal without delay full details
of its chemical weapons programme to | 1:23:10 | 1:23:19 | |
the Organisation for the Prohibition
of Chemical Weapons. It is, as we on | 1:23:19 | 1:23:24 | |
these benches have expressed before,
a matter of huge regret that our | 1:23:24 | 1:23:29 | |
country's diplomatic capacity has
been stripped back, with cuts of 25% | 1:23:29 | 1:23:34 | |
in the last five years. It is, Mr | 1:23:34 | 1:23:42 | |
SHOUTING | 1:23:42 | 1:23:48 | |
It is, Mr Speaker... Order! The
right honourable gentleman must be | 1:23:48 | 1:23:51 | |
heard. There will be adequate
opportunity for colleagues on both | 1:23:51 | 1:23:56 | |
sides of the house to put questions.
Members must be heard. Jeremy | 1:23:56 | 1:24:02 | |
Corbyn. I couldn't understand a word
of what the Foreign Secretary just | 1:24:02 | 1:24:07 | |
said, Mr Speaker, but his behaviour
demeans his office. | 1:24:07 | 1:24:09 | |
SHOUTING
It is in moments... It is in moments | 1:24:09 | 1:24:16 | |
such as these that governments
realise how vital strong diplomacy | 1:24:16 | 1:24:20 | |
and political pressure are four hour
security and national interest. The | 1:24:20 | 1:24:26 | |
measures we take have to be
effective, not just for the | 1:24:26 | 1:24:30 | |
long-term security of our citizens
but to secure a world free of | 1:24:30 | 1:24:34 | |
chemical weapons. So, can the Prime
Minister outline what discussions | 1:24:34 | 1:24:42 | |
she has had with our partners in the
European Union, Nato and the UN, and | 1:24:42 | 1:24:46 | |
what willingness there was to take
multilateral action? While the | 1:24:46 | 1:24:52 | |
poisonings, Mr Speaker, of Sergei
and you Beer Skripal are confronting | 1:24:52 | 1:24:57 | |
us today, what efforts are being
made by the government to assess the | 1:24:57 | 1:25:04 | |
death of Mr Skripal's daughter who
died in 2012 and the death of his | 1:25:04 | 1:25:09 | |
elder brother and son, who have both
died in the past two years? We have | 1:25:09 | 1:25:13 | |
a duty to speak out against the --
abuse of human rights by a | 1:25:13 | 1:25:18 | |
government and its borders both at
home and abroad and I join many | 1:25:18 | 1:25:22 | |
others in this house in paying
tribute to the many campaigners in | 1:25:22 | 1:25:27 | |
Russia for human rights and justice
and democracy in that country. And, | 1:25:27 | 1:25:33 | |
Mr Speaker, we must do more to
address the dangers posed by the | 1:25:33 | 1:25:37 | |
state's relationship with unofficial
Mafia like groups and corrupt | 1:25:37 | 1:25:43 | |
oligarchs. We must also... We must
also expose the flows of ill gotten | 1:25:43 | 1:25:51 | |
cash between the Russian state and
billionaires who become stupendously | 1:25:51 | 1:25:56 | |
rich by looting their country and
subsequently use London to protect | 1:25:56 | 1:26:00 | |
their wealth. We welcome the Prime
Minister's statement today, clearly | 1:26:00 | 1:26:05 | |
committing to support the Magnitsky
amendments and implementing them as | 1:26:05 | 1:26:11 | |
soon as possible, as we on this site
have long pushed for. Yesterday, a | 1:26:11 | 1:26:17 | |
Russian exile who was close friends
with the late oligarch Boris | 1:26:17 | 1:26:22 | |
Berezovsky was found dead in his
London home. What reassuring can she | 1:26:22 | 1:26:26 | |
give to citizens of Russian origin
living in Britain that they are safe | 1:26:26 | 1:26:30 | |
here? The events in Salisbury early
this month are condemnable and have | 1:26:30 | 1:26:39 | |
been rightly condemned across the
house. Britain has to build a | 1:26:39 | 1:26:44 | |
consensus with our allies and we
support the Prime Minister in... Mr | 1:26:44 | 1:26:53 | |
Speaker, we support the Prime
Minister in taking multilateral | 1:26:53 | 1:26:56 | |
action and firm action to ensure we
strengthen the chemical weapons | 1:26:56 | 1:27:02 | |
convention, to ensure that this
dreadful, appalling act, which we | 1:27:02 | 1:27:07 | |
totally condemn, never happens again
in our country. | 1:27:07 | 1:27:14 | |
in our country. The right honourable
gentleman raised... | 1:27:14 | 1:27:19 | |
STUDIO: That was Jeremy Corbyn,
Leader of the Opposition, responding | 1:27:19 | 1:27:23 | |
to the Prime Minister's statement on
Russia. The Prime Minister said that | 1:27:23 | 1:27:26 | |
they had no alternative now but to
conclude that the Russian state was | 1:27:26 | 1:27:33 | |
culpable in the attacks in Salisbury
and that it involved the unlawful | 1:27:33 | 1:27:39 | |
use of force against the United
Kingdom, and that a full and robust | 1:27:39 | 1:27:45 | |
response was demanded. The headline
for | 1:27:45 | 1:27:53 | |
for that is the expulsion of 22
Russian spies, as Mrs May called | 1:27:53 | 1:27:58 | |
them, with the Russian Embassy, who
are being expelled within one week. | 1:27:58 | 1:28:02 | |
The Russian ambassador has already
talked about retaliation and no | 1:28:02 | 1:28:05 | |
doubt there will be British
diplomats expelled from Moscow. She | 1:28:05 | 1:28:09 | |
said the purpose of this, other than
