Summary

  • Theresa May statement on Russian spy case

  • UK to expel 23 Russian diplomatic staff

  • A UN security council meeting to be held

  • Russian ambassador criticises 'provocation'

  • Prime Minister's Questions focused on the NHS

  • Scroll down this page to see key clips and text commentary

  1. Soames presses for further Russia sanctionspublished at 13:49 Greenwich Mean Time 14 March 2018

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Conservative Sir Nicholas Soames welcomed the PM's decision to refer evidence of this "grotesque attack" to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. He asked whether their conclusions would be shared widely and whether she would consider further action - including on individuals - in the light of that finding.

    Mrs May said the government suggests that the OPCW will be able to see what has happened and added that the UK would use "unexplained wealth orders" - but based on evidence and according to the rule of international law.

  2. Nicky Morgan urges select committee interventionpublished at 13:44 Greenwich Mean Time 14 March 2018

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Former Conservative education secretary Nicky Morgan says she "100%" supports the PM's statement, and asks that Commons select committees have a role in tackling "dirty" money brought into the UK.

    Mrs May says she recognises the role select committees can play and believes Mrs Morgan has set up a stream of work for her treasury committee, which she chairs.

  3. Margaret Hodge urges register of property ownershippublished at 13:42 Greenwich Mean Time 14 March 2018

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Labour's Dame Margaret Hodge lent her support to the PM's "clear statement, her condemnation of the Russians and the actions she's taken".

    But Dame Margaret said "too much money is being laundered out of Russia and finding its way into the British system".

    She urges the UK to bring forward a public register of ownership of properties to tackle this and increase transparency in corporate structures so it's known who forms companies and if they are founded on illicit money.

    Mrs May says the government has been discussing the timing for a registry of ownership.

  4. MP launches attack on Russian ambassadorpublished at 13:38 Greenwich Mean Time 14 March 2018

    Salisbury incident statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Chris BryantImage source, HoC

    Labour MP Chris Bryant says Russia under President Putin "manages to combine all the worst facets of communism and all the worst facets of rampant capitalism, all wrapped up inside a national security state".

    He accuses Russia's ambassador to the UK, Alexander Yakovenko, of trying to prevent Commons debates on Russia, and says he should now be told to "go home".

    Theresa May says "it's a brave man" who tries to tell Speaker John Bercow what to do.

    The Speaker insists: "For the avoidance of doubt, he got absolutely nowhere with me."

  5. Watch: Labour reaction to Russian diplomatic expulsionspublished at 13:38 Greenwich Mean Time 14 March 2018

  6. Watch: Theresa May announces plan to expel 23 Russian diplomatspublished at 13:35 Greenwich Mean Time 14 March 2018

  7. Labour MP calls for inspections of chemical weapons sitespublished at 13:32 Greenwich Mean Time 14 March 2018

    Salisbury incident statement

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Labour MP and former shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn calls for international inspections of sites in Russia "where this nerve agent, in all probability, was produced".

    Theresa May says the government is working with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

  8. PM: This could happening to our allies toopublished at 13:31 Greenwich Mean Time 14 March 2018

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Former Conservative attorney general Dominic Grieve says the UK's difficulty is how it is going to craft a sustained strategy so the right pressure can be placed on Russia. He fears the level of violence from Russia against the UK and its allies will only increase.

    Theresa May says Russia is acting with impunity and "flouting the international rules-based order" and allies need to come together with a collective approach to challenge this. She added that "this may have happened in the United Kingdom, but actually it's something that could be happening in any of these states".

  9. Watch: UK to strengthen sanction powerspublished at 13:28 Greenwich Mean Time 14 March 2018

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  10. DUP MP accuses Labour frontbench of advocating 'policy of appeasement'published at 13:26 Greenwich Mean Time 14 March 2018

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Northern Ireland MP, Democratic Unionist Sammy Wilson says his party welcomes the PM's statement, adding that it sits in contrast to the "policy of appeasement" from the Labour frontbench.

    He asks, apart from words of support, what actions have the UK's allies committed to against Russia.

    Theresa May says international allies were waiting to hear what the UK planned to do.

  11. Watch: Andrew Neil sums up statementpublished at 13:25 Greenwich Mean Time 14 March 2018

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  12. PM: Russia responsible for attempts to interfere in electionspublished at 13:24 Greenwich Mean Time 14 March 2018

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Conservative Andrew Mitchell says Russia has possibly "indirectly" authorised the use in Syria of chemical weapons against its own people.

    The PM says: "This isn't simply one action in Russia, it's a pattern of actions by Russia....We see their use of propaganda, their attempt to interfere in elections across the continent of Europe."

  13. Lib Dems back PM statementpublished at 13:23 Greenwich Mean Time 14 March 2018

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable says to cheers that his party supports the PM's statement.

    He says the Russian opposition say the most effective measure would be to take financial action against named individuals "who are critical to the Putin operation".

    Theresa May thanks him and adds that the government is looking at issues around corrupt elites.

    Conservative Tom Tugendhat, chair of the foreign affairs committee, says the wealth of Vladimir Putin should be exposed.

  14. Duncan Smith urges PM to hail consistent message with alliespublished at 13:18 Greenwich Mean Time 14 March 2018

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith praises the PM's leadership. He said if Russia was a rogue state, could the PM persuade allies "not to treat with them" and make them better off.

    Mrs May says she will be discussing with the UK's allies a robust and consistent message to be given to Russia. She said the case of a pipeline deal between Germany and Russia was frequently discussed.

  15. 'Russians would have responded if they were innocent'published at 13:13 Greenwich Mean Time 14 March 2018

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Conservative chairman of the Commons defence committee, Julian Lewis, said the Russians would have responded to the PM's deadline following the Salisbury attack if they were innocent.

    He said the time has come to recognise that 2% of GDP is not enough to spend on defence when the UK is reverting to this sort of adversarial relationship.

    The PM says there are other measures the UK stands ready to deploy at any time should it face further Russian provocation. She said the UK was ensuring it had the capability needed to deal with threats.

  16. PM thanks Labour backbencher for her supportpublished at 13:12 Greenwich Mean Time 14 March 2018

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Former Labour leadership challenger Yvette Cooper says it's important to expose Russia and what it is doing within the UN.

    Mrs May thanks Ms Cooper for her support which she says she knows is representative of views from the Labour benches.

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  17. PM thanks SNP for tone of response to Russian attackpublished at 13:08 Greenwich Mean Time 14 March 2018

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    The PM thanked the Scottish National Party's leader at Westminster, Ian Blackford, for the tone of his response, the comments made and for his offer to work with the government.

    She added that Canada and Australia had made it clear they also backed the UK's response.

  18. SNP backs 'robust response' to Kremlinpublished at 13:07 Greenwich Mean Time 14 March 2018

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    The SNP's Ian Blackford says "our friends globally" must join the UK in standing up to this abuse by the Russian state.

    He welcomed the expulsion of undeclared intelligence officers and financial sanctions.

    "It must be clear to the Russian authorities that we will not tolerate actions that infringe international law," he said.

  19. May: No stone un-turned in response to Salisbury attackpublished at 13:06 Greenwich Mean Time 14 March 2018

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Former Conservative chancellor Kenneth Clarke says the recent attack poses a "serious threat to the safety of the Western world unless we all work together to start getting the Russians to do something, as opposed to simply ignoring it".

    Theresa May says the UK will leave no stone unturned to respond appropriately to the illegal development of chemical weapons.