“It is quite extraordinary” in view of the weight of evidence to continue to deny the “likelihood of Russian involvement” in Salisbury poisoning – Boris Johnson tells #Marr https://t.co/2F6eDpYWeF pic.twitter.com/6efkdkg6gA
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) April 15, 2018
He says the Russians are “demented” for claiming Britain did it…
Patrick Stewart tells Marr his Star Trek and X-Men characters Jean-Luc Picard and Charles Xavier would have voted Remain. Boris dismisses him as “something to do with Star Wars” and says:
We’ve already had ‘The People’s Vote’, says @BorisJohnson. “We’re now trying to deliver on that mandate from the people,” he says in response to calls for a second EU referendum. pic.twitter.com/0TUiib4Ary
— BrexitCentral (@BrexitCentral) April 15, 2018
“We’ll be able boldly go again to areas that perhaps we’ve neglected…”
.@OPCW must have the opportunity to identify the “source and the culpability” of the Salisbury poisoning – @jeremycorbyn tells #marr https://t.co/2F6eDpYWeF pic.twitter.com/D5rAEDY2BP
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) April 15, 2018
Not sure who else he thinks it could’ve been…
He also isn’t convinced the Assad regime was responsible for the Douma gas attack either, saying that Assad “or any other group” that carried it out must be confronted with evidence.
.@jeremycorbyn says Assad “or any other group” that carried out the Douma attack must be confronted with “evidence” #marr pic.twitter.com/BXR6D32FgT
— The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) April 15, 2018
There’s a theme here…
“I can only countenance involvement in Syria if there is @UN authority behind it” – Labour leader @jeremycorbyn tells #marr https://t.co/ylyDFV9zQ7 pic.twitter.com/A7r2a9mZ78
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) April 15, 2018
Corbyn continues to say intervention in Syria should only take place through the UN. Which Russia has repeatedly vetoed…
A very pleasing dig at the BBC’s new gender quota for TV guests from Julia Hartley-Brewer on Marr this morning. Julia, who was discussing the gender pay gap story on the sofa alongside Polly Toynbee, said:
“I know obviously that we are making up the gender quota for expert commentators for the BBC today. Nice to be invited for that and not for actually our views but there we are…”
No comeback from Marr…
Sky’s Niall Paterson read out Guido’s analysis showing Andrew Adonis had tweeted 72 times about the BBC in a week and concluded: “It’s all getting a little bit Paul Mason, isn’t it? You’re turning into the crazier, shoutier end of Twitter”. A live TV intervention…
“We’re going to consult on extending the powers of stop and search” says Communities Secretary @sajidjavid #marr pic.twitter.com/SfLhLQPx3R
— The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) April 8, 2018
Another consultation…
.@UKLabour Shadow Brexit Secretary @Keir_Starmer attacks the government and says new blue passports should be made in Britain after we leave the EU. #Peston pic.twitter.com/nE0vnsv7AM
— Peston on Sunday (@pestononsunday) 25 March 2018
Keir Starmer flaunting his protectionist credentials this morning by stating Labour’s opposition to the blue passports deal. Starmer said they should be manufactured by a British company at an extortionate cost to the taxpayer. As Guido reported, savings on the Franco-Dutch arrangement will be £120 million over five years – not to mention the free benefit of awkwardness for remainers as the contract rather dispels the ‘inward-looking nation’ myth they constantly parrot. Labour would rather the money went to an uncompetitively expensive firm instead of on, say, public services…
‘Europhile’ Starmer said:
“To put it to a French company is the wrong thing to have done.”
Remainers jumping the shark again…
A fiery exchange between Isabel Oakeshott and Carole Cadwalladr over the Observer splash this morning. Isabel challenged Cadwalladr:
“I feel this is utterly baffling to most people… you’ve been incredibly persistent, incredibly dogged, but at the end of it all I think you’ve proved is that Cambridge Analytica is a pretty dodgy and bad company… I have one question for you, are you going to apply this same forensic investigation to the remain campaign?”
Cadwalladr replied:
“This isn’t about remain or leave.”
Quelle surprise…
.@tom_watson says Jeremy Corbyn “has expressed deep regret” for comments he made about an ‘anti-Semitic’ mural
“I want Jewish members of Labour to feel welcome in our party” he tells #marr pic.twitter.com/PfORyQrQye
— The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) 25 March 2018
Tom Watson was wrong to claim Jeremy Corbyn has apologised for his anti-Semitic mural comments. Confronted with the image on Marr this morning, an uncomfortable Watson claimed Jezza has apologised for defending the mural in a Facebook post:
“That is why Jeremy has expressed deep regret and apologised for that and actually said it was right the mural was taken down.”
