Theresa May was accused of being ‘in denial’ that the Kremlin was responsible for the nerve agent attack in Salisbury today.
The leaks from Tuesday’s Cabinet emerged as it was revealed the Conservative Party has accepted £820,000 from Russian donors since Mrs May became Prime Minister.
Mrs May is under growing pressure to return the money and go public with suspicions the Kremlin is to blame for the assassination attempt on Sergei Skripal.
Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious in Salisbury a week ago and have been in a critical condition ever since.
Ministers are considering a range of sanctions. MPs who want to create a so-called ‘Magnitsky’ List to ban named oligarchs linked to assassinations from travelling to or holding assets in Britain claim to have ministerial support for the first time.
Theresa May (pictured in Maidenhead today) was accused of being ‘in denial’ that the Kremlin was responsible for the nerve agent attack in Salisbury today
The Prime Minister halted discussion of the incident at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting when Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson (pictured in Hastings last week) blamed ‘Russian state activity’, it was claimed today
Sergei Skripal, 66, (left, in 2006) and his daughter Yulia, 33, (right) are critically ill in hospital after being exposed to an unknown substance
The Prime Minister halted discussion of the incident at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting when Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson blamed ‘Russian state activity’, the Sunday Times claimed today.
A minister present said: ‘She absolutely cut Boris dead and said we shouldn’t say something until we’ve got the full facts of the case and there is no doubt who is responsible.’
Another added: ‘To everyone’s surprise the prime minister slapped him down and told him to button it.
‘This was a major incident. There was denial of what we are confronted with.’
Allegations Mrs May is refusing to take seriously the prospect of Russian responsibility will fuel concern over donations from oligarchs.
Donations from some individuals have accelerated under Mrs May, despite claims she would reduce Tory income from Russia.
But under Mrs May’s leadership, one of the most controversial Russian donors paid the Tories more in a year under May than in six years under David Cameron.
Lubov Chernukhin, the wife of a former Putin minister who gave £160,000 to play tennis with Cameron, last month attended a Tory fundraising event and bid £30,000 to have dinner with Williamson, the Sunday Times said.
Another lobbying company closely connected to the Conservative Party, New Century Media, was paid by the Kremlin to promote a ‘positive image’ of Russia in the UK in 2013.
New Century has donated £143,000 to the Tories, including more than £24,000 since May became prime minister. Another £400,000 from New Century Media was given to the Tories in April 2016 but declared to watchdogs under Mrs May.
Marina Litvinenko, whose husband was killed in a Russian hit in Britain, said the Tories should hand back the money.
She told the Marr show: ‘You need to be very selective who you are friends with.
‘And when you allow people with money to come to your country and make a business you need to be sure what kind of money these people try to bring to your country.
Marina Litvinenko, whose husband was killed in a Russian hit in Britain, said the Tories should hand back the money
‘Because very often this money was stolen from the Russian people and sometimes it’s a very serious crime behind this money.
‘And I’m absolutely in solidarity with this whole question and asking to unite it with all this action what was already done in United States, in Europe. I think the UK has to do the same steps.’
Chancellor Philip Hammond defended the donations on the Andrew Marr show today.
He said: ‘Well, look there are very strict rules about donations to political parties.
‘Only British citizens who are on the electoral register here can make donations to political parties.
‘All donations are carefully vetted. They’re reported to the Electoral Commission. They’re recorded publicly.’
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Government have denied any involvement in the assassination attempt in Salisbury
The Conservative Party said: ‘All donations are properly and transparently declared to the Electoral Commission.
‘We are looking at tightening our financial regimes to ensure the profits of corruption cannot flow from Russia into the UK.’
In other developments, the Sunday Telegraph said Mr Johnson and Home Secretary Amber Rudd have backed the creation of a Magnitsky List in UK law for the first time.
Backbench MPs wanted to create the new powers in the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill currently going through Parliament.
If it went ahead, the list would stop a series of named Russian individuals entering the UK or holding assets here. The list is named for a group linked to the killing of Russian accountant Sergei Magnitsky in 2009.
The United States passed a similar law in 2012 and Russia hit back with with a similar tit-for-tat measure.
Chancellor Philip Hammond defended the donations on the Andrew Marr show today
Britain has pursued other measures instead, insisting they work better than a raft of expulsions.
Senior Tory MPs revealed they had Government support for a change in policy but warned ministers are still resisting an independent review mechanism, which they say is a key element needed to ensure the new laws ‘actually get used’.
Chancellor Philip Hammond told the BBC Andrew Marr show: ‘Well, the proposals that were put forward actually create a power that we already have.
‘The Home Secretary already has a power to exclude individuals from the UK if she believes that their presence here is not conducive to our national security or the public good.
‘So it’s not strictly necessary, but we’re seeking to reach an accommodation with those who’ve put this amendment forward. Let’s see if we can come to a proposal which works for everyone.’
How the ‘Magnitsky Law’ is named after a Russian lawyer who died after ‘systematic torture campaign’
Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky died in jail after what supporters claim was a systematic torture campaign
Ministers are facing calls to approve a ‘Magnitsky Law’ to introduce powers to freeze the assets of Russian officials accused of human rights abuses.
The law would stop individuals known to be corrupt or who abuse human rights from travelling to and living in Britain, and politicians backing it say this will help stop London becoming a destination for dodgy Russian money.
Tory former Cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell is among those set to add amendments to legislation in a bid to beef up Britain’s version of America’s Magnitsky laws.
The sanctions were named to commemorate Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer who claimed in 2008 that fraud was being committed by corrupt Interior Ministry officials.
Mr Magnitsky was arrested shortly after, accused of stealing the money himself and died a year later in jail after what supporters claim was a systematic torture campaign.
Mr Mitchell said sanctions need to be widened, and overseen by a review mechanism.
Police at the grave of Liudmila Skripal the wife of Sergei Skripal in Salisbury
Six ways hitmen could have exposed the couple to the deadly nerve agent
POISONED FLOWERS
Skripal regularly placed plastic flowers on his late wife Liudmila’s grave, but last Sunday, unusually, according to a source, he took a fresh bunch. The deadly bouquet could have been taken to his house by a hit squad after being laced with poison.
A ‘TROJAN HORSE’
Some sources have suggested Yulia may have unwittingly brought a poisoned package, known as a Trojan Horse, into her father’s home. It would have had to remain stable until activated – possibly concealed in a gift of vodka or cigars.
THE ZIZZI MEAL
Skripal and his daughter ate garlic bread and seafood risotto in a branch of Zizzi just before they fell ill, so their food could have been poisoned. But that would have required the hitman to have access to the kitchen – and know which dish would go to their table.
THE MILL PINT
The couple also went to The Mill pub in the Maltings which has been sealed off by police all week. The potent toxin could have somehow been slipped into their drinks without the bar staff being aware.
THE LETHAL LETTER
The would-be assassins could have simply had the deadly chemicals delivered to Skripal’s house in a letter or parcel. The ploy is simple but, because his symptoms appear to have developed rapidly while he was in Salisbury town centre rather than at home, seems less likely.
THE FACE SPRAY
CCTV has captured images of an unknown couple walking close behind the Skripals just before they collapsed on a bench. They could have sprayed the nerve agent at them. The shocking tactic was used in the VX attack on a North Korean at an airport last year.
GRIM TASK: A gurney normally used for moving accident victims is taken towards Liudmila’s grave yesterday