THE well-established capitalist press and media game of Corbynbashing reached a new crescendo over the alleged poisoning of the Skripals in Salisbury.

Corbyn merely advised against a rush to judgement, and asked for the release of all the evidence in connection with the alleged attack, which took place just miles from Britain’s own highly secret chemical weapons-producing facility at Porton Down.

No such hard evidence has yet been produced, and there have not even been any photographs of the Skripals – father and daughter – in the press or other media to verify the alleged poisoning.

The BBC’s flagship news programme Newsnight discussed the incident under a panoramic, red-stained view of Red Square in Moscow with Corbyn superimposed upon it wearing an airbrushed Russian fur hat, replacing the hat he normally wears in cold weather.

The press and media frenzy against Russia is reminiscent of a similar propaganda barrage prior to the US-British invasion of Iraq in 2003, when mythical weapons of mass destruction were used as an excuse for a military blitz on that country to seize its vast oil reserves, second only to those in Saudi Arabia, and overthrow the regime of Saddam Hussein.

We also saw a similar propaganda offensive against Ghadaffi prior to the invasion of Libya, also to seize oil reserves.

Corbyn was formerly head of the Stop the War coalition set up to oppose the Iraq War, a post he resigned upon becoming Labour leader.

The first casualty of war is the truth, as a wise man opined.

James Roberts Via email