Russia bars Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves in new ‘cease listing’ as feud escalates

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has been barred from entering Russia along with a long list of Cabinet ministers under new sanctions.

Yvette Cooper and Rachel Reeves are among the ministers who will not be allowed to enter under the new rules published by the foreign affairs ministry. And Jonathan Reynolds and Ed Miliband are also in the 30 British citizens listed.

The Russian ministry said it was putting members of the UK’s political and military establishment as well as journalists on its “stop list”.

It comes after Russia expelled a British diplomat and accused him of spying while the UK’s ambassador to Moscow has also been summoned by the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The diplomat worked at the embassy in Moscow and had replaced one of six British intelligence officers who were expelled in August, news agency Tass reported citing Russian Security Service the FSB. His accreditation has been revoked, meaning he must leave the country.

The FSB claimed he had provided false information to enter the country, according to the report. It said it had found evidence the diplomat was involved in “reconnaissance and subversive work that threatens the security of the Russian Federation.”

Downing Street has denied allegations the UK diplomat kicked out of Russia was a spy. “To be clear, we refute these allegations. They’re baseless. We’re now considering our response,” a No 10 spokesman said.

Downing Street said it would not pre-empt what the UK’s response might be, when asked if a tit-for-tat expulsion would occur. “This is not the first time that (Vladimir) Putin’s government has made malicious, baseless accusations against our staff,” the spokesman also said.

He added: “You’ll remember that the Kremlin baselessly curtailed the accreditation of six UK diplomats in Russia earlier this year following action taken by the UK Government in response to the Russian state directing activity across Europe and in the UK. Today’s announcement is no surprise coming from President Putin’s government, which has overseen an illegal war in Ukraine.

“The UK Government is unapologetic about protecting our national interests and will now respond in due course, and our embassy in Moscow will continue its important work in Russia to support UK interests.”

Tensions between Russia and the West have significantly escalated in recent days after US President Joe Biden authorised Ukraine to use American-supplied long-range missiles to attack targets inside Russia. Storm Shadow missiles supplied to Ukraine by Britain were reportedly fired into Russia last week.

There have been a series of diplomatic rows between Russia and Britain over the past year. In May, the UK expelled Russia’s defence attache in London, Colonel Maxim Elovik, claiming he was an “undeclared military intelligence officer”, removed diplomatic status from several Russian-owned premises, and placed restrictions on Russian diplomatic visas. In response, Russia expelled Britain’s defence attache in Moscow, Captain Adrian Coghill.

Here is the full list of British nationals banned:

1. Angela RAYNER, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government;
2. Yvette COOPER, Minister of the Interior;
3. Shabana MAHMOOD, Lord Chancellor and Minister of Justice;
4. Rachel Jane REEVES, Minister of Finance;
5. Patrick Bosco MCFADDEN, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster;
6. Edward Samuel MILIBAND, Minister for Energy Security and Carbon Neutrality;
7. Wesley Paul William STREETING, Minister of Health;
8. Steven Mark Ward REED, Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs;
9. Jonathan Neil REYNOLDS, UK Secretary of State for Enterprise and Trade, Chairman of the UK Board of Trade;
10. Elizabeth Louise KENDALL, Minister for Work and Pensions;
11. Bridget Maeve PHILLIPSON, Minister of Education;
12. Hilary James Wedgwood BENN, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland;
13. Joanna Meriel STEVENS, Secretary of State for Wales;
14. Lucy Maria POWELL, Leader of the House of Commons of the British Parliament and Lord President of the Privy Council;
15. Angela Evans SMITH, Baroness Smith of Basildon, Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal;
16. Maria EAGLE, Deputy Minister of Defence;
17. Benjamin William JUDAH, Adviser to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs;
18. Gurinder Singh JOSAN, Labour MP in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament;
19. John Derek TWIGG, Labour MP in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament;
20. Andrew James SNOWDEN, Conservative MP in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom;
21. Keith BISSETT, Commanding Officer of No. 51 Squadron RAF;
22. Victoria FOY, Member of the Board of Directors of SAFRAN SEATS GB, Executive Director of SAFRAN SEATS;
23. Adrian John Luke EVES, Member of the Board of Directors of CALLEN-LENZ;
24. Matthew John FOSTER, Member of the Board of Directors of CALLEN-LENZ;
25. David Samuel John HOLMES, Member of the Board of Directors of CALLEN-LENZ;
26. Simon Werner MUDERACK, CEO of WINDRACERS GROUP LIMITED and DISTRIBUTED AVIONICS LIMITED;
27. Catherine Mary WRIGHT, Member of the Board of Directors of WINDRACERS GROUP LIMITED and DISTRIBUTED AVIONICS LIMITED;
28. Stephen John Michael WRIGHT, Member of the Board of Directors of WINDRACERS GROUP LIMITED and DISTRIBUTED AVIONICS LIMITED;
29. Tom BALL, journalist, TIMES newspaper;
30. Dan WOODLAND, journalist, DAILY MAIL newspaper.