Politics / Russian travel ban a ‘point of pride’ – Carmichael
ISLES MP Alistair Carmichael is one of 15 MPs banned from travelling to Russia as part of the latest sanctions by Russia on politicians from the UK.
The Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney and Shetland said he was surprised that such a ban had not come sooner, after he worked with people in the Northern Isles to secure a block on Russian vessels using UK ports following the invasion of Ukraine.
He described the travel ban as a “point of pride”.
“News that I have been banned from visiting Russia came as a shock – largely because I had thought I was banned many years ago,” Carmichael said.
“When people in the Northern Isles were rallying together to block Russian tankers from our ports in 2022, I was pretty sure already I was not going to Moscow any time soon.
“I can only assume that this ban has happened now because of a joke I made at Nigel Farage’s expense in the House of Commons last month, mocking his craven stance on Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Putin’s friendship and welcome are hardly an endorsement worth having so I will take this travel ban as a point of pride.”
The Russian Federation’s ministry of foreign affairs published the names of 15 MP and six members of the House of Lords that had been sanctioned for making hostile statements.
These include four Scottish MP: Labour’s Blair McDougall and Johanna Baxter, the SNP’s Stephen Gethins and Alistair Carmichael.
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