Recap: Full list of MPs who urged Putin to engage in peace talks…. in 2000

Supposed ‘Putin sympathiser’ Jeremy Corbyn was one of just 31 MPs to support an Early Day Motion in 2000 calling for the then-acting Russian president to support a ceasefire in Chechnya and entry of humanitarian aid.

Tony Blair invited Putin to visit Britain and meet the Queen in his first trip to the West since replacing Boris Yeltsin in Aprile 20000, a visit Corbyn described as “premature and inappropriate”.

An Early Day Motion tabled on 13th April 2000 called on Putin to support a ceasefire in Chechnya as well as giving unfettered access to independent observers and humanitarian assistance.

It also called on him to open political dialogue to conclude a lasting peace for the people of Chechnya.

But only 31 MPs co-signed, and you can probably guess who most of them are.

A similar motion put forward in 1999 condemned military action in Chechnya and expressed concern that Russia had “not focused sufficiently on supporting peace and anti-war groups” in the country.

The primary sponsor was Jeremy Corbyn and, again, it was only co-signed by 8 UK MPs.

Full list of MPs who supported April 2000 motion

Sponsors:

Jeremy Corbyn, Islington North
Harry Barnes, North East Derbyshire
Tony Benn, Chesterfield
Sir Peter Bottomley, Worthing West
Michael Clapham, Barnsley West and Penistone
Eric Clarke, Midlothian

Signees:

Michael Connarty, Falkirk East
Frank Cook, Stockton North
Tom Cox, Tooting
Ann Cryer, Keighley
Lawrence Cunliffe, Leigh
Terry Davis, Birmingham Hodge Hll
Hilton Dawson, Lancaster and Wyre
Andrew Dismore, Hendon
Bill Etherington, Sunderland North
Norman Godman, Greenock and Inverclyde
Win Griffiths, Bridgend
Mike Hancock, Portsmouth South
Ieuan Wyn Jones, Ynys Mon
Lynee Jones, Birmingham, Selly Oak
Ashok Kumar, Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland
David Lepper, Brighton, Pavilion
Julian Lewis, New Forest East
John McDonnell, Hayes and Harlington
Kevin McNamara, Kingston upon Hull North
Syd Rapson, Portsmouth North
Bob Russell, Colchester
Alan Simpson, Nottingham South
Simon Thomas, Ceredigion
Jenny Tonge, Richmond Park
Paul Tyler, North Cornwall
Derek Wyatt, Sittingbourne and Shipley

Jack Peat

Jack is a business and economics journalist and the founder of The London Economic (TLE). He has contributed articles to VICE, Huffington Post and Independent and is a published author. Jack read History at the University of Wales, Bangor and has a Masters in Journalism from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.