Senior minister 'says security lab intervention unhelpful' in ex-spy poison case
2 min read
A senior minister has hit out at defence lab Porton Down after it said it could not confirm whether the nerve agent used in the Salisbury attack came from Russia, it has been reported.
Gary Aitkenhead, head of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, yesterday said he had been unable to identify the “precise source” of the poison.
The comments make difficult reading for Downing Street, which has pointed the finger at Russia over the attack, and they were seized on by Vladimir Putin.
Mr Aitkenhead explained it was the job of the lab to identify the chemical makeup of the nerve agent but not to make a judgement about where it was manufactured.
He said it was a military grade weapon which could only have been developed and deployed by a “state actor”, and that the Government would have to piece the rest of the picture together with other intelligence.
But his comments caused consternation among the Government, with one senior minister complaining that the comments were unhelpful.
“I’d give them full marks for their scientific work but low marks for today’s presentation,” they told the Times. “This clearly isn’t helpful.”
Tory MP for Salisbury John Glenn meanwhile said the interview with Mr Aitkenhead could spark fresh “propaganda from the Kremlin”.
Indeed, Mr Putin said given the lack of precise information about the agent’s origin “the speed at which the anti-Russian campaign has been launched causes bewilderment”.
A government spokesperson said the work of Porton Down was “only one part of the intelligence picture”.
They added: “It is our assessment that Russia was responsible for this brazen and reckless act and, as the international community agrees, there is no other plausible explanation.”
It comes despite Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson last month saying Porton Down had told him personally there was "no doubt" the chemical had come from Russia.
Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott meanwhile said she hoped Labour would get credit for its "measured approach" - after it urged the Government not to rush to judgment on the attack.
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