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A presenter from the Kremlin-controlled Russia Today or RT has hit out at free speech in Britain.

Afshin Rattansi alleged that an influential Tory MP had been contacted the other panelists and used her position to tell them to boycott the show.

Sarah Wollaston, who chairs the important liaison committee in parliament, tweeted her concern at Mr Rattansi's appearance on the tv programme.

She said: "Seriously, why is bbcquestiontime giving a platform to RT, a mouthpiece for Putin?

"Russia has unleashed a nerve agent here in Britain & 3 people, including a police officer, have been fighting for their lives.

"Hope other panelists walk out in disgust."

As soon as Mr Rattansi was invited to speak he hit out at the politician and misrepresented what she had said.

He said: "Thank you to the BBC and to Mentorn for inviting me because the head of the Liaison Committee in Parliament Sarah Wollaston MP, the Liaison Committee is the one that quizzes the prime minister has told all these people on the panel to walk off the minute they sit here. That's free speech in this country

Labour's Keir Starmer hit back: "She hasn't had any discussion with me whatsoever."

Irish MEP echoed his comment.

Mr Rattansi said: "It's on Twitter."

Sir Keir replied: "I don't care what she's tweeted I know she's not spoken to me",

There was loud applause after the shadow brexit secretary's intervention.

RT, the Kremlin-controlled news channel, faces being forced off air in the UK if the poisoning of Sergei Skripal is found to be an “unlawful use of force” by Russia against Britain.

The broadcasting regulator Ofcom, which has the power to close a TV channel if it decides it is not a “ fit and proper ” holder of a licence in the UK,

The said it had written to RT warning that a Russian act against the UK would trigger a fast-track investigation to potentially revoke its licence.

Mr Rattansi continued his rant saying: "This person here to my right who has close contact to the intelligence services says 'only Russia had these chemicals' which is quite something given that Britain vetoed in the past few hours a UN Security Council resolution asking for an investigation into these atrocities in Wiltshire.

"Why did Britain veto that resolution? That's interesting isn't it. Why is it that neo-con, neo-liberal Labour Party members continue to try and use WMD to push us into war?

(Image: AFP)

"That is an implication certainly of what your leader Jeremy Corbyn has been saying.

The labour leader was criticised after

"I know you didn't support Jeremy Corbyn for the leadership."

To which Sir Keir replied: "What?" to audience laughter.

He continued: "As for your work at the CPS let it not be in any doubt that recent emails have shown you ran that department..."

Presenter David Dimbleby interjected to force the RT presenter to answer the audience posed by the audience member which was: "How certain are you that the Salisbury attack is beyond doubt the responsibility of the Russian State".

"Even the prime minister only said it was highly likely so it's certainly not beyond reasonable doubt.

Mr Dimbleby told him: "She said there was no alternative conclusion."

Mr Rattansi said: "I really don't know, I don't have that certainty"

"In a sense RT is a channel going underground. We try and look at certainty and question more.

"We cannot believe our governments any more the way we used to just because a prime minister stands up and says the security services have told us something. Those days are over."

His comments were followed by a smattering of audience applause.

Later Mr Rattansi said the situation was like a "cuban missile crisis" Theresa May seems to want.