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Slap shopping ban on Russians: Tory
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David Cameron has called on the Government to hit back at Russia over the invasion of Georgia by barring the wealthy Moscow elite from enjoying their luxury shopping weekends in London.
The Tory leader, who on Saturday flew into the Georgian capital Tbilisi in a show of support for the beleaguered Caucasus republic, urged ministers to tighten the visa restrictions on Russian nationals visiting the UK.
"Russia's elite value their ties to Europe - their shopping and their luxury weekends. We should look at the visa regime for Russian citizens," he said in an article for The Sunday Times.
"Russian armies can't march into other countries while Russian shoppers carry on marching into Selfridges."
Mr Cameron renewed his demands for Russia to be expelled from the G8 while at the same time pressing for Georgia's application for membership of Nato to be speeded up in an attempt to deter future incursions into its territory by Moscow.
"Russia wants international recognition and respect. We must make clear that the path it has chosen leads to isolation and contempt," he said.
However, he was accused by Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Edward Davey of "posturing" and offering to make commitments Britain would be unable to honour.
"David Cameron is right to criticise Russia but wrong to promise Georgia early Nato membership," Mr Davey said.
"It is simply not credible for Britain and Nato to make confetti commitments to protect every nation with the lives of our servicemen and women.
"When David Cameron matches his tough talk on expanding Nato more quickly with a pledge to double defence spending or introduce military conscription, perhaps then we could take him seriously."
Reader views (6)
Perhaps none of you rocket scientists noticed that Russia was defending their citizens in South Osetia after Georgia attacked first.
One should be questioning any politicians who are siding with the attackers -- GEORGIA.
What are their political ends?
- Marty R. Milette, Leeds, UK, 17/08/2008 18:37
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The real truth may lay in the fact that the Republican Party know their candidate is doomed to failure in the presidential election in November and so they are trying to stir up trouble to gain some ill conceived nationalist vote no matter what it costs. They think they can emulate Thatcher with her Falkland war.
- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex., 17/08/2008 16:00
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Mr. Horn
I agree 100% with your observations. Again it is the "military/industrial" complex now raising its head in the US again. 9-11 is becoming a distant memory, with no terrorist attacks since then. The "War on Terror"-whatever that is is "being won" so the US needs to resurrect the original menace- "the Russians" and a new cold war means more military spending and so on and so on ad infinitum. Just as Eisenhower warned in his farewell speech when he said he feared for his country "the might of the military/industrial complex" in the US.
- Allan Gregory, Warwick, RI, USA., 17/08/2008 15:28
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If this is the Tory idea of diplomacy then heaven help us! It is way time the politicians realised that the UK holds little influence in this Global World and quite honestly we need to be careful who we criticise. As terrible as the conflict is, Georgia seems to have made the first aggressive move.
- Nan, Reading, UK., 17/08/2008 12:23
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This sounds like one the most asinine proposals I have ever heard. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot! Doesn't Cameron realize London is already losing its investment leadership to Dubai? Does he want the wealthy to shop in Dubai also. The flat 13% personal tax rate Putin established in 2000 has attracted the wealthy from all over the world. Russia already has more billionaires than any other country. Most with several passports. He should be concerned that the Russian billionaires may feel it to be a patriotic act to boycott shopping in London. With the declining pound and Cameron as your PM, we might be able to afford a visit to London again.
- John Madsen, Vancouver ,Canada., 17/08/2008 07:58
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British media coverage of the Russian-Georgian conflict appears to be heavily influenced by the CIA.
If I remember correctly, the facts are that it was Georgia that initiated this conflict, not Russia.
The Georgians invaded with US support, tacit if not express.
From what I can see the Russians have behaved with surprising restraint and acted merely to protect their citizens.
We would have done no less if our citizens were at risk, indeed we did, in the Falklands – the difference here is that Georgia is right in Russia’s back yard.
This venture was doomed to failure.
It was in contravention of several agreements, it was clearly provocative, Russia was not going to stand idly by and let Georgia tweak its tail.
What were the Georgians and their American “advisers” hoping to achieve?
We now have the US sending aid to Georgia, and it is rumoured that that “aid” may contain military assistance.
If so, this is reckless and irresponsible.
We should be condemning the US, not Russia.
What is behind this provocation?
Is the US trying to provoke a war with Russia?
Are they trying to resurrect the old Cold War divisions in Europe?
I fear so.
However, the Americans need to be careful – they should not assume that Europe will fall meekly into line behind the Stars and Stripes.
The UK followed them blindly and without question into the disastrous misadventure of the illegal Iraq war, we should not make that mistake again.
- Mark Horn, Bourne, Lincolnshire., 16/08/2008 20:10
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