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Labour candidate suspended after ‘pro-Russian posts’

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A Labour Party candidate has been suspended after publishing pro-Russian posts designed to downplay the country’s role in the Salisbury poisonings.

Andy Brown was expelled from the party in the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East constituency after reports emerged that he had shared an article by Russian state media company RT claiming that the “poison” used in the poisonings was “never made in Russia but was in use in the US, UK and other NATO countries”.

Dawn Sturgess, 44, died in July 2018 from exposure to the nerve agent Novichok, which was left in a discarded perfume bottle in Amesbury, Wiltshire.

The incident followed the attempted murders of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, his daughter Yulia and former police officer Nick Bailey, who were poisoned in nearby Salisbury in March of the same year.

Starmer

A Labour Party candidate has been suspended after publishing pro-Russian posts designed to downplay the country’s role in the Salisbury poisonings.

P.A.

All three survived, as did Sturgess’ friend Charlie Rowley.

Despite his suspension by the party, Brown will still be on the ballot paper on July 4 as the nomination deadline has passed, but he will not receive the support of the Labour Party.

A Scottish Labour Party spokesman said: “Andy Brown has been suspended from the Labour Party pending the outcome of the investigation.

“We have taken the decision to withdraw our support from a parliamentary candidate during a parliamentary election.

“Anas Sarwar and Keir Starmer transformed the Labour Party and said every candidate and MP would work to the highest standards. This action shows they meant it.”

Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves said she was “very, very pleased” that the candidate had been suspended after he appeared to downplay the country’s role in the Salisbury poisonings in pro-Russian posts.

Speaking to Sky News on Wednesday, Reeves said: “I had never heard of this guy until this morning and I’m very, very glad that I hope I never have to hear from him again as he has been suspended as a Labour candidate.”

“That is absolutely right. We reacted quickly.

“As soon as these postings came to light, we got rid of him.”

She added: “People who do not share our values ​​in the changed Labour Party will be thrown out of the Labour Party, while the Conservative Party continues to host people like Liz Truss, who has done so much damage to the lives of working people across the country.”

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