Related video: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is unexpectedly ‘stuttered and stumbled’, says Raab
Liz Truss insisted on Friday that the government is doing “all we can to support the Ukrainians” and, when pushed on sanctions, that the UK has put in place more measures against companies than any of “our counterparts across the world”.
The foreign secretary added the sanctions were already having a “big effect in Russia”, and that she was looking at how to “speed up the process to make even more progress” on isolating Moscow.
It comes amid renewed criticism from Keir Starmer that the government must go “further and faster”. He criticised ministers for allowing Russian millionaires 18 months to take their ‘dirty money’ out of London and put it elsewhere. “We must go after every oligarch. This is the weapon we have to use and we need to use it now,” he said.
Speaking to reporters in Birmingham, Sir Keir also took aim at the Tory fundraiser and co-chair Ben Elliot, who he said should be sacked for his role in links between the Conservatives and Russian money. It comes after Mr Elliot’s luxury business was found to have deleted a webpage spelling out its Russian “elite” connections.
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Immigration minister won’t give evidence on Ukraine refugee response
Britain’s immigration minister has refused to give evidence to MPs on the UK’s response to the Ukraine refugee crisis, our social affairs correspondent May Bulman reports.
Kevin Foster, the minister for immigration and future borders, has declined an invitation from the Home Affairs Committee to answer questions on what Britain is doing to provide support and refuge to people leaving Ukraine following the invasion by Russia.
The committee said that “given the urgency of the situation” it had asked the minister to reconsider.
Sam Hancock4 March 2022 12:30
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Scottish Greens: Ukraine war shows need to move away from fossil fuels
Over in Scotland, Green minister Patrick Harvie says the war in Ukraine shows the need to accelerate the shift away from fossil fuels.
The link between fossil fuels and “political instability” was clearer than ever, he said.
It comes as the war has sent oil prices soaring and has led to many European countries reconsidering their reliance on Russian gas.
On Friday, Mr Harvie and his fellow Green minister Lorna Slater visited the Alexander Dennis bus plant in Falkirk, speaking to apprentices working on new electric buses being built there.
This week marks six months since the Greens entered government as part of a co-operation agreement with the SNP.
“We stand in solidarity with Ukraine and I think it’s been inspiring to see people in Russia protesting against the war,” he told PA.
And he continued: “Reliance on fossil fuels is already a crisis for our society. It’s environmentally destructive, it’s unsustainable, but it’s also clearer now to more people than ever before that it’s connected to political instability and our global shared security.
“So we absolutely need to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels.”
Green minister Patrick Harvie
(PA)
Sam Hancock4 March 2022 12:11
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Khan plans to extend £12.50 ULEZ charge to whole of London
The Mayor of London has announced plans to extend the city’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to the whole of Greater London.
Sadiq Khan said in a speech on Friday that the policy would help tackle the “triple challenge” of air pollution, the climate emergency, and congestion, writes our policy correspondent Jon Stone.
Under the plans, from next year motorists in vehicles that do not meet emissions standards would have to pay £12.50 a day to drive in Greater London. The policy already extends to the capital’s north and south circular roads, taking in inner London.
Sam Hancock4 March 2022 11:43
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Starmer calls for Tory co-chair to be sacked for links to Russian money
Back to Birmingham, where Keir Starmer has called for Conservative fundraiser and co-chair Ben Elliot to be sacked for his role in links between the Tories and Russian money.
Sir Keir said he believes that, as a result of the Ukraine crisis, there is going to be “growing concern about the links between the Conservative Party and Russian money”.
“Ben Elliot is at the heart of that,” he said. “We need to strip Russian money away from our politics, not to allow it to influence our politics.”
Turning to government inaction, the Labour leader said the danger of Russian ‘dirty money’ in UK politics would never go away if the current “Conservative government doesn’t go really hard on this”.
“So, it’s in everybody’s best interests that Ben Elliot steps back from his role – and I think he should actually be sacked from it,” Sir Keir added.
