A senior SNP figure has been criticised for attending a “celebration” of Russia hosted by Vladimir Putin’s state diplomatic service.
Christine Grahame, in her capacity as the Parliament’s deputy presiding officer, was present even though sanctions remain in place on Russia over its nerve agent attack in Salisbury.
Scottish Tory MP John Lamont said: “This link does Scottish politics no good.”
Relations between the UK and Russia are at a low following assassination attempts by Putin’s regime against former intelligence agents on British soil.
In 2006, Alexander Litvinenko died after two Russian operatives poisoned his drink with plutonium in a hotel in London.
Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were last year found on a park bench in Salisbury after they came into contact with the deadly chemical novichok, planted by Russian agents.
Putin’s state was blamed for the botched hit job and the international community responded by stepping up sanctions and expelling diplomats, including 23 from the UK.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon backed Prime Minister Theresa May and said it was clear Russia “cannot be permitted to unlawfully kill or attempt to kill people on the streets of the UK with impunity”.
It was also reported that plans to develop up to £5bn worth of trade links between Scotland and Russia had been abandoned.
Despite the poor relations between the UK and Russia, Putin’s state still has a diplomatic outpost in Edinburgh, headed by consul general Andrey Pritsepov.
A graduate of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Pritsepov had previous postings in Scandinavia and London before taking up his current job.
In a tweet last week, the Edinburgh branch of the Russian diplomatic service stated: “On 12 June 2019 a diplomatic reception on the occasion of the National Day of Russia was hosted by the Consulate General of Russia in Edinburgh. Thank you for joining us in celebration of the Russia Day!”
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The tweet was accompanied by several pictures, including one of Grahame who appeared to be reading notes at a lectern.
Grahame was invited to attend in her role as Holyrood’s Deputy Presiding Officer. Both she and Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh received invitations, but Macintosh had a prior engagement at a book event.
In 2017, a row broke out after former SNP First Minister Alex Salmond agreed to front a television programme for RT, which is funded by the Russian state.
Grahame, an MSP since 1999, appeared to downplay the controversy when asked about it at the time by a broadcast journalist.
“As long as it’s entertaining, frankly, I have no trouble with what he wants to do. He’s not a politician any more.”
She then changed the subject to talk about former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair taking up a post as special envoy to the Middle East ten years earlier.
“I thought that was a very strange thing to do, after taking us into the Iraq war. So on a scale of what Tony Blair did, and what Alex Salmond is doing, Alex Salmond’s is just light-hearted.”
Asked whether Salmond was lending legitimacy to what many people regard as a propaganda channel, she replied: “I’ve just mentioned Tony Blair and being made envoy to the Middle East when he took us into the Iraq war. I think that was more of a political problem.”
She added: “As I understand it, it’s a light hearted programme, it’s not party political. Let him do it if he wishes.”
Asked if she would have a show on RT, she said: “Nobody has ever asked me.”
Put to her that the show was on a channel that is regarded as a propaganda machine for Russia, she said:
“One could argue, sometimes, the BBC is a bit of a propaganda machine, you know, who are we to say?”
Lamont added: “Ms Graham may not care that this association with the Russian state damages her reputation as an elected MSP. But she should remember, as a deputy presiding officer, she represents the Scottish Parliament too.”
A Scottish Parliament spokesperson said: “The Scottish Parliament maintains diplomatic relations with countries represented at the Court of St James.”
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