sending a symbol, was to degrade | 1:28:09 | 1:28:13 | |
Russian intelligence capabilities in
the United Kingdom. She also wanted | 1:28:13 | 1:28:18 | |
to develop new powers to detain
those suspected of intelligence | 1:28:18 | 1:28:22 | |
activities at the UK border as they
came in. There was more support for | 1:28:22 | 1:28:26 | |
tougher action against those who
have been involved in human rights | 1:28:26 | 1:28:30 | |
abuses or corruption or gaining vast
riches through illegal means, and | 1:28:30 | 1:28:35 | |
talk of freezing Russian state
assets in that way. All major | 1:28:35 | 1:28:39 | |
bilateral contacts with the Kremlin
have been cancelled forthwith, | 1:28:39 | 1:28:43 | |
including a visit by the Russian
from the minister to this country. | 1:28:43 | 1:28:49 | |
-- Foreign Minister. She also said
she had been speeding to Mr Trump, | 1:28:49 | 1:28:52 | |
Chancellor Merkel in Germany,
President Back run in France, who | 1:28:52 | 1:28:57 | |
largely were backing the British
position and the response to this | 1:28:57 | 1:29:00 | |
and that at 7pm London time tonight
there would be a briefing to the UN | 1:29:00 | 1:29:05 | |
Security Council by Britain of what
evidence they have and why they have | 1:29:05 | 1:29:10 | |
taken the actions, and what they
believe happened in Salisbury. | 1:29:10 | 1:29:15 | |
Meanwhile, Nato has asked the
Kremlin for full details of its | 1:29:15 | 1:29:20 | |
nerve agent programme. The nerve
agent that was used in the attack in | 1:29:20 | 1:29:26 | |
Salisbury. In their reply, Mr
Corbett concentrated mainly on the | 1:29:26 | 1:29:35 | |
chemical weapons convention
protocol, mentioning it several | 1:29:35 | 1:29:37 | |
times, coming back to it after
having mentioned it towards the end | 1:29:37 | 1:29:41 | |
of his speech as well. He wanted us
to work with our allies to make sure | 1:29:41 | 1:29:45 | |
this convention protocol was being
observed and being used. He, in the | 1:29:45 | 1:29:53 | |
end, did involve the Kremlin too but
for most of the time he seemed more | 1:29:53 | 1:29:59 | |
concerned about making this a story
of the illegal use of chemical | 1:29:59 | 1:30:04 | |
weapons, rather than a murder
attempt on British soil involving | 1:30:04 | 1:30:09 | |
the use of chemical weapons. We're
going to look at a lot more of this | 1:30:09 | 1:30:13 | |
over the next 30 minutes. Let me go
straight to our camp whoa political | 1:30:13 | 1:30:17 | |
editor Laura Kuenssberg for her
reaction. | 1:30:17 | 1:30:22 | |
the Prime Minister had promised
extensive measures and in terms of | 1:30:22 | 1:30:28 | |
the headline from the expelling, 23
so-called diplomats she named as | 1:30:28 | 1:30:34 | |
basically being Russian spies from
London is a more significant | 1:30:34 | 1:30:37 | |
response from the last time with the
Litvinenko murder. At that point | 1:30:37 | 1:30:43 | |
only four diplomats were expelled.
As we expected, there was a promise | 1:30:43 | 1:30:47 | |
to tighten up the financial grip on
Russians who come here who may have | 1:30:47 | 1:30:52 | |
links to this kind of behaviour, who
may be linked, and a promise of new | 1:30:52 | 1:30:59 | |
legislation to try to block people,
associated with Russian espionage, | 1:30:59 | 1:31:06 | |
coming into the UK. It was a hefty
response as she promised on Monday, | 1:31:06 | 1:31:11 | |
what she did not do is go as far as
some expected, which was to think | 1:31:11 | 1:31:17 | |
about how she might involve Nato,
how they might coordinate some kind | 1:31:17 | 1:31:22 | |
of international response. We know
there are meetings coming and there | 1:31:22 | 1:31:26 | |
has been a strong response from Nato
but there was no commitment to push | 1:31:26 | 1:31:31 | |
for an international response to the
incident. She has gone quite far, we | 1:31:31 | 1:31:37 | |
saw more of that tone from the Prime
Minister that she clearly wants to | 1:31:37 | 1:31:41 | |
be seen as if she is not going to be
hedging. She is not going to be | 1:31:41 | 1:31:46 | |
fudging. And more of the
uncomfortable tension in the Commons | 1:31:46 | 1:31:51 | |
over how Jeremy Corbyn replied. You
could hear the barracking through | 1:31:51 | 1:31:57 | |
the statement. Is it sufficiently
robust? I think it was an | 1:31:57 | 1:32:00 | |
appropriate statement from the Prime
Minister and Jeremy has Leader of | 1:32:00 | 1:32:04 | |
the Opposition. It is good to see
perhaps more agreement about | 1:32:04 | 1:32:10 | |
legislative changes we might make in
the Commons. I hope the Russians | 1:32:10 | 1:32:16 | |
take the opportunity. To say somehow
they lost control of the nerve agent | 1:32:16 | 1:32:22 | |
and that is the account they could
give that would at least give them | 1:32:22 | 1:32:26 | |
diplomatic route out of this. I
cannot see any other actions other | 1:32:26 | 1:32:30 | |
than those we are discussing, I do
not see how we can back down in the | 1:32:30 | 1:32:35 | |
face of this. Jeremy Corbyn wants to
