British Journalist's Press Pass Could Be Revoked Over Comments for Russian Media

The Chief Editor of the UK magazine Politics First Marcus Papadopoulos told Sputnik on Thursday that he was affronted by the proposal to revoke his press pass to the UK parliament because of his regular appearance as an expert and analyst in Russian media.

LONDON (Sputnik) — On Thursday, The Times newspaper published an article in which two members of parliament from the Labour Party, Alison McGovern and John Woodcock, proposed that "Russian propagandist" Papadopoulos should be deprived of his press pass to the UK parliament. The politicians accused Papadopoulos of "spending much of his time on Russian and Iranian state broadcasters espousing 'propaganda from a foreign power'".

"This is an appalling and reprehensible attempt by British politicians and journalists to silence debate. At stake is here is freedom of speech in Britain… The allegations against me are utterly untrue and are politically motivated," Papadopoulos said.

Papadopoulos noted that the Labour Party politicians who criticized him were "vehemently anti-Russian" and made such accusations because he has an opposite view on UK and US policy on Russia and Syria.

"The two Labour MPs in question, who made this baseless accusation, are on the right of the Labour Party — being heavily involved in the right-wing pressure group, Progress — and are vehemently anti-Russian and staunch supporters of the terrorist groups in Syria. That is the real reason for their complaint about me. Because I hold a diametrically opposed view of British and American foreign policy concerning Russia and Syria," Papadopoulos said.

Papadopoulos added that McGovern and Woodcock were fierce critics of Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour Party leader, and are unpopular among the party's members.