Theresa May: Russia must stop ‘activity that threatens the UK and its allies’

Outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May delivered a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin today, saying Russia must stop “activity that threatens the UK and its allies.”

After a grim-faced Mrs May shook hands with Mr Putin yesterday at the G20 summit in Osaka, she told a press conference that “there can only be a normalisation of our bilateral relationship if Russia stops the pattern of irresponsible activity that threatens the UK and its allies, such as the use of a deadly nerve agent on the streets of Salisbury”.

Russia still denies being behind the attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia on the streets of Salisbury in March last year.

Mr Putin dismissed the incident as “fuss about spies and counter-spies” that was “not worth serious interstate relations” and said “traitors must be punished”.

The Prime Minister said: “We remain open to a different relationship, but for that to happen the Russian government must choose a different path.” 

“With tensions rising in the Gulf we must all stand together, escalation is in no one’s interest,” Mrs May said.

“We need engagement on all sides to find a diplomatic solution to the current situation and to counter Iran’s destabilising activity.

“At the same time, the UK will continue to work with our JCPOA partners to do all we can to keep the Iran nuclear deal in place. We believe the deal makes the world safer, and I want to see Iran uphold its obligations.”

Mrs May also took questions about her stepping down as PM and returning to the house as an MP.

She let out a small laugh and shook her head when asked whether she would return to government in somebody else’s Cabinet.

She said: “I believe that the majority of conservative party members, as with the majority of the public in the UK want us to deliver on Brexit, not just what that means in terms of leaving the EU, but the brighter future that we believe the UK can have outside of the European union.”

“That’s what I was working on, it is what my successor will work on.”

Asked whether the Conservatives should embrace the populism seen on both sides of the Atlantic and if the real danger to the party was the resurgent Liberal Democrats, Mrs May said: “I think what’s important for the Conservative party is that we continue as a party and as a Government in delivering on the values that have always underpinned what we as Conservatives believe in.

“That’s about security, as much about economic security through a balanced approached to the economy, that’s enabling us to end austerity. We are seeing employment levels at record high and it’s enabled us to bring our debt down, and our deficit down.

“We also provide opportunity for people – you see that in what we have been doing for example in terms of the new T Levels we have been introducing – and giving people the freedom to actually be able to make decisions for themselves, and the freedom to spend more of their own money – 32 million people with tax cuts under a Conservative Government – Conservatives have been delivering for the people of the UK and will continue to do so.”