share samples with the Russian | 1:32:35 | 1:32:40 | |
government and that is the Russian
government's position. Should we do | 1:32:40 | 1:32:44 | |
that? Is this a matter of a Chemical
Weapons Convention? Why did the | 1:32:44 | 1:32:50 | |
Leader of the Opposition make it so
much about the process of | 1:32:50 | 1:32:53 | |
implementing a chemical weapons
Convention. This is about the | 1:32:53 | 1:33:01 | |
attempted murder by a foreign state
of somebody on British soil, that is | 1:33:01 | 1:33:06 | |
the issue. As the Prime Minister
said in her statement, if there is | 1:33:06 | 1:33:13 | |
an undisclosed chemical weapons
programme in Russia, it has to be | 1:33:13 | 1:33:19 | |
brought under international law. If
it is not disclosed and the Russians | 1:33:19 | 1:33:23 | |
have continued with a chemical
weapons capability, which many | 1:33:23 | 1:33:26 | |
people think is the case, despite
having signed up to the Chemical | 1:33:26 | 1:33:30 | |
Weapons Convention, the Kremlin is
hardly going to say yes, actually we | 1:33:30 | 1:33:36 | |
have some of this stuff. Where is
the realism in that? Whether they | 1:33:36 | 1:33:40 | |
will or not, that is the appropriate
course to take. We cannot sit back | 1:33:40 | 1:33:45 | |
and be comfortable... What makes you
think they would agree to that, | 1:33:45 | 1:33:49 | |
admit that? It does not mean the
rest of the world should not take | 1:33:49 | 1:33:54 | |
action against Russia because of
that. Nato has asked to learn more, | 1:33:54 | 1:34:00 | |
has asked the Russians to say, it
looks like you have some of this | 1:34:00 | 1:34:04 | |
nerve gas will stop we thought it
was to be abolished. It looks like | 1:34:04 | 1:34:08 | |
you have some, tell us about it.
Nato has done the right thing, but | 1:34:08 | 1:34:12 | |
why would you think the Russians
would comply to this, and why make | 1:34:12 | 1:34:17 | |
it... Surely be issue is not the
actual means, dangerous as it was, | 1:34:17 | 1:34:24 | |
the attempted murder was brought
about. They could have chosen to use | 1:34:24 | 1:34:28 | |
guns, poisons, all sorts of things.
The issue is surely the attempted | 1:34:28 | 1:34:33 | |
murder, not the means of the murder.
It is but clearly not one right now | 1:34:33 | 1:34:37 | |
can ascribe reasonable motive to how
Russia is acting. It is reckless | 1:34:37 | 1:34:43 | |
behaviour from Russia and these
things should form our response, the | 1:34:43 | 1:34:48 | |
chemical weapons regime. You do not
use this as a means of assassination | 1:34:48 | 1:34:55 | |
without knowing it is going to be
found out. You do not do this unless | 1:34:55 | 1:34:59 | |
you want to be found out. Unless you
are attempting to send a message. | 1:34:59 | 1:35:06 | |
That is not reckless, that is
calculated, that is clear. If you | 1:35:06 | 1:35:10 | |
simply wanted to do it, you would
hire a hit man and your target would | 1:35:10 | 1:35:15 | |
be shot in the dead of night and the
hit man would disappear before the | 1:35:15 | 1:35:19 | |
police ever found out. That would be
a mystery death, not sending a | 1:35:19 | 1:35:24 | |
message. This has been done in a way
designed to send a message, designed | 1:35:24 | 1:35:29 | |
to make it public. That is not
reckless. I think it is reckless in | 1:35:29 | 1:35:35 | |
the sense of it is hard to see how
it meets Russian objectives in a way | 1:35:35 | 1:35:39 | |
that does not make them more
isolated in the international | 1:35:39 | 1:35:43 | |
community, more pressure on the
economy and people associated with | 1:35:43 | 1:35:47 | |
the regime. It is Russia acting in a
way that takes it down a certain | 1:35:47 | 1:35:53 | |
path that I would say is not in
their interests. Ted Heath expelled | 1:35:53 | 1:36:01 | |
in 1971 when Soviet KGB activity was
rampant in London, almost getting | 1:36:01 | 1:36:06 | |
out of control, he expelled 105
diplomats. Most of them KGB. There | 1:36:06 | 1:36:11 | |
was | 1:36:11 | 1:36:16 | |
was retaliatory action in Moscow. We
are expelling 23, is it enough? I am | 1:36:17 | 1:36:21 | |
not sure of the numbers in respect
of the 70s. In terms of 23 it is a | 1:36:21 | 1:36:31 | |
significant number, certainly more
than the four expelled ten years | 1:36:31 | 1:36:34 | |
ago. It is part of a process and we
are beginning the process now. We | 1:36:34 | 1:36:39 | |
are looking at tightening
legislation. We have to look at the | 1:36:39 | 1:36:46 | |
international response. This is an
attack on democracy that affects not | 1:36:46 | 1:36:49 | |
just the UK but others. What should
the international response be? As | 1:36:49 | 1:36:55 | |
you said it is a calculated attempt
by Russia, the use of the Novichok | 1:36:55 | 1:36:59 | |
nerve agent. A highly dangerous
nerve agent that suggests the | 1:36:59 | 1:37:05 | |
potential for further attacks in the
future must be taken seriously and | 1:37:05 | 1:37:08 | |
we have the briefing of the Security
Council. Donald Tusk has said it is | 1:37:08 | 1:37:13 | |
on the agenda of the EU Council.
