Allegedly Mr Kinnock was stopped when driving the wrong way up a one-way street, which aroused the suspicions of the traffic cops in the first place (this allegation was reported by RIA-Novosti).
The underlying problem is that the British Council have farmed-out their Language Teaching operations to commercial language schools, but continue to take the money. That makes them liable for tax - which they refuse to pay. Mr Miliband claims in a statement made today on the FCO Website that the BC is not liable to pay any kind of tax, nor to account to Russian authorities for any payments it receives or disbursements it makes.
There may well indeed be elements of revenge for the Lugovoi matter (in fact the Russian Foreign Minister, Mr Lavrov, has not denied this), but the BC have placed themselves in a position where they are susceptible to being pursued for routine breaches of local law. Diplomatic immunity doesn't extend to not paying taxes if the service has been farmed-out to private Russian companies, as far as I am aware.
There are many rumours circulating that there are several BC employees who don't seem to have any cultural duties at all, and may be involved in "activities incompatible with their status". If this is true, then this isn't the nation-versus-nation fallout it seems to be - but a grudge-match between two "Intelligence" agencies.
My own view is that if Mr Miliband hadn't knee-jerked in the first place and ejected four Russian diplomats whom he knew to be quite innocent of any involvement in the Litvinenko case, this might all have been avoided? 300 monks were alleged to have been murdered in the latest demonstrations in Burma, and how many Burmese diplomats were ejected? Yes, exactly, and in that case the murders were clearly the work of the Burmese Govt (which is by no means clear in the Litvinenko case). The liberal Press in Russia have their own theories about who killed Litvinenko (or arranged for him to be killed) - and Lugovoi is not on the list.
Points to ponder:
- How normal would it be for a former KGB "interrogator" like Mr Litvinenko to be given British citizenship for himself and his family too? Are these the kind of model citizens we want in Britain - professional torturers? I am not condoning his murder, of course, but it becomes more understandable if you realise who Litvinenko really was. The issue of his GB citizenship and how he came by it hasn't been greatly discussed in the media, one might add.
- Russia is said to be aggrieved by the claims Britain is making for Mr Lugovoi's extradition. But how has Britain responded to Russia's claims that Ahmed Zakayev - the Official Spokesman of Chechen Warlord Shamil Basaev, lately deceased - be extradited to face terrorism charges in Russia? It was, you may not recall, Mr Zakayev who proudly announced responsibility for both the "Nord-Ost Theatre" Siege, and for the School Siege in Beslan which resulted in more than 300 fatalities. He has "refugee" status in Britain - a status which forbids him to carry-out his responsibilities as a Spokesman, but hasn't stopped him at all. Britain resolutely refuses to hand Mr Zakayev over to face charges which include more than 100 counts of murder in his own right, quite apart from the activities of the man he represented.
- Although he's not wanted for murder (at least, not yet), non-pianist Boris Berezovsky is nevertheless wanted for money-laundering, fraud and a whole sequence of activities in Russia - from which he has immunity in Britain. This festering sore is unlikely to improve matters.
- The British Authorities steadfastly refuse to reveal what their case is against Lugovoi.
I ought to declare my personal interests in this matter. I am personally acquainted with UK Ambassador Tony Brenton, and he was the Patron of a Music Festival of which I was Artistic Consultant (The Vremena Goda International Music Festival). The same Music Festival has received British Council funding, in addition to which I received a performer's fee from the British Council for my participation. I am personally acquainted with the Deputy Director of the British Council in Moscow, and she has attended productions I have staged as my invited guest. I am personally acquainted with a member of the BC St Petersburg staff. A personal friend of mine, a baritone, who has appeared in four productions I have staged in Moscow, became trapped in the Nord-Ost Theatre Siege when he was performing in the show in question - he was there until the very end, and has told me some of what really happened inside. A second performer I knew in the same show had a nervous breakdown after the Siege and has never worked again. I therefore have few reasons to like Mr Ahmed Zakayev.
