This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . The next check for changes will be

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2022/feb/28/uk-politics-live-ukraine-visa-rules-refugees-ben-wallace-tom-tugendhat-latest

The article has changed 16 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 12 Version 13
UK politics live: Truss warns Britons of ‘some economic hardship’ as she announces more Russia sanctions UK politics live: Truss warns of ‘some economic hardship’ as she gives more detail of Russian sanctions
(32 minutes later)
Foreign secretary makes statement to Commons; defence secretary warned over ‘indiscriminate’ bombing in Ukraine Truss says officials ‘working through the night’ to draw up sanctions against oligarchs; Kwasi Kwarteng in Commons on economic crime bill
Truss says the rouble has fallen by 40% in value, and the Russian stock market has been closed.Truss says the rouble has fallen by 40% in value, and the Russian stock market has been closed.
But she says people in Britain will face some hardship as a result of the sanctions.But she says people in Britain will face some hardship as a result of the sanctions.
This is implicit in what has been announced in recent days, but until now it is not something that ministers have wanted to talk about.This is implicit in what has been announced in recent days, but until now it is not something that ministers have wanted to talk about.
Back in the Commons Andrew Mitchell, the Tory former international development secretary, says he welcome Kwarteng’s announcement. But he says he and other MPs have been campaigning for a register of beneficial ownership for years.
Margaret Hodge (Lab), who with Mitchell has been one of the MPs campaigning most strongly on this (the government dropped a bill in 2019 because Mitchell and Hodge were going to defeat them on this), says Brexit had nothing to do with this being delayed.
And she says she is “dismayed” that Kwarteng is just offering a white paper on Companies House.
Peers have defeated the government in demanding that relatives of exiled Chagos Islanders are entitled to British citizenship, PA Media reports. PA says:
Alison Thewliss, the SNP spokesperson on Treasury matters, says her party has also been calling for this legislation for years.
Kwarteng is replying to Malhotra.
On the subject of why the legislation has taken so long, he says during the 2017 to 2019 parliament a “huge amount of time” was taken by Labour MPs wanting to frustrate Brexit.
He says the crown dependencies will have to have greater transparency requirements anyway from next year.
Seema Malhotra, the shadow buiness minister, says Labour backs these measures. But she says Labour has been calling for these laws for years.
She says the economic crime bill was first promised in 2016, and a draft of the legislation was ready in 2018.
She asks if the new register of overseas entities will be publicly available.
And she asks if the crown dependencies and overseas territories will be included.
Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary, is making a statement to MPs about economic crime.
He confirms that an economic crime bill will be introduced in parliament tomorrow. Here is our preview story explaining the key provisions.
Kwarteng also says the government is publishing a white paper on reforms to Companies House. Here is an extract from the briefing explaining what is being planned.
Orkney Islands council has announced the Russian-owned oil tanker NS Champion has been banned from docking at Flotta oil terminal, which the council controls. The decision follows an announcement from Grant Shapps, the UK transport secretary, on Monday afternoon that no UK port should allow a Russian-owned or operator ship to berth. (See 4.57pm.)
James Stockan, the council leader, said:
Alistair Carmichael, the Lib Dem home affairs spokesperson, has criticised Priti Patel for not announcing any new easing of visa rules for Ukrainians when she spoke to MPs earlier. (See 3.22pm.) He said:
Councillors and officials in Orkney have privately welcomed approval from Grant Shapps, the UK transport secretary, for port operators around the UK to ban access to Russian-owned vessels in retaliation for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.Councillors and officials in Orkney have privately welcomed approval from Grant Shapps, the UK transport secretary, for port operators around the UK to ban access to Russian-owned vessels in retaliation for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Orkney Islands council has been pressing the UK government for authority to bar the Russian-owned oil tanker NS Champion from docking at Flotta oil terminal to take on a shipment of crude. Orcadians, including Ukrainians living on the islands, staged a demonstration in Kirkwall, the islands’ capital, on Saturday and urged ministers to ban the vessel.Orkney Islands council has been pressing the UK government for authority to bar the Russian-owned oil tanker NS Champion from docking at Flotta oil terminal to take on a shipment of crude. Orcadians, including Ukrainians living on the islands, staged a demonstration in Kirkwall, the islands’ capital, on Saturday and urged ministers to ban the vessel.