Will the British Government, should | 1:37:13 | 1:37:18 | |
the British Government ask for the
tightening of sanctions, there are | 1:37:18 | 1:37:23 | |
already sanctions in place and they
have been causing more pain than has | 1:37:23 | 1:37:29 | |
been reported in the Western media.
It resulted in the failure of the | 1:37:29 | 1:37:34 | |
Russian oil industry to be able to
get capital needed to modernise oil | 1:37:34 | 1:37:38 | |
extraction. I have seen evidence the
machine-tool industry in Russia is | 1:37:38 | 1:37:44 | |
in serious trouble, that its capital
is crumbling away. Should we ask for | 1:37:44 | 1:37:51 | |
more sanctions? Should be leading
international effort to get more | 1:37:51 | 1:37:54 | |
sanctions, or leave it where it is?
You cannot simply just have rhetoric | 1:37:54 | 1:38:00 | |
of taking action and not following
through and in terms of further | 1:38:00 | 1:38:04 | |
sanctions, absolutely, that is a
proportionate response, looking at | 1:38:04 | 1:38:08 | |
the effect, the impact of Russia and
Putin's regime. You would support | 1:38:08 | 1:38:13 | |
that? I agree with you, the
sanctions have had profound effects | 1:38:13 | 1:38:19 | |
in Russia but this is an escalation
from what the position was when they | 1:38:19 | 1:38:23 | |
were introduced. | 1:38:23 | 1:38:28 | |
were introduced. Laura, we have a
Russian guest I'm anxious to go to, | 1:38:28 | 1:38:32 | |
but Laura, a thought. I think you
will have to go and supply other | 1:38:32 | 1:38:35 | |
media outlets! I think it is likely
the government will try to get | 1:38:35 | 1:38:42 | |
allies to push for further sanctions
but particularly the UN. It is | 1:38:42 | 1:38:48 | |
extremely difficult. Theresa May
will want to be sure she can count | 1:38:48 | 1:38:52 | |
on her allies to be supportive
before she pushes forward with the | 1:38:52 | 1:38:57 | |
high-profile request for sanctions.
If it is not followed up with | 1:38:57 | 1:39:01 | |
support from allies, it leaves her
looking isolated. Given the | 1:39:01 | 1:39:06 | |
importance of London to the Russian
diaspora, particularly the | 1:39:06 | 1:39:14 | |
diaspora, particularly the wealthy
and, -- wealthy end, there is | 1:39:14 | 1:39:17 | |
bilateral action that can be taken.
Things she has outlined today will | 1:39:17 | 1:39:22 | |
have an impact, there will be
consequences. 23 out of 58 diplomats | 1:39:22 | 1:39:27 | |
leaving by the end of the week. That
is not everybody having to go home | 1:39:27 | 1:39:32 | |
apart from the Ambassador, but that
will have a consequence. The idea of | 1:39:32 | 1:39:36 | |
potentially being able to stop
people at the border will have a | 1:39:36 | 1:39:40 | |
consequence. It is likely the
government will try to lead some | 1:39:40 | 1:39:45 | |
kind of international coordinated
response that will feel like it has | 1:39:45 | 1:39:48 | |
more gravity and more impact, but
this is a 360 degrees | 1:39:48 | 1:39:58 | |
this is a 360 degrees picture. It
only happened last week and it is as | 1:39:59 | 1:40:01 | |
much as the government has been able
to do but it is not the end of this | 1:40:01 | 1:40:04 | |
kind of action and there was another
suspicious death reported, in the | 1:40:04 | 1:40:08 | |
suburbs of London yesterday. This
may well become one of the defining | 1:40:08 | 1:40:13 | |
issues of the government in the next
couple of years. How do we deal with | 1:40:13 | 1:40:19 | |
this? How does Britain in this era
deal with, when all the other | 1:40:19 | 1:40:26 | |
challenges the country faces and our
relationship with the rest of Europe | 1:40:26 | 1:40:30 | |
and the US, is changing so much, as
well. It is another huge factor. We | 1:40:30 | 1:40:35 | |
will leave it. Thank you. | 1:40:35 | 1:40:41 | |
With me now is the Russian
journalist Oleg Kashin. | 1:40:41 | 1:40:45 | |
You have worked in Russia and are
now based in London. Given the | 1:40:45 | 1:40:52 | |
manner of the assassination attempt,
the nerve agent used would be | 1:40:52 | 1:40:59 | |
discovered. Novichok. What was the
purpose of doing it this way? Nobody | 1:40:59 | 1:41:10 | |
knows and not so much Russians
believe that the | 1:41:10 | 1:41:20 | |
believe that the Russian state. I am
sure it is possible for Putin to | 1:41:20 | 1:41:27 | |
say... I do not think he makes
orders. Some years ago there was an | 1:41:27 | 1:41:31 | |
attempt to kill me Russia. Russian
detectives found this attempt. It | 1:41:31 | 1:41:41 | |
was an old friend of Putin. I'm not
sure he did not ask Putin, may I | 1:41:41 | 1:41:47 | |
kill him, no, no, everybody do
everything by itself. The Russian | 1:41:47 | 1:41:56 | |
state organism is huge. Another hand
does not think about another hand. | 1:41:56 | 1:42:02 | |
You say the Russian state could be
behind this but not necessarily done | 1:42:02 | 1:42:06 | |
on the orders of President Putin?
