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| Theresa May visits Salisbury as Moscow prepares retaliation to sanctions | Theresa May visits Salisbury as Moscow prepares retaliation to sanctions |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Theresa May has visited the scene of the poisoning of a former Russian double agent as the diplomatic row deepened between Moscow and London over the attack. | Theresa May has visited the scene of the poisoning of a former Russian double agent as the diplomatic row deepened between Moscow and London over the attack. |
| The prime minister spoke in Salisbury on Thursday to members of the emergency services and the military who had responded to the nerve agent attack, as well as local business owners. | |
| She also visited the bedside of the police officer, DS Nick Bailey, who is still being treated after exposure to the nerve agent. | |
| Bailey’s home in the Dorset village of Alderholt, about 10 miles south of Salisbury, was the focus of police and military attention. | |
| Two cars were taken from the family’s drive way, one belonging to Bailey and the other to his wife, it is believed. Neighbours said the cars were “wrapped up” and removed by officers in hazmat suits. The family were not thought to be staying at the property but had been seen there in the days after the attack. | |
| Meanwhile, the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, indicated that British diplomats would be expelled from Moscow in retaliation for similar sanctions announced by May on Wednesday. | |
| In Salisbury, May was greeted by Wiltshire PCs Way and Collins, who were the first to respond to the emergency call when Sergei and Yulia Skripal were found slumped on a bench in central Salisbury on Sunday 4 March. | In Salisbury, May was greeted by Wiltshire PCs Way and Collins, who were the first to respond to the emergency call when Sergei and Yulia Skripal were found slumped on a bench in central Salisbury on Sunday 4 March. |
| Russia has been a useful bogeyman since its annexation of Crimea in 2014. UK military chiefs were spooked when Russia, during an intervention in Ukraine, used a combination of drones and artillery to destroy Ukrainian armour, and raised questions about whether the UK would be able to do much better than the Ukrainians in similar circumstances. | Russia has been a useful bogeyman since its annexation of Crimea in 2014. UK military chiefs were spooked when Russia, during an intervention in Ukraine, used a combination of drones and artillery to destroy Ukrainian armour, and raised questions about whether the UK would be able to do much better than the Ukrainians in similar circumstances. |
| The UK is far enough away for Russia not to pose a territorial threat. But UK forces are deployed in the Baltic states along with US and other Nato forces as a deterrent in the unlikely event of a Russian landgrab. | The UK is far enough away for Russia not to pose a territorial threat. But UK forces are deployed in the Baltic states along with US and other Nato forces as a deterrent in the unlikely event of a Russian landgrab. |
| Russia does present a threat through hybrid warfare, or the use of deniable acts of disruption – primarily cyber-attacks on the UK that could disrupt essential services or interference in the democratic process, such as in elections. | Russia does present a threat through hybrid warfare, or the use of deniable acts of disruption – primarily cyber-attacks on the UK that could disrupt essential services or interference in the democratic process, such as in elections. |
| Collins told her they had believed the incident was a routine call. May responded: “You had no idea what you were dealing with. Thank you – what you did was what police do day in and day out. A routine call and you don’t know what’s there. You did a great job.” | Collins told her they had believed the incident was a routine call. May responded: “You had no idea what you were dealing with. Thank you – what you did was what police do day in and day out. A routine call and you don’t know what’s there. You did a great job.” |
| She added: “I have come down today to say thank you to our emergency services, our police and health services, and everybody at Porton Down and Public Health England who have been working so hard.” | She added: “I have come down today to say thank you to our emergency services, our police and health services, and everybody at Porton Down and Public Health England who have been working so hard.” |
| She reiterated that the government holds Russia “culpable for this brazen and despicable act that has taken place on the streets of what is such a remarkable city”. | She reiterated that the government holds Russia “culpable for this brazen and despicable act that has taken place on the streets of what is such a remarkable city”. |
