'The report suggests the use of Novichok nerve agent was a demonstration of power by the Russian state. But many inside the intelligence world believe what it really was intended to be was a message to others – if they betrayed Russian secrets to Western intelligence, they too would be hunted down even if it took years and even if their family was put at risk.'

Ah yes, the incredible power to get british spooks to fabricate it in Porton Down and use it in such a way that it failed to kill the intended target, who subsequently got disappeared and nobody's heard from him since. It sent almost as strong a message as when they tricked the justice system into imprisoning Julian Assange for 10 years, just to make the UK look bad on the world stage. Tricksy little orcses...

I