Sam Hancock4 March 2022 11:22
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Watch: Raab says Putin ‘irrational’ and his actions are ‘counter-productive’ to Russia
Putin is ‘clearly irrational’ and his actions are ‘counter-productive’ to Russia’s interests, says Deputy PM Dominic Raab
Sam Hancock4 March 2022 11:05
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Truss insists UK still out in front with sanctions despite criticism
Over in Brussels, Liz Truss insists the UK government is doing “all we can to support the Ukrainians”.
The foreign secretary added she was holding various meetings to show “the strength of our unity in challenging Vladimir Putin, in stopping Vladimir Putin, in Ukraine”.
“We were the first European country to donate defensive weapons, and we’re also going to be talking about sanctions,” she told reporters when asked if the UK was doing enough.
She claimed sanctions were having a “big effect in Russia” but that she was looking at how to speed up the process.
Pushed on whether the UK had gone far enough in punishing Moscow, she said: “We’ve sanctioned more companies than our counterparts across the world, we’ve just sanctioned two more major oligarchs last night.
“What I’m doing is looking how we can speed up that process to make even more progress on that front.”
Her insistences come amid criticism from Labour and other opposition MPs that the government must do more, such as scrap a plan to give oligarchs an 18-month period to take their ‘dirty money’ in London and place it elsewhere.
Sam Hancock4 March 2022 11:04
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Starmer condemns ‘alarming’ nuclear plant attack – and echoes war crime accusations
More from Sir Keir now who, on a visit to Brimingham today, described the overnight attack on a nuclear plant in Ukraine as “deeply alarming”.
“I think it’s very important that we unite now and renew that message that Russia must withdraw,” the Labour leader told reporters. “We need a ceasefire – and we need to stop this aggression from Russia because this escalation is deeply, deeply concerning.”
Asked how Nato and western governments could stop the escalating attacks, Sir Keir repeated: “We need the retreat from the Russian aggression in Ukraine – it’s as simple as that.”
On Vladimir Putin, the former director of public prosecutions added: “From what I’ve already seen, it seems to me there is evidence of war crimes and it’s very important that all of those responsible are held to account.”
Starmer is in the city celebrating newly-elected Labour MP Paulette Hamilton
(PA)
Sam Hancock4 March 2022 10:33
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Starmer welcomes new Labour MP for Birmingham
Keir Starmer has congratulated Paulette Hamilton for winning the Birmingham Erdington by-election last night, and welcomed her to his party.
The Labour leader said Ms Hamilton had “made history” after becoming the “city’s first Black MP”
“As a dedicated community champion I know that you will bring security, prosperity and respect to the people of Erdington,” he added.
Sam Hancock4 March 2022 10:10
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Tory chairman deletes webpage about Russia ‘elite’ connections
The luxury business run by the chairman of the Conservative party has deleted a webpage spelling out its Russian “elite” connections. Ben Elliot, founder of luxury concierge service Quintessentially Group, has co-chaired Boris Johnson’s party since 2019.
This week it emerged that Mr Elliot’s company had deleted a web page spelling out how the it had catered to the needs of Russia’s wealthy for more than a decade. The firm had worked with former Putin advisers, as well as figures such as Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich, according to The Sunday Times.
“Quintessentially Russia has nearly 15 years’ experience providing luxury lifestyle management services to Russia’s elite and corporate members,” the website explained, spelling out the services available.
Our policy correspondent Jon Stone has more:
Sam Hancock4 March 2022 10:00
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Government ‘dragging its feet’ on Russian money crackdown, says Dodds
Let’s hear from Labour now. The party’s chairwoman Anneliese Dodds says the UK must pick up the pace on clamping down on funds from figures linked to Vladimir Putin.
She said the government has been “too soft, especially over the last 10 years” on the issue, and rejected claims by ministers that they have been working strongly against economic levers for Putin-linked individuals.
“I have got to say that, for many, many years, Labour has been calling on the Conservatives to, for example, force transparency around property ownership, especially in London where we know that many of these Putin-linked oligarchs have been stashing their funds in property,” she told Sky News.
She added: “We need immediate action now.”
Sam Hancock4 March 2022 09:58
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-news-latest-sanctions-russia-putin-b2028333.html
