MPs and peers speak of ‘pride’ after Russia sanctions

MPs and peers have spoken of their “pride” of being sanctioned by Russia, as Moscow banned another group of parliamentarians from entering the country.

The Russian foreign ministry announced on Wednesday that it was sanctioning six peers and 15 MPs 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.

Among them is Lib Dem MP Alistair Carmichael, who told the PA news agency that he had “no immediate plans to travel to the Russian Federation, but now they’ve told me I can’t, I may want to look and see if there is an opportunity”.

He said that he wears the title as a “badge of pride”.

“There is nothing about Vladimir Putin’s government, either for what they do in foreign policy terms, or what they do domestically in terms of their own human rights record, that I would find myself able to support.

“So if drawing attention to what Putin and his acolytes are doing is something that wins me this favour, then I will wear this as a badge of pride.”

Mr Carmichael’s colleague Helen Maguire similarly described the announcement as a “badge of honour”.

Ms Maguire, the party’s defence spokesperson, said: “Russia’s sanctions package on British MPs will only further drive our determination to expose the abuses of Putin’s regime as it continues to wage a barbaric war in Ukraine.”

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.

The SNP’s Stephen Gethins also spoke of his “pride” at the announcement, and that “no one should be under any illusion about the nature of Vladimir Putin’s murderous dictatorship”.

Conservative peer Ross Kempsell thanked Russia for his sanction, and said he is “proud to be on the right side of history”.

This is not the first time parliamentarians have been sanctioned by Moscow. In April 2023, Russia said it was taking action against 287 members of the House of Commons, although the list released at the time contained numerous former MPs.

And in November 2024 Angela Rayner, Rachel Reeves and other Cabinet ministers were also barred from entering the country.

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.