Gove calls on Salmond to 'repent' over Russian TV association

Michael Gove has called on Alex Salmond to “repent his decision to associate himself with Putin’s propaganda arm”.

The former first minister has come under increased pressure to disassociate himself with RT, the Kremlin-backed TV channel which hosts his talk show.

Speaking after appearing before the Scottish Parliament’s Finance and Public Administration Committee,  the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said Salmond and the Alba Party “have made a fundamental miscalculation in their attitude to Vladimir Putin’s regime”.

Gove, the MP for Surrey Heath, said: “Well, obviously any future decision about the future of RT is one for Ofcom, as the Prime Minister and the DCMS have made clear. The future of a channel like RT depends on the decision of an independent regulator in a democracy like ours.

“With respect to Mr Salmond, I hope he repents his decision to associate himself with Putin’s propaganda arm.

“Alex Salmond made a distinguished contribution for much of his time as First Minister, a major distinguished contribution to parliament, but I hope that he will reflect on the fact that he and others in the Alba Party, and in the Yes movement, have made a fundamental miscalculation in their attitude to Vladimir Putin’s regime, and now is an opportunity to make it clear they repudiate what Vladimir Putin, his propaganda arm, and his supporters are doing.”

Alba's Westminster group leader, Neale Hanvey MP, said: “Just as we condemned the recognition of the breakaway republics we condemn today’s Russian military invasion of Ukrainian sovereign territory.

"We now have a hot war in Europe. The economic consequences are already severe , the human cost will be incalculable and there is the danger of ever further escalation.

"However challenging, we need a renewed drive to secure the peace led by the United Nations."