Shapps issued a letter from the Department of Transport and Maritime and Coastguard Agency at 3.50pm time stating no Russian-owned or operated vessel would be allowed to use UK ports, in order to damage Russia’s economic interests.Shapps issued a letter from the Department of Transport and Maritime and Coastguard Agency at 3.50pm time stating no Russian-owned or operated vessel would be allowed to use UK ports, in order to damage Russia’s economic interests.
The NS Champion had been due to dock at Flotta, an oil terminal, at 6pm on Tuesday evening, but Orkney council said on Monday afternoon that had been pushed back to 8am on Wednesday. Meanwhile another Russian tanker delivering supplies from Primorsk in Russia was in port at Milford Haven in Wales. The Pluto had arrived in the UK on 26 February.The NS Champion had been due to dock at Flotta, an oil terminal, at 6pm on Tuesday evening, but Orkney council said on Monday afternoon that had been pushed back to 8am on Wednesday. Meanwhile another Russian tanker delivering supplies from Primorsk in Russia was in port at Milford Haven in Wales. The Pluto had arrived in the UK on 26 February.
A source in Orkney council, which has now seen Shapps letter, said:A source in Orkney council, which has now seen Shapps letter, said:
Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, has called for Ukrainians wanting to flee to the UK to be allowed to enter the country without a visa. On a visit to Aberdeen she said:Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, has called for Ukrainians wanting to flee to the UK to be allowed to enter the country without a visa. On a visit to Aberdeen she said:
Sturgeon was speaking before Priti Patel, the home secretary, told MPs that she thought dropping the visa requirements would be a security risk. (See 3.26pm.)Sturgeon was speaking before Priti Patel, the home secretary, told MPs that she thought dropping the visa requirements would be a security risk. (See 3.26pm.)
A theatre in Buckinghamshire has cancelled upcoming performances by the Russian State Ballet company, adding that it is “shocked and appalled” by the escalating conflict, PA Media reports. PA says:A theatre in Buckinghamshire has cancelled upcoming performances by the Russian State Ballet company, adding that it is “shocked and appalled” by the escalating conflict, PA Media reports. PA says:
Back in the Commons, Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, says the government will be launcing a public appeal to encourage people to donate to support the humanitarian relief effort for Ukraine.
Boris Johnson is facing demands from 37 Tory MPs that Britain must go further in welcoming Ukrainians fleeing war after a backlash against the government’s refugee policy, my colleagues Jessica Elgot and Rajeev Syal report.
Boris Johnson has spoken to the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy this afternoon, and he said the UK would be sending more military support to Ukraine imminently. In a readout from the call, a No 10 spokesperson said:
Downing Street has refused to give details of the military support currently being supplied to Ukraine.
Lubov Chernukhin, a major donor to the Conservative party and the wife of a former Russian deputy finance minister, has issued a statement condemning Vladmir Putin’s “despotic regime” and his “military aggression in Ukraine”, the Telegraph’s Christopher Hope reports.
Truss says Foreign Office officials are “working through the night” to draw up sanctions against individual oligarchs. She says extra lawyers have been hired, and the size of the sanctions department has tripled.
David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary, is responding to Truss. He says he welcomes the steps being taken against Russian banks. But he says the government has still not imposed sanctions on the members of the Duma who have backed President Putin.
Truss says her second measure will ban hi-tech exports to Russia, such as micro electronics, marine and navigation equipment. She says this will “act as a drag on Russia’s economy for years to come”.
Echoing what she said in an interview yesterday, she also says she will continue to use sanctions against individual oligarchs.
She says the war could last for months or years. But Britain and its allies are willing to make economic sacrifices to support Ukraine.
Truss says she is introducing two economic measures to hit the Russian economy.
First, she will introduce new powers to be used against the Russian financial sector. Their banks will not be allowed to make clearing payment in sterling, she says.
She says, as soon as it is available, she will use this against Russia’s biggest bank, Sberbank.
She says she will also impose a full asset freeze on three Russian banks. This will prevent them from raising debt here, she says.
This will isolate Russian companies, she says. Three million of them will not be able to raise capital in London.
Truss says the rouble has fallen by 40% in value, and the Russian stock market has been closed.
But she says people in Britain will face some hardship as a result of the sanctions.
This is implicit in what has been announced in recent days, but until now it is not something that ministers have wanted to talk about.
Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, is making a statement to MPs on sanctions.
She says, as of today, President Putin has not taken any major cities.