What does it mean the Russian State? | 1:42:06 | 1:42:10 | |
You say Russians, may be you mean
Putin. | 1:42:10 | 1:42:17 | |
Putin. You say Russians, I did not
try to kill Skripal. I am not saying | 1:42:19 | 1:42:24 | |
that but it seems an agency of the
Russian state was involved, it had | 1:42:24 | 1:42:29 | |
the nerve gas. It is not a gas you
concocting your kitchen overnight. | 1:42:29 | 1:42:34 | |
The Russian kitchen is huge. We have
a lot of people in this kitchen. | 1:42:34 | 1:42:44 | |
What person is responsible for this
attempt, you don't know, I don't | 1:42:45 | 1:42:48 | |
know and maybe Putin does not know.
You raise interesting issues. I want | 1:42:48 | 1:42:53 | |
to go to the Foreign Office, Alan
Duncan, he joins us from Central | 1:42:53 | 1:42:58 | |
Lobby. What we heard from Theresa
May, the list of measures, the | 1:42:58 | 1:43:08 | |
expulsions leading the litany of
things we are doing, is that it, or | 1:43:08 | 1:43:13 | |
the beginning of further action? It
is essential we have taken robust | 1:43:13 | 1:43:18 | |
steps. You never know in diplomatic
activity of this sort what one might | 1:43:18 | 1:43:24 | |
have to respond to subsequently but
what matters most is we have taken | 1:43:24 | 1:43:28 | |
firm action against the first time a
military grade nerve agent has been | 1:43:28 | 1:43:31 | |
used in a European country since
1945, and that was used in Britain, | 1:43:31 | 1:43:37 | |
its origin is Russian, it put at
risk people in and the broader town | 1:43:37 | 1:43:43 | |
of Salisbury, it is not acceptable
and that is why the Prime Minister | 1:43:43 | 1:43:46 | |
properly took the steps today. I
understand that. What I'm trying to | 1:43:46 | 1:43:53 | |
get, what the Prime Minister
announced was unilateral actions | 1:43:53 | 1:43:56 | |
Britain is taking on its own. What I
am trying to work out, is that the | 1:43:56 | 1:44:02 | |
end of unilateral action, is there
more to come, and are we now working | 1:44:02 | 1:44:06 | |
for a multilateral reaction of
further sanctions against Russia | 1:44:06 | 1:44:12 | |
with our allies? We are seeking the
maximum international support, which | 1:44:12 | 1:44:17 | |
is why there will be serious
discussions in the National Security | 1:44:17 | 1:44:22 | |
Council tonight. Before they were
announced I and others briefed | 1:44:22 | 1:44:26 | |
ambassadors in the UK and of course
the phone lines have been busy with | 1:44:26 | 1:44:31 | |
the Prime Minister talking to
President Trump and Chancellor | 1:44:31 | 1:44:34 | |
Angela Merkel and President Macron.
We hope for and we are getting | 1:44:34 | 1:44:39 | |
significant support across the
world, because I think people | 1:44:39 | 1:44:42 | |
realise the severity of what has
happened. It could have been equally | 1:44:42 | 1:44:47 | |
in another European | 1:44:47 | 1:44:54 | |
in another European town and I'm
sure we would be behind any country | 1:44:54 | 1:44:57 | |
similarly affected. We have just
seen the statement from Nato and I | 1:44:57 | 1:44:59 | |
am sure there will be action in the
United Nations but don't forget the | 1:44:59 | 1:45:03 | |
Russians have a veto on certain
things there, but I hope | 1:45:03 | 1:45:04 | |
international support will be strong
and firm, because we cannot see the | 1:45:04 | 1:45:09 | |
proliferation of chemical weapons of
this sort, and we are also invoking | 1:45:09 | 1:45:14 | |
the details of the office for the
Prohibition of chemical weapons, | 1:45:14 | 1:45:20 | |
which is something the Prime
Minister also announced in a | 1:45:20 | 1:45:21 | |
statement. | 1:45:21 | 1:45:26 | |
Do we want this widespread support
from our allies, which we seem to be | 1:45:28 | 1:45:31 | |
getting, in terms of verbal support,
to be turned into further sanctions | 1:45:31 | 1:45:34 | |
against Russia? I think this will
depend very much on subsequent | 1:45:34 | 1:45:40 | |
Russian reaction. These things don't
just get done in one day but the | 1:45:40 | 1:45:43 | |
first steps we have taken are
absolutely right. The Prime Minister | 1:45:43 | 1:45:48 | |
herself made it quite clear that we
have the option of increasing | 1:45:48 | 1:45:54 | |
sanctions by introducing legislation
to increase our border controls, in | 1:45:54 | 1:45:56 | |
order to prevent people whom we
consider to be people with | 1:45:56 | 1:46:02 | |
hostile... We can do that
unilaterally. What I'm asking is, do | 1:46:02 | 1:46:05 | |
we want a broadly -based firm
response? That will be a matter for | 1:46:05 | 1:46:11 | |
further discussion. You are asking
questions we cannot answer | 1:46:11 | 1:46:14 | |
immediately after the statement.
