Pressure builds on Jeremy Corbyn as shadow ministers Emily Thornberry and Nia Griffith contradict Labour leader over Russia

Pressure was growing on Jeremy Corbyn to back down over his stance on Russia’s involvement in the attack on Sergei and Yulia Skripal this morning, after he was directly contradicted by two members of his frontbench.

Shadow defence secretary Nia Griffith told the Today Programme the party backed the Prime Minister, who yesterday blamed Russia for “attempted murder” and revealed a series of measures in retaliation for the “unlawful use of force” in UK territory.

Theresa May told MPs yesterday that 23 diplomats – who she described as “undeclared intelligence officers” – would be expelled within a week, as well as revealing that the Royal Family and ministers would boycott this summer’s World Cup.

May named the Russian President directly, saying while the UK had “no disagreement with the Russian people… it is tragic that President Putin has chosen to act in this way”.

This morning Griffith offered her fulsome support. “We very much accept that what the Prime Minister said – this is a very sophisticated nerve agent and Russia is responsible for this attack and therefore we’re fully supporting the measures which the government is taking, including the expulsion of 23 diplomats,” she said.

She also distanced herself from Corbyn’s spokesman, saying she “can’t speak for Seumas Milne”, and that he “has to speak for himself”.

Yesterday Milne told reporters there were still doubts about the evidence, despite Corbyn having received an intelligence briefing prior to May’s statement.

“Clearly whoever carried out the attack is responsible for what was a completely heinous and reckless act,” he said, arguing that the agent could have fallen into a third party’s hands.

Labour MPs were so outraged at the position a group, led by John Woodcock, put their names to an early day motion stating they “unequivocally accept the Russian state’s culpability for the poisoning of Yulia and Sergei Skripal.” This was signed by many including Chuka Umunna, Ruth Smeeth, Stella Creasy and Alison McGovern.

During the course of the Commons debate, several Labour backbenchers offered the Prime Minister their support and condemned Russia – including Chris Bryant, Hilary Benn, Margaret Hodge, Yvette Cooper, Ben Bradshaw and Pat McFadden during the course of a two-hour debate in the Commons.

Yesterday Corbyn’s normally loyal shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry also contradicted Corbyn and his spokesman.

At a lecture in central London last night Thornberry said: “You don’t have to be a lawyer, like so many in this room, to know that when there is prima facie evidence against a suspect, then that suspect has a case to answer.

“In this case, the Russian government has been given every opportunity to provide any credible, alternative explanation as to how its nerve agents came to be used in this attack but they have not even tried to do so, and they must therefore face the consequences.”

Thornberry, whose constituency borders Corbyn’s, said Russia was “defying Britain and the rest of the world to try and stop them.”