| The prime minister met a paramedic – identified only as Ian – who was one of the first on the scene. He told her that when he arrived he thought the incident was drug-related. | |
| May and John Glen, Conservative MP for Salisbury and South Wiltshire, were confronted by Sarah Hayden, a shop owner, who said her boutique was suffering. She told Glen: “We haven’t seen you at all.” | |
| May has announced that 23 Russian diplomats are to be expelled from the UK as she placed the blame for the chemical weapons attack squarely on Moscow. | May has announced that 23 Russian diplomats are to be expelled from the UK as she placed the blame for the chemical weapons attack squarely on Moscow. |
| Lavrov said Moscow would “certainly” expel British diplomats and Vladimir Putin chaired a meeting of his security council on Thursday as Russia prepared its response to the sanctions; marking a low point in modern UK-Russian relations. | Lavrov said Moscow would “certainly” expel British diplomats and Vladimir Putin chaired a meeting of his security council on Thursday as Russia prepared its response to the sanctions; marking a low point in modern UK-Russian relations. |
| Following that meeting, Putin’s office issued a statement saying the council had “expressed grave concern over the destructive and provocative position of the British side”. | Following that meeting, Putin’s office issued a statement saying the council had “expressed grave concern over the destructive and provocative position of the British side”. |
| Speaking to reporters in Salisbury on Thursday, May said the police must be allowed to get on with their jobs. | Speaking to reporters in Salisbury on Thursday, May said the police must be allowed to get on with their jobs. |
| She welcomed the support of Germany, France and the US, who agreed on Thursday to issue a joint statement with the UK placing the blame on Russia. | She welcomed the support of Germany, France and the US, who agreed on Thursday to issue a joint statement with the UK placing the blame on Russia. |
| Echoing the foreign secretary, May said there would be “other measures” put in place beyond the sanctions announced on Wednesday, “including ensuring that people aren’t able to come here into the UK when they are potentially involved in hostile state activity”. | Echoing the foreign secretary, May said there would be “other measures” put in place beyond the sanctions announced on Wednesday, “including ensuring that people aren’t able to come here into the UK when they are potentially involved in hostile state activity”. |
| The prime minister warned the UK’s allies that such an attack could have taken place on the streets of any of their cities. | The prime minister warned the UK’s allies that such an attack could have taken place on the streets of any of their cities. |
| “What is important in the international arena, and we have taken this into Nato, into the United Nations, we’ll take it through into the European Union, is that allies are standing alongside us and saying this is part of a pattern of activity that we have seen from Russia in their interference, their disruption that they have perpetrated across a number of countries in Europe.” | “What is important in the international arena, and we have taken this into Nato, into the United Nations, we’ll take it through into the European Union, is that allies are standing alongside us and saying this is part of a pattern of activity that we have seen from Russia in their interference, their disruption that they have perpetrated across a number of countries in Europe.” |
| She sought to reassure people in Salisbury that Public Health England’s assessment was that the risk to public health was low. | She sought to reassure people in Salisbury that Public Health England’s assessment was that the risk to public health was low. |
| May added: “What I’ve heard from the people here in Salisbury today, what I’ve heard from businesses here in Salisbury today, is that they do want to see support, which they will be given both by the council but also by the government, to ensure that the city can recover, that we see tourists coming back to this city in the numbers we’ve seen previously. | May added: “What I’ve heard from the people here in Salisbury today, what I’ve heard from businesses here in Salisbury today, is that they do want to see support, which they will be given both by the council but also by the government, to ensure that the city can recover, that we see tourists coming back to this city in the numbers we’ve seen previously. |
| “Salisbury is open for business, it’s business as usual here. It’s a great city, it’s a wonderful place to come visit – historic, beautiful, Salisbury is open.” | “Salisbury is open for business, it’s business as usual here. It’s a great city, it’s a wonderful place to come visit – historic, beautiful, Salisbury is open.” |
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