© Grigory Dukor/ReutersVladimir Putin welcomes David Cameron to the St Petersburg summit
A Tory MP was sticking to his guns today after calling President Putin a "tosser" during the G20 summit.
Henry Smith, the outspoken MP for Crawley, made the spectacularly undiplomatic comment on Twitter after reports that Mr Putin's spokesman had called Britain "just a small island" to which nobody paid any attention.
"Putin really is a tosser," he wrote.
Asked to defend the remark by his local newspaper, the Crawley News, Mr Smith explained that he had been constrained by Twitter's 140-character limit -- even though he actually had 115 characters left unused.
"Trying to get a serious point across in 140 characters is always a bit of a challenge," he said, "but I really think there is a serious point here, that the Putin regime in Russia breaches human rights in its own country and it is prolonging he suffering of the Syrian people by refusing to act.
"The way he is insulting our country at the G20 summit is unacceptable. He is just this absurd character who is responsible for some serious breaches of human rights.
Comment: Putin's crime is demanding evidence, so instead of looking a fool because no evidence is there, then better attack the person and resort to name calling.
"Perhaps I would use some more formal language in the House of Commons, but I stand by my comment - Putin is a tosser."
The row arose amid heightened tensions at the summit in St Petersburg, which has been overshadowed by the conflict in Syria.
Russia has repeatedly blocked attempts at the UN Security Council to censure the Assad regime and Mr Putin this week threatened retaliatory action if America goes ahead with unilateral military strikes after last month's nerve gas attack on rebel-held suburbs of Damascus.
Overnight, Mr Putin's spokesman was forced to deny reports that he had dismissed Britain as an irrelevance on the world stage even as Mr Cameron and Mr Putin held a bilateral meeting in an imperial palace at Peterhof.
The spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, was said to have told a group of Russian journalists: "Britain is just a small island; no one pays any attention to them apart from the Russian oligarchs who have bought up Chelsea."
Mr Peskov today denied making the remarks and said that they did not reflect the reality of Moscow's view of the UK. "I simply can't explain the source of that claim," he said. "Definitely it is nothing to do with reality. It is not something I have said."
He added: "I don't know whose views it reflects - it's nothing to do with us. We have very positive dynamics in our relationship between Britain and Russia."
Asked about the "small island" comment, Mr Cameron told reporters in St Petersburg: "I've been told that the Russians absolutely deny making the remark, and certainly no one's made it to me.
"But let me be clear - Britain may be a small island, but I would challenge anyone to find a country with a prouder history, a bigger heart or greater resilience.
Comment: Hope he has a big mail box.
"Britain is an island that has helped to clear the European continent of fascism and was resolute in doing that throughout the Second World War.
"Britain is an island that helped to abolish slavery, that has invented most of the things worth inventing, including every sport currently played around the world, that still today is responsible for art, literature and music that delights the entire world.
"We are very proud of everything we do as a small island - a small island that has the sixth-largest economy, the fourth best-funded military, some of the most effective diplomats, the proudest history, one of the best records for art and literature and contribution to philosophy and world civilisation."
Comment: And not to forget: A nation steep in war crimes and built on pillage from colonial rape and plunder. Something that only benefited the British aristocracy as the general population were kept the working poor.