What I'm trying to do... I know | 1:46:14 | 1:46:18 | |
you're trying to have discussions,
that is what diplomats do. I am | 1:46:18 | 1:46:22 | |
trying to get the purpose of these
discussions. Is the purpose of these | 1:46:22 | 1:46:29 | |
discussions to build an alliance for
tougher sanctions against Russia? | 1:46:29 | 1:46:34 | |
Should other countries are so wish
to combine to do that, I'm sure we | 1:46:34 | 1:46:38 | |
would welcome support in that form.
But in addition, by the way, we are | 1:46:38 | 1:46:43 | |
going to do something very important
here as well, which was the Prime | 1:46:43 | 1:46:48 | |
Minister announcing that we wish to
work very, very cooperatively with | 1:46:48 | 1:46:51 | |
the Labour Party and other parties
in parliament, which I am already | 1:46:51 | 1:46:56 | |
doing during the passage of the
sanctions bill which is going | 1:46:56 | 1:46:59 | |
through Parliament at the moment, to
introduce something which is named | 1:46:59 | 1:47:03 | |
the Magnitsky Act, which means we
would focus on people who breach | 1:47:03 | 1:47:08 | |
human rights by being able to have
strong sanctions against them. You | 1:47:08 | 1:47:10 | |
have changed your mind on that,
haven't you? Labour have been | 1:47:10 | 1:47:14 | |
pushing you to do this and you have
resisted. That's not right, | 1:47:14 | 1:47:18 | |
actually. In the committee stage we
made it absolutely clear that we | 1:47:18 | 1:47:22 | |
thought because of the importance of
this it is essential that we have | 1:47:22 | 1:47:24 | |
cross-party agreement and I think it
is something much better decide on | 1:47:24 | 1:47:29 | |
the main floor of the House of
Commons than just a committee room | 1:47:29 | 1:47:32 | |
upstairs because there are strong
feelings about this and rather than | 1:47:32 | 1:47:35 | |
play party politics with it, we
would like this to be a united, | 1:47:35 | 1:47:40 | |
agreed House of Commons
Parliamentary statement on this | 1:47:40 | 1:47:42 | |
particular part of the sanctions
bill. We have - we as in the British | 1:47:42 | 1:47:48 | |
state - accused the Russians of this
act. We think the evidence, the | 1:47:48 | 1:47:55 | |
Prime Minister tells us, is
overwhelmingly that it was from | 1:47:55 | 1:47:58 | |
Russia, that it was the Russian
State's involvement. The Russian | 1:47:58 | 1:48:02 | |
state, as we have been hearing, has
many arms and outlets. And we think | 1:48:02 | 1:48:08 | |
that this nerve gas has been kept in
Russia despite previous chemical | 1:48:08 | 1:48:12 | |
warfare protocols. The Russians have
asked for a sample of this nerve | 1:48:12 | 1:48:19 | |
gas. Why wouldn't we give them a
sample? In asking for that sample, | 1:48:19 | 1:48:24 | |
they are just playing games. What
one has to appreciate first and | 1:48:24 | 1:48:28 | |
foremost is that the very existence
of this nerve agent is a breach of | 1:48:28 | 1:48:32 | |
the chemical weapons convention. Its
use is even more so and the | 1:48:32 | 1:48:36 | |
organisation through which we work
is the office for the prohibition | 1:48:36 | 1:48:42 | |
for the -- of chemical weapons. So
we are doing things properly and I | 1:48:42 | 1:48:45 | |
would urge people not in any way to
allow themselves to be diverted from | 1:48:45 | 1:48:51 | |
the fundamental, very, very serious
act here by gamesmanship on the part | 1:48:51 | 1:48:54 | |
of the Russians in orders to try to
play these games, like asking for | 1:48:54 | 1:48:58 | |
samples and things like that. We
know the origin of this nerve agent | 1:48:58 | 1:49:02 | |
and we gave the Russians a clear
option. We said, either you did it | 1:49:02 | 1:49:07 | |
or if you didn't, tell us how on
earth it got out of the production | 1:49:07 | 1:49:11 | |
facility which you control. And
instead of answering that question | 1:49:11 | 1:49:16 | |
properly and responsibly, they have
treated us with sarcasm and disdain | 1:49:16 | 1:49:20 | |
and patronising deceit and that is
why the Prime Minister has announced | 1:49:20 | 1:49:22 | |
these actions today. If the Russians
have held onto this nerve gas and | 1:49:22 | 1:49:29 | |
used it in Salisbury against various
chemical weapons protocols and | 1:49:29 | 1:49:33 | |
agreements to ban such weapons,
indeed to destroy the arsenals of | 1:49:33 | 1:49:36 | |
such weapons | 1:49:36 | 1:49:40 | |
indeed to destroy the arsenals of
such weapons, if they have done that | 1:49:40 | 1:49:41 | |
and used it they are hardly likely
to admit that they have got samples | 1:49:41 | 1:49:44 | |
of this, are they? No but I'm afraid
the evidence points to them so | 1:49:44 | 1:49:50 | |
clearly because we know the origin
of the nerve agent and that is why | 1:49:50 | 1:49:54 | |
we are going to the OPCW and I have
no doubt in due course further | 1:49:54 | 1:49:57 | |
conclusions on this, which I'm
confident we'll corroborate our | 1:49:57 | 1:50:00 | |
conclusions, will come from Matt,
which is the proper organisation for | 1:50:00 | 1:50:04 | |
