On Thursday 8th March, the Home Secretary delivered a statement to the House of Commons about the assassination attempt on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury on 4th March. She said that the crime could not be conclusively attributed to anyone at this stage, but promised a robust response to the “brazen and reckless” poisoning that has also left a police officer in a critical condition in hospital once responsibility had been established.
I was present for the statement and urged the Home Secretary to do what she could to make sure that the “full force of the law” would be used against the perpetrators of this crime once their identity had been established. I expressed my anger about the cruel nature of the crime and pointed to the fact that there could easily have been significantly more collateral damage had the poisonous substance been exposed to more people.
This was a despicable and cowardly act that paid no regard for the lives of the numerous innocent people that could have been poisoned by the substance that was released in Salisbury. I sincerely hope that the criminals who undertook this crime are identified, arrested and prosecuted in a manner that is proportionate to the severity of their actions.
My thoughts are with the two victims targeted by this crime and the brave police officer who has fallen critically ill whilst protecting the public. I hope that they make a full recovery and wish them well.