DEPUTY prime minister Dominic Raab’s defence of Boris Johnson’s links to Russia sparked laughter in the Commons on Wednesday afternoon.

With Johnson busy trying to forge stronger ties with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in an effort to wean the UK off of Russian oil and gas in wake of the Ukraine invasion, Raab was left at the despatch box to stick up for the Prime Minister.

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During PMQs, Matt Western, the Labour MP for Warwick and Leamington, rose to his feet to ask about the Tory chief’s connections with Russia – listing party donors from Russia such as Lubov Chernukhin, and pointing out that the Prime Minister celebrated his election victory at a party hosted by former KGB agent Alexander Lebedev.

It is estimated that the Tories have received around £2 million from donors who have made money from Russia or Russian individuals since Johnson came to power.

“Can he therefore tell us, what first attracted the Prime Minister to the billionaire Russian oligarchs?” the MP put to Raab, sparking laughter from colleagues.

But it was Raab’s response that had the green benches in stitches.

“What I can tell him is the Prime Minister is not just a very social individual,” before appearing to hold back laughter himself.

SNP MP Pete Wishart could be seen folded over laughing very hard at Raab’s comment.

Raab’s description of Johnson as a social person comes after months of allegations of parties held in Downing Street while Covid restrictions were in place.

The Metropolitan Police is continuing to investigate 12 events, including as many as six which the Prime Minister is reported to have attended.

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The investigations follow allegations of frequent and excessive drinking by Downing Street staff, to the extent where a wine fridge was purchased and staff were dispatched to local supermarkets to fill a suitcase with wine.

Johnson’s numerous wives and lovers have also made headlines over the years.

In the Commons, Raab went on: “He wants this country to be open, outward-looking to the world.”

He insisted that together, Raab and Johnson had brought in strict sanctions on Russia and a number of other countries.

But Johnson is continuing to face calls to tighten up sanctions over Russia’s bloody invasion of Ukraine.

One former Tory minister, Huntingdon MP Jonathan Djanogly, said on Tuesday: “Sanctions against individuals will play an important part here.

“I saw how the Government was really getting it when they extended the Aeroflot sanctions to private jets. My suggestion next, as I told the minister before, would be to ban Russian yachts and planes from getting insurance.

“I note that sanctioning leads to asset freezes. The Government will be left holding millions of pounds worth of houses and boats and other assets.”

He added: “What happens next? Will these assets be sequestrated and used for the benefit of Ukraine’s rebuilding? Or will it be held to be returned to oligarchs after the war?

“The latter option may not be so popular I believe, but legally correct, possibly, if we don’t legislate further on this matter.”