Labour call for Russian MPs to be suspended from Socialist group on Council of Europe

Labour has joined calls today for Russian MPs to be removed from political groupings on the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

Labour MP Sir Alan Meale called for the suspension of all Russian MPs from the Socialist group on the Parliamentary Assembly on the Council of Europe. Meale cited their support for the military action in Crimea – and their endorsement of the Crimean referendum – as cause for kicking the Russian MPs out of the group.

Tory MPs share a political grouping with President Putin’s ‘United Russia’ grouping – which isn’t the case for Labour. However, there are a small number of Russian MPs from the ‘Fair Russia’ party who sit in the Socialist group in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

MPs from other countries – including Sweden – have also expressed concern at the presence of Russian MPs in the Assembly, and two weeks ago ConservativeHome reported that Tory MPs may support calls for Russian MPs to be suspended from the Parliamentary Assembly altogether.