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Vladimir Putin today found out just how much punch a small island can pack when David Cameron laid into him over his arrogant jibe.

The PM launched a passionate speech about Britain’s fantastic achievements through the centuries and challenged anyone to find a greater nation than ours.

He even proved to the Russian president that we have the biggest sense of humour across the globe by announcing: “We gave the world One Direction.”

And Tory MP Henry Smith showed we’re not too bad at telling it straight when he tweeted: “Putin really is a tosser.”

Although he was later slapped down by Mr Cameron for resorting to insults.

As tension grew over Russia’s refusal to back military action against Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad for gassing his own people, Mr Cameron went on the offensive after Mr Putin’s spokesman said the UK was a “just a small island: No one pays any ­attention to them”.

The PM said: “Britain may be a small island, but I would challenge anyone to find a country with a prouder history, a bigger heart or greater resilience.

“Britain is an island that has helped to clear Europe of fascism and was resolute in doing that throughout World War Two.

“Britain is an island that helped to abolish slavery, that has invented most of the things worth inventing, including every sport currently played around the world, that still today is responsible for art, literature and music that delights the entire world.

“We are very proud of everything we do as a small island. A small island that has the sixth largest economy, the fourth best-funded military, some of the most effective diplomats, the proudest history, one of the best records for art and literature and contribution to philosophy and world civilisation.

“We gave the world the Beatles, Elgar and, less congruously, One Direction.”

Clearly getting carried away with his Churchill-style cry, Mr Cameron added: “I’m thinking of setting this to music...”

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Mr Cameron’s spirited speech echoed that made by Hugh Grant in the 2003 film Love Actually.

The actor played a PM who took offence at a visiting US president (Billy Bob Thornton) putting down Britain.

He said: “We may be a small country, but we are a great one too.

“A country of Shakespeare, Churchill, the Beatles, Sean Connery, Harry Potter. David Beckham’s right foot.

"David Beckham’s left foot, come to that. A friend who bullies us is no longer a friend.”

Mr Cameron spoke out after the small island jibe which was made at the G20 summit in St Petersburg in Russia.

The comment led to a frosty meeting between the PM and Mr Putin in the early hours today where they had a “frank exchange of views”.

Mr Cameron also hit back at claims by the Russian leader that al-Assad had not used chemical weapons on his own people.

He all but accused Mr Putin of lying when he declared: “The Russian position that, as Putin has said, if it is proved it is Assad he will take a different view but he is fairly clear that it is the opposition, is miles away from what I think is the truth.

“He says to me that he would like to see further evidence of regime culpability and we will go on providing evidence of regime culpability, as will the Americans and others, but I think it will take a lot to change his mind.”

Yesterday, Mr Cameron challenged Mr Putin with new evidence that Assad had used Sarin in his chemical weapons attack on August 21 in Damascus.

The PM said clothing and soil samples taken that day had been assessed by the Porton Down military laboratory and tested positive for the nerve gas.

The deep divisions between the heads of state produced angry exchanges during a four-hour dinner hosted by Mr Putin in at St Petersburg’s Peterhof Palace.

(Image: PA)

Mr Cameron said there was a “flare up” around the table about whether air strikes could take place against Syria without a UN Security Council resolution.

He added: “There was an ­argument from some that unless it is self-defence or there is a Security Council resolution there is no legal basis for taking action.

"I don’t think that is the case. It is a very dangerous doctrine. If you accept that you could have a country massacring half its people, a blockage at the UN and no one could act.”

Mr Putin held a 20-minute meeting with President Barack Obama to try to persuade him to scrap plans for a military strikes on Syria, but the pair could not reach agreement.

The Russian leader said: “We hear one another, and understand the arguments but we don’t agree.

"I don’t agree with his arguments, he doesn’t agree with mine.”

Mr Cameron tonight focused on trying to help the two million refugees who have fled Syria.

He said Britain would give an extra £52million in aid.

But his message did not get through to Mr Putin who put on a lavish dinner for the world leaders followed by a light show.

Mr Cameron later slapped down Tory Mr Smith for his “tosser” comment.

He said: “Insulting people should never play a part in foreign policy.”

But the Crawley MP remained defiant.

He said: “There is Putin’s abuse of human rights against gays in his own country, 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.”

Now sort out Syria: The Voice of the Mirror

Vladimir Putin’s henchman couldn’t have been more wrong in trying to dismiss us as a small, ignored island.

The private remarks, disputed when they were made public, stirred an easy patriotic pride in the Prime Minister.

But Britain has no need to justify itself as one of the world’s bigger economies and a stable democracy – unlike Putin’s Russia where mafia politics threaten freedom.

But every G20 nation at the St Petersburg summit must admit the world is hugely split over a response to chemical weapons in Syria.

The US, France and Mr Cameron – over-ruled at home by public opinion and Parliament – strain to press the red button and unleash cruise missiles on Damascus.

Ranged against them are Brazil, India, China, South Africa and, of course, Russia.

We remind Mr Cameron he lost in the Commons because insufficient Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs supported war.

We remind him too that Labour leader Ed Miliband was right to fight a rush to war, and is most in touch with public opinion on Syria.

Defending British pride is easy. We want answers to the humanitarian crisis in Syria.