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Putin a 'tosser', tweets Conservative MP Putin a 'tosser', tweets Conservative MP
(about 3 hours later)
Putin really is a tosser.Putin really is a tosser.
Vladimir Putin has been called a "tosser" by a Conservative MP, angry at his support for Bashar al-Assad's regime and abuse of human rights. Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, has been called a "tosser" by a Conservative backbench MP angry at his support for Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria and abuse of human rights.
Henry Smith used Twitter to express his views of Putin, who is hosting the world's leaders, including David Cameron, at the G20 summit in St Petersburg. Henry Smith, the MP for Crawley, used Twitter to express his views of Putin, who is hosting world leaders including David Cameron at the G20 summit in Saint Petersburg.
Smith's comments came as Cameron ruled out any prospect of an international agreement over Syria at the G20 summit, saying Putin remains "miles away" from the truth of Assad's use of chemical weapons on his own people. Cameron ruled out any prospect of an international agreement over Syria at the summit, saying Putin remained "miles away" from the truth of Assad's use of chemical weapons on his own people.
The Crawley MP wrote on his Twitter account: "Putin really is a tosser." Smith acknowledged that the language was not parliamentary but said it did express how he felt about the Russian leader. Smith wrote on his Twitter account: "Putin really is a tosser." He later acknowledged that the language was not parliamentary but said it did express how he felt about the Russian leader.
He said: "On Twitter in a slight fit of pique I might refer to him as a tosser. But in other forums, such as the House of Commons, I would accuse him of being an absurd character.He said: "On Twitter in a slight fit of pique I might refer to him as a tosser. But in other forums, such as the House of Commons, I would accuse him of being an absurd character.
"There is his abuse of human rights against the gay community in his own country, there is the abuse of human rights in Syria where the way he is helping and prolonging that civil war there is appalling. "There is his abuse of human rights against the gay community in his own country, there is the abuse of human rights in Syria where the way he is helping and prolonging that civil war there is appalling."
"I may not use that colloquial language in other forums, but frankly it is still how I feel." He added: "I may not use that colloquial language in other forums, but frankly it is still how I feel."
He later followed up on Twitter: "Huh, apparently I can't mention the word I used about Putin on the BBC World Service. Never mind, I'm on LBC next." The MP's post followed reported remarks by a spokesman for Putin, who was said to have told journalists that the UK was "just a small island, no one pays any attention to them".
The MP's post followed reported remarks by a spokesman for Putin, who was said to have told journalists that the UK was "just a small island: no one pays any attention to them". Putin's chief spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, denied that he was responsible for the comment, and said it did not reflect the reality of Russia's views on its "positive" relations with the UK.
Putin's chief spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, denied he was responsible for the comment, insisting it did not reflect the reality of Russia's views on its "positive" relations with the UK. Smith said: "Geographically we may be a small island but the British economy is bigger than Russia." He said the UK's human rights record was far better.
Smith said "geographically we may be a small island but the British economy is bigger than Russia" and the UK's human rights record is far better. A spokesman for the prime minister refused to either back or condemn the comments, saying the differences with Putin over Syria were out in the open and the two leaders had a "robust but constructive approach".
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