prohibiting chemical weapons. We
will leave at there. Minister Alan | 1:50:04 | 1:50:08 | |
Duncan from the Foreign Office,
thank you for joining us live from | 1:50:08 | 1:50:11 | |
House of Commons central lobby. Our
guest is still with us and I enjoyed | 1:50:11 | 1:50:18 | |
by Robert Hannigan, the former
director of intelligence at GCHQ. If | 1:50:18 | 1:50:25 | |
we accept that the British
government is pretty clear that the | 1:50:25 | 1:50:28 | |
Russians did this and it was a
Russian state involvement, what I'm | 1:50:28 | 1:50:34 | |
still trying to get to the bottom of
is that they chose the assassination | 1:50:34 | 1:50:38 | |
using this method, using this agent,
which meant that their complicity | 1:50:38 | 1:50:43 | |
could not be disguised. Did they
wanted to be known that they were | 1:50:43 | 1:50:47 | |
behind this? I think it is a key
question and I think the answer has | 1:50:47 | 1:50:53 | |
to be taken in the context of a
pattern of reckless behaviour in | 1:50:53 | 1:50:58 | |
cyberspace, interfering in
elections, and on the ground, where | 1:50:58 | 1:51:01 | |
they increasingly don't care and
they are stepping outside the normal | 1:51:01 | 1:51:05 | |
rules of behaviour between
civilisations, so Putin has decided | 1:51:05 | 1:51:11 | |
to do that. Of the Troisi has made
and in that context, he could not | 1:51:11 | 1:51:16 | |
possibly user nerve agent of this
sort without it being traced to | 1:51:16 | 1:51:20 | |
Russia by a sophisticated state.
Everything points to him not really | 1:51:20 | 1:51:26 | |
caring and that is true of other
things they've done over the last | 1:51:26 | 1:51:30 | |
four or five years. Can I ask you
more on the motivation here? As I | 1:51:30 | 1:51:36 | |
understand it, traditionally, the
target in Salisbury was part of a | 1:51:36 | 1:51:39 | |
spy swap. Some were returned to
Russia and he came to the United | 1:51:39 | 1:51:46 | |
Kingdom. As I understand, usually
when that happens, both sides then | 1:51:46 | 1:51:52 | |
leave their people alone did you
don't go... Even in the terms of | 1:51:52 | 1:51:56 | |
Cold War in Stalin's time. Why would
they want to take him out? It is an | 1:51:56 | 1:52:03 | |
argument for Putin because maybe it
isn't Russia, maybe it isn't the | 1:52:03 | 1:52:06 | |
Russian state it took nobody knows
who did it and why. Today in one of | 1:52:06 | 1:52:10 | |
the Russian tabloids, it was an
interview of the niece of Mr Skripal | 1:52:10 | 1:52:17 | |
and she's out that uncle Sergei was
damaged by an angry woman who did | 1:52:17 | 1:52:25 | |
not want... Saying the woman had
nerve gas? That's nonsense, isn't | 1:52:25 | 1:52:32 | |
it? You know that's nonsense. So
this is just fake news and | 1:52:32 | 1:52:38 | |
disinformation. Let's stick to the
facts here. He was a relatively | 1:52:38 | 1:52:43 | |
low-level agents. He had almost
certainly... He was a specialist. He | 1:52:43 | 1:52:50 | |
had probably told the British just
about everything that he knew in | 1:52:50 | 1:52:53 | |
terms of secrets. He could still
mark the British card in terms of | 1:52:53 | 1:52:58 | |
procedures and the way Russian
intelligence operates but why | 1:52:58 | 1:53:04 | |
attempt to take him out, is what I'm
tried to get out? Nobody knows the | 1:53:04 | 1:53:09 | |
motivation of the attempt to kill Mr
Skripal but, actually, I know... Now | 1:53:09 | 1:53:18 | |
we have new British sanctions
against Russia and you should know | 1:53:18 | 1:53:22 | |
that any external pressure to Russia
from the United Kingdom, from | 1:53:22 | 1:53:29 | |
Europe, will make Putin stronger
inside Russia because you British, | 1:53:29 | 1:53:36 | |
the British state, say, you Russians
should choose between Mr Putin - I | 1:53:36 | 1:53:43 | |
don't like Mr Putin - and Mrs May,
who wants to make our Russian lives | 1:53:43 | 1:53:48 | |
worse. And now a lot of Russians
will choose Putin, even if they | 1:53:48 | 1:53:55 | |
don't like him. A lot of people
think that Mr Putin, released those | 1:53:55 | 1:54:00 | |
around him, are doing this because
the Russian economy is so bad, the | 1:54:00 | 1:54:05 | |
levels of poverty outside your major
cities... But Russians have a very | 1:54:05 | 1:54:11 | |
popular sentence. This is bread and
circuses for the masses. If you | 1:54:11 | 1:54:17 | |
don't leave good, and now we have a
reason to live good. The Russian | 1:54:17 | 1:54:21 | |
Embassy has just issued a statement
here in London. The ambassador was | 1:54:21 | 1:54:25 | |
summoned to the Foreign Office and
informed the 23 diplomats were | 1:54:25 | 1:54:30 | |
declared persona non grata to use
the diplomatic language for saying | 1:54:30 | 1:54:32 | |
they have to go home. They say, we
consider this action as | 1:54:32 | 1:54:39 | |
unjustifiable, short-sighted and all
the responsibility for the | 1:54:39 | 1:54:42 | |
deterioration of the Russia- UK
relationship lies with the current | 1:54:42 | 1:54:45 | |
political leadership of Britain.