Actually Corbyn refused to apologise for his comment, saying he only regreted not “looking more closely” at the mural – that statement caused outrage in the PLP this weekend precisely because it stopped short of an apology. Watson clearly wishes Corbyn would just say sorry…
“We can’t see a record of that person attending that event, but we are looking into it”.@BrandonLewis comments on @GuidoFawkes report of the Russian official that attended an exclusive summer party with top Conservatives #Peston pic.twitter.com/8fg3PxAow7
— Peston on Sunday (@pestononsunday) March 18, 2018
Pesto asked Brandon Lewis about the Spectator story of the Russian spy at the summer party. Brandon says the spy wasn’t on the guest list. He was there however…
“I take the view he is one of the most dangerous people in British politics”@AnnaSoubry says @UKLabour and @johnmcdonnellMP ‘got it wrong’ on their response to the Russia attack #Peston pic.twitter.com/dp8ueQbc92
— Peston on Sunday (@pestononsunday) March 18, 2018
“I agree completely with the Prime Minister” – @johnmcdonnellMP says @UKLabour agree with the government on Russian culpability for the poisoning in Salisbury. #Peston pic.twitter.com/MpBE08WeIC
— Peston on Sunday (@pestononsunday) March 18, 2018
McDonnell says he agrees with Theresa May that Putin is responsible. More differentiation between the Shadow Chancellor and Labour leader. Has he seen the polling?
UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson explains why he said it was “overwhelmingly likely” Vladimir Putin ordered the nerve agent attack in Salisbury #Marr https://t.co/UjqlRZwAx6 pic.twitter.com/4bWm4x3Z39
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) March 18, 2018
“We actually have evidence, within the last ten years, that not only has Russia been investigating the delivery of nerve agents for the purposes of assassination, but has also been creating and stockpiling Novichok itself.”
The major news from Boris this morning…
Porton Down could be the source of the nerve agent used in the attack in Salisbury, suggests Vladimir Chizhov
The Ambassador tells #marr that the nerve agent might have been checked against samples retained in British laboratories pic.twitter.com/QgZu6MLOOA
— The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) March 18, 2018
Russia’s ambassador to the EU Vladimir Chizhov suggests Porton Down could have been behind the nerve agent used in the attack on the Skripals, noting it is only 8 miles from Salisbury. Boris hits back: “This is not the response of a country that believes itself to be innocent”.
“This is not the response of a country that believes itself to be innocent”@BorisJohnson says Vladimir Chizhov’s suggestion that the UK research laboratory Porton Down is the source of the nerve agent is “satirical” #marr pic.twitter.com/jMQeoLjUlw
— The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) March 18, 2018
Russia going the full Craig Murray…
“Russia is a threat to our country and we should respond robustly”: @Jacob_Rees_Mogg comments on the Russian bots linked to his Twitter account and the action government should take over the Salisbury incident #Peston pic.twitter.com/7WGKEjHQVa
— Peston on Sunday (@pestononsunday) March 11, 2018
Peston made a curious attempt to suggest Rees-Mogg is backed by Russian bots – even though the whole Russian bots thing has been comprehensively debunked. The Mogg was having none of it…
Marr: “Is it worth it?”
Hammond: “Yes. Financial services is a very important part of our economy…”
Marr: “Not the financial services negotiation – is Brexit worth it?”
Hammond: “Oh the whole thing?”
Marr: “Yeah, the whole thing.”
Hammond: “Look, the British people have decided that we are leaving the European Union and that’s what we’re doing.”
Asked if Brexit is worth it, Hammond misunderstands the question and replies: “Yes”. Then quickly corrects himself…
John McDonnell says he won’t be appearing on Kremlin-backed broadcaster Russia Today again, describing the channel’s coverage as going “beyond objective journalism” at times #marr pic.twitter.com/no0EjSnThz
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) March 11, 2018
McDonnell orders Labour MPs to stop going on Russia Today. His deputy in the Shadow Treasury team Peter Dowd went on yesterday. And does the Absolute Boy agree?
Rouble for Chris Williamson’s thoughts…
Marina Litvinenko, widow of Alexander Litvinenko reads out the then Home Secretary’s letter to her that the Government will do all it can to protect for such a crime from happening again.
“It has happened again. It means something was not done” she tells #marr pic.twitter.com/Gq4rW8oa4m
— The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) March 11, 2018
From the then Home Secretary…
“Steady on,” @NicolaSturgeon replies after @Peston asks whether she will back @joswinson‘s call for a statue of Margaret Thatcher. #Peston pic.twitter.com/hKPR1kwsSG
— Peston on Sunday (@pestononsunday) March 4, 2018
[…] Read the rest
Wes Streeting speaking in the anti-Semitism debate says Jewish leaders
“will be horrified by the response of our frontbench to this debate today”
