A clip of Ian Hislop discussing Conservative Party funding has resurfaced after British sanctions aimed at Russia were heavily criticised.
Foreign secretary Liz Truss faced calls for her party to hand back donated cash with Russian connections reportedly worth nearly £2 million.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast on Wednesday, Ms Truss was presented with a photograph appearing to show her standing alongside Conservative Party donor Lubov Chernukhin, wife of Mr Putin’s former deputy finance minister Vladimir Chernukhin.
The picture, which was posted to Ms Truss’s Instagram page in April 2019, has the caption: “And it’s ladies night…#cabinetandfriends #girlpower.”
“Properly declared”
Asked if this shows the closeness of the UK Government to Russian money, she said: “What I can say to you today is that we will target anybody who we believe has links to the Putin regime, who is helping support and prop up the Putin government, and nothing is off the table in terms of who we target.”
Pressed on whether she was embarrassed by the photograph, she said: “No I’m not. I attended the dinner at the time.
“I make my decisions as Foreign Secretary on the basis of what is right and as I’ve said, without prejudice we will target anybody who is of interest in terms of the Russian regime, who is helping prop up Vladimir Putin’s appalling regime, and there are no other considerations as far as I am concerned.”
Ms Truss earlier insisted that all donations to the Conservative Party are from people on the electoral register and they are “properly declared”.
HIGNFY
An old Have I Got News For You clip of Ian Hislop discussing the Tory party and its funding by Russian oligarchs has since resurfaced on social media.
The Private Eye editor said: “The Tory party are almost entirely funded by Russian oligarchs, most of whom are sanctioned”.
Watch the clip in full below:
Related: PMQs – PM encroaches on new territory as he moves from stroking to tickling the Russian bear