Russia’s war of words with the UK escalates over poisoning inquiry

We are expecting reason to prevail, Vladimir Putin declared today – but the war of words between Russia and Britain over the Salisbury poisoning is escalating yet again. Moscow accused the UK of a ‘grotesque provocation’ – while Britain rejected Russia’s call for a joint investigation into the nerve agent attack as “perverse”. Meanwhile Boris Johnson is at the centre of a storm tonight – the government and Foreign Office accused of failing to be straight with the facts over Salisbury.