PMQs: Starmer accuses Johnson of leaving 'serious gap' in UK defences by 'sitting on Russia report for 10 months'
The prime minister has been accused of leaving a "serious gap" in Britain's defences following the heavily delayed Russia report which provided a damning assessment of the government and Boris Johnson.
At Prime Minister's Questions, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer repeatedly asked the prime minister why he "sat on this report for 10 months and failed to plug a gap in our law and national security for a year-and-a-half".
His comments follow those of the Intelligence and Security Committee which, in October last year, sent the damning Russia report to the PM and concluded that Moscow poses a threat to Britain, with the UK being considered one of its biggest targets.
"The prime minister received that report ten months ago given that the threat is described as immediate and urgent, why on earth did the PM sit on that report for so long?" Sir Keir asked.
Responding to Sir Keir, Mr Johnson told the Commons when he was foreign secretary he took “the strongest possible action” against Russia.
During PMQs, he added: “The right honourable gentleman opposite (Sir Keir Starmer) sat on his hands and said nothing while the Labour Party parroted the line of the Kremlin when people in this country were poisoned at the orders of Vladimir Putin.”
Labour leader said he was “absolutely clear” in condemning Russian aggression in Salisbury, adding he was previously involved in bringing proceedings against Russia on behalf of the family of poisoning victim Alexander Litvinenko.
He attacked Mr Johnson for "underestimating" the threat from Russia, telling MPs: "The government’s taken its eye off the ball - arguably it wasn’t even on the pitch."
He went on to ask about delays in bringing forward new security legislation, to which Boris Johnson insisted new laws are coming in connection with espionage, theft of intellectual property and sanctions.
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The prime minister said Sir Keir's questions were "absolutely absurd" and claimed the UK is the world's most "vigilant" country when it comes to protecting against the threat from Russia.
Mr Johnson said the government was bringing forward several pieces of legislation to tackle the Russian threat, and claimed Sir Keir's arguments were rooted in his dislike of Brexit.
He said: "This is about pressure from the Islingtonian Remainers who’ve seized on this report to try to give the impression that Russia interference was some how responsible for Brexit."
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"The simple fact is that after campaigning for remain, after wanting to overturn the peoples referendum, day in day out - all the period when he was sitting on the Labour front bench -he simply can’t bring himself to accept that," the prime minister added.
Sir Keir Starmer accused the Prime Minister of reading “pre-prepared answers” rather than addressing national security concerns.
He pressed for action against “Kremlin-backed disinformation” and suggested the PM should “look again” at the licensing for broadcaster RT, formerly Russia Today, to operate in the UK.
Mr Johnson said Sir Keir should have called out Labour former leader Jeremy Corbyn “when he took money for appearing on Russia Today”, adding: “The Leader of the Opposition has more flip-flops than Bournemouth beach.”Sir Keir responded, criticising the PM's "prepared gags on flip-flops" and made reference to reports that former journalist Mr Johnson wrote two articles ahead of outlining his stance on Brexit before the referendum, one supporting Remain and the other backing Leave.
"This is the former columnist who wrote two versions of every article ever published," Sir Keir added.
In what ITV News Political Correspondent Daniel Hewitt described as a "significant moment", Sir Keir responded to the PM's comment about the former Labour leader appearing on Russia Today.
"In case the PM hasn’t noticed, the Labour Party is under new management," he said, "and no front bencher of this party has appeared on RT since I’ve been leading this party."
This session of PMQs was the last before Parliament breaks for Summer recess, before returning at the start of September.
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