Inside private pro-Jeremy Corbyn Facebook group where militant lefties claim nerve agent attack was carried out by British government to hurt Labour leader
MEMBERS of a pro-Corbyn Facebook group have claimed the poisoning of a Russian double agent was carried out by the British government in a bid to discredit their leader.
The Sun Online can reveal that a private Facebook group, which boasts more than 28,000 members, sees hundreds of Corbynistas back Russia against the UK in the tense diplomatic dispute.
Some members of the group claim the nerve agent attack that targeted Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, Wilts, is a "false flag".
One user claimed the incident was staged to distract "from the evil stuff [the Tories] are doing behind the scenes".
After Prime Minister Theresa May said it was "highly likely" that Russia was involved in the attack on British soil, one said: "More Tory lies - probably poisoned them themselves and tried to blame Russia."
Another replied: "That's just what I think!!!"
More than 30 had to be treated following the attempted assassination, including a heroic police officer who raced to the scene.
Many users who are members of the group brag about their Labour-supporting credentials - having changed their profile pictures to logos which read: "Proud to vote Labour."
One user also singled out Labour MP Chris Leslie, who was slammed by members of the group for supporting Mrs May's condemnation of Russia in the House of Commons on Monday.
The post read: "Nice one Chris Leslie!
"You're supposed to be a Labour MP yet you back Theresa May in the Commons over her hasty and unfounded attack on Russia for the recent nerve agent attack - as yet unproven [...] go and join the Tories.
While another user added: "He's my MP, we've got to get rid of him."
Another member of the group said: "There is no proof Russia had anything to do with this attempted murder that happened just up the road from the UK chemical weapons lab.
"More likely MI6/MI5 or CIA."
One said: "As for the alleged murder attempt on a Russian spy on the British government's payroll, there is not a single shred of evidence pointing to the Russians. Merely conjecture by the government and msm [mainstream media].
Other users said that the "British media" were trying to "spin anything to fit their narrative", adding: "If you don't believe everything they say about Jeremy and Labour, why would you believe everything they say about foreign nations?"
There is no suggestion that Jeremy Corbyn is involved in the group. A Labour spokesman declined to comment.
Earlier this week in the Commons Mr Corbyn was slammed for his response to the attempted killing.
Mr Corbyn told MPs: "We need to continue seeking a robust dialogue with Russia on all the issues dividing our countries, both domestic and international - rather than simply cutting off contact and simply letting tensions and divisions get worse, and potentially even more dangerous."
He was met with cries of "shame" and "disgrace".
DUP MP Sammy Wilson said Mr Corbyn’s soft response to Russia would simply encourage Putin to “engage in further acts of state sponsored terror”.
Labour MPs also took turns to rebuke Mr Corbyn.
In an extraordinary attack on his own leader, Labour backbencher John Woodcock fumed: “It would put our national security at significant risk if we were led by anyone who did not understand the gravity of the threat Russia poses to this nation.”
And today Corbyn was slammed again for saying that he doesn't believe Russia definitely poisoned Skripal.
Russian leaders have since failed to respond to an ultimatum from May to explain themselves and their suspected involvement in the attempted killing.
Foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow “is not to blame” for the poisoning of Skripal, and Russia has demanded access to samples of the nerve agent responsible for the incident.
And yesterday Putin critic Nikolai Glushkov was found dead with "strangulation marks" on his neck at his home in New Malden, South West London.
But posts in the Facebook group - which describes itself as wanting to get Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell "into No 10 and 11" - remain staunchly behind the leader despite criticism that he is soft on Russia.
A user even said that those criticising Putin's involvement in the attempted killing were "cringeworthy and embarrassing" - adding that they were "ashamed to be British" as a result.
Another wrote: "Russia is blamed for everything bad that's happened ever.
"All this anti-Russia hysteria is insane and never has proof behind it."
In one post, a user wrote: "In my view it's a staged distraction from the very real threat of a dismantled NHS, endemic destitution and dismantling of social care services and the welfare state."
Another added: "This country that blamed Russia without proof.
"[...] What happened to innocent till proven guilty? Already people are believing this government! Well more fool you".
Several members also criticise the BBC and other mainstream broadcasters for their coverage of the incident.
A supporter said that "the current news is making me sick! I just can't listen to it anymore - except RT [Russia Today]".
Jeremy Corbyn and a number of allies and MPs including Jeremy McDonnell, Ken Livingstone and Chris Williamson have been regular guests on the pro-Kremlin channel.
The broadcaster has been warned that it could lose its UK broadcasting license if "there was an unlawful use of force by the Russian State against the UK".
HOW PRO-KREMLIN MEDIA THREW ITS WEIGHT BEHIND JEREMY CORBYN
In 2015 Russian-funded TV channel RT (formerly Russia Today) and news agency Sputnik threw their weight behind Mr Corbyn's Labour leadership bid and then repeated the support for him in last year's election.
RT was founded by President Putin in 2005 and is regarded as a Kremlin propaganda network by critics in the west.
Following the poisoning of Mr Skripal MPs have warned the station could lose its UK broadcast licence if Russia was found to be behind the attack.
And researchers have told told that while Corbyn was not a conscious actor in 2015 he was supported by Russian state media because "many of his views" echoed those of the Kremlin's.
They include his "opposition to the renewal of Trident" and "criticism of the U.S." which "chime closely with Moscow's own strategic narrative of a weak, decadent and divided West, and are therefore useful to validate the Kremlin's views."
The experts - Ben Nimmo of US think tank the Atlantic Council and Dr Jonathan Eyal of defence group RUSI - said to Parliament in the case of Russian TV there was "clear and systematic RT bias in favour of Corbyn" in 2015.
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Mr Milne has been a noted defender of the controversial Russian leader and the pair were photographed together in Sochi on the Black Sea coast by the official Russian government newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta in 2014.
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