Sussex MP banned from Russia

A Sussex MP has been banned from Russia. James MacCleary, MP for Lewes, was one of 15 MPs and six members of the House of Lords to be sanctioned over what the country said were “hostile statements and unfounded accusations” about Moscow. The Russian foreign ministry announced the sanctions on Wednesday in retaliation against the UK’s ongoing response to President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Russian officials criticised Britain’s supply of weapons to Kyiv and accused the UK of anti-Russian sentiment. The newly released sanctions list includes five Labour MPs, eight Liberal Democrats, and peers from across the political parties. Mr MacCleary has been vocal in his support of Ukraine and has called for frozen Russian assets to be seized.



Read more: Family pay tribute to 'happy and silly' grandad who died in motorbike collision He said he saw the sanctions “as vindication of everything I’ve stood for”. “Being targeted by an authoritarian regime that flouts international law, suppresses democracy, and commits appalling atrocities in Ukraine, simply means I’m doing something right,” he said. "The Kremlin accuses the UK Parliament of 'hostile rhetoric', but the real hostility lies with Putin's brutal invasion, his cowardly attacks on civilians, and his cynical attempts to destabilise democracy across Europe.

His regime's aggression is a direct threat to peace, stability, and freedom in Europe and beyond." The six members of the House of Lords sanctioned on Wednesday are: Crossbench peer Lord David Alton, Conservative peer Lord Charles Banner, Labour peer Lord Beamish, Conservative peer Lord Ross Kempsell, and Liberal Democrat peers Lord Jeremy Purvis and Baroness Julie Smith. The MPs sanctioned are Labour’s Johanna Baxter, Phil Brickell, Blair McDougall, Tim Roca and Jeevun Sandher.

The Liberal Democrats are Alistair Carmichael, Chris Coghlan, Helen Maguire, James MacCleary, Mike Martin, Manuela Perteghella, Cameron Thomas and Will Forster. The DUP’s Jim Shannon and the SNP’s Stephen Gethins have also been sanctioned. Many of those sanctioned spoke of their pride.

Labour MP Phil Brickell said that “Putin and his cronies must pay for the crimes they have committed”. “If he thinks that sanctioning myself and colleagues will get us to shut up he has another thing coming,” he told PA. Conservative peer Ross Kempsell thanked Russia for his sanction, and said he is “proud to be on the right side of history”.

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