Labour: Do not question our patriotismpublished at 17:05 British Summer Time 12 September 2018
Salisbury Incident debate
House of Commons
Parliament
Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott says "we cannot have the streets of Britain turned into a killing field by foreign actors... the finger points at Russia". This is what Jeremy Corbyn has said, as well as speaking repeatedly against human rights abuses by President Putin, she adds.
She says Conservative MPs have "gone out of their way to attack the leader of Labour party", suggesting it is "an attractive tactic to question the patriotism of persons and politicians on the left".
"The notion that because you're on the left in politics somehow your patriotism is impugned" is incorrect, she says.
She is challenged by Conservative MP Alex Chalk to explain her previous suggestion that "every defeat of the state is a victory of us all" - she says it is taken out of context.
"My parents came from an island willingly, they were not conscripted, to defend their mother country, they would not understand why members opposite would question my commitment."
She says: "The role of the opposition is to ask questions... to suggest that because we ask questions we are complicit with terrorism is wrong."
Ms Abbott says the Labour party supports the government's response to the Salisbury incident, but warns "we will not take aspersions cast about our patriotism and our willingness to defend their country."