There will be a response to the | 1:54:45 | 1:54:50 | |
response. Cannot response hurt us? I
think at this stage in the | 1:54:50 | 1:54:54 | |
relationship, probably not very
much, because the relationship is at | 1:54:54 | 1:54:57 | |
a low base and can't get much lower.
There is not going to be much | 1:54:57 | 1:55:02 | |
communication from diplomats or
anyone else so it is formalising | 1:55:02 | 1:55:06 | |
what is already happening. It is a
first step. I think the more | 1:55:06 | 1:55:09 | |
important things are those that the
Prime Minister pointed to, which is | 1:55:09 | 1:55:13 | |
targeted economic sanctions against
individuals. There was | 1:55:13 | 1:55:24 | |
individuals. There was a great deal
of raging collected money and | 1:55:24 | 1:55:25 | |
individuals and assets flowing
through London and that is what will | 1:55:25 | 1:55:28 | |
hurt Russia. YouTube will be the
British government's intention. We | 1:55:28 | 1:55:30 | |
have the intelligence of the
capability to do this, to identify | 1:55:30 | 1:55:32 | |
the money flows, asset purchases and
from whom... To the beneficial | 1:55:32 | 1:55:37 | |
owners were? I think it will take
time, which is why it is not | 1:55:37 | 1:55:41 | |
sensible to announcing today but
there is no place for that kind of | 1:55:41 | 1:55:45 | |
money in the economy anyway so it is
a good moment to bed down and it. I | 1:55:45 | 1:55:50 | |
think other companies were both
countries are looking at the centre | 1:55:50 | 1:55:52 | |
top there was a general sense that
patience has run out. In France and | 1:55:52 | 1:55:58 | |
Germany and the United States and
elsewhere and they're going to | 1:55:58 | 1:56:04 | |
isolate themselves further. I think
the reaction has been pretty | 1:56:04 | 1:56:06 | |
measured so far from here because we
don't want to play into Putin's | 1:56:06 | 1:56:10 | |
hands. A lot of this is about
internal politics, about distraction | 1:56:10 | 1:56:14 | |
so that the people can be united
around a Nationalist flag. The bread | 1:56:14 | 1:56:19 | |
and circuses part of it. At least
the circus. There may not be so much | 1:56:19 | 1:56:23 | |
bread. But in your former job you
did not see a lot of intelligence, | 1:56:23 | 1:56:28 | |
use or information that was in the
public domain. My understanding is | 1:56:28 | 1:56:32 | |
that the Russian economy is still
overwhelmingly dependent on fossil | 1:56:32 | 1:56:36 | |
fuels, that 4.5 million Russians
have left the country because of the | 1:56:36 | 1:56:39 | |
economic prospects being so poor.
Tomography is a real problem, | 1:56:39 | 1:56:45 | |
Russian machinery, industry, is
collapsing. How bad is it? Russia is | 1:56:45 | 1:56:51 | |
a small economy and bolted onto this
is the trapping of a superpower, | 1:56:51 | 1:56:55 | |
nuclear weapons, a vast military
intelligence machine, which | 1:56:55 | 1:57:00 | |
essentially control the country.
Putin is just one of large group. | 1:57:00 | 1:57:06 | |
That is not going to change even if
the leader were to change. Will this | 1:57:06 | 1:57:12 | |
end badly? Where does it go from
here? Two years ago, where it could | 1:57:12 | 1:57:19 | |
go from here? I don't know. But now
Russia is the best place for living. | 1:57:19 | 1:57:27 | |
You are not sure? Russia isn't the
best place. It isn't? Because of the | 1:57:27 | 1:57:36 | |
state of the economy? Not only
economy, the whole political | 1:57:36 | 1:57:41 | |
situation and social situation. Is
Russia heading to... It has now | 1:57:41 | 1:57:50 | |
moved in an authoritarian direction.
Yes, but it is not very good for us, | 1:57:50 | 1:57:56 | |
for citizens... Antics during the
last 20, 25 years, there was no one | 1:57:56 | 1:58:06 | |
moment that we could understand the
West is our friend. Know your enemy | 1:58:06 | 1:58:12 | |
is Putin and I'm not sure that...
And post Cold War there were plenty | 1:58:12 | 1:58:22 | |
of Western policies. Now we have a
new Cold War. We may be root reaping | 1:58:22 | 1:58:28 | |
the consequences. Absolutely, Russia
needed to be helped to reform its | 1:58:28 | 1:58:32 | |
economy, to diversify, to tackle
corruption. We missed that | 1:58:32 | 1:58:37 | |
opportunity. It will be a while
before it comes back again. | 1:58:37 | 1:58:40 | |
Gentlemen, all of you, thank you for
joining me. That's all for today. Jo | 1:58:40 | 1:58:46 | |
will be here tomorrow at noon. I
will be back on BBC One tomorrow | 1:58:46 | 1:58:53 | |
night on This Week, when we will be
also covering this story. Thank you | 1:58:53 | 1:58:57 | |
very much. Goodbye. | 1:58:57 | 1:59:02 |