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| Truss warns of ‘some economic hardship’ as she gives more detail of Russian sanctions – as it happened | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Truss says officials ‘working through the night’ to draw up sanctions against oligarchs; Kwasi Kwarteng in Commons on economic crime bill | Truss says officials ‘working through the night’ to draw up sanctions against oligarchs; Kwasi Kwarteng in Commons on economic crime bill |
| Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, has told MPs that Britons will face “some economic hardship” as a result of the sanctions being imposed on Russia. This has always been implicit in the announcements, but until now ministers have been reluctant to state this publicly. (See 3.45pm.) | |
| Russian vessels will be banned from British ports, transport secretary Grant Shapps said on Monday, in an effort to ensure the Kremlin isn’t funding its war effort in Ukraine with sales of oil and gas in the UK. | |
| 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. In the Commons, Priti Patel, the home secretary, claimed that the various changes to visa rules announced for Ukrainians fleeing the war amounted to a “bespoke humanitarian route” for people to come to the UK and that 100,000 extra people should be able to benefit. (See 3.22pm.) But Patel was criticised for not announcing any further changes to the rules. (See 5.08pm.) | |
| Patel has been accused of misleading MPs about the generosity of her visa rules for Ukrainians. In the Commons she told Yvette Cooper, her Labour shadow, that a a 69-year-old Ukrainian woman, with a daughter living in the UK, would benefit as a result. (See 3.34pm.) But Cooper told MPs, on a point of order, a few minutes ago that she had subsequently found out that Patel was wrong, and that the woman would not benefit. She said that it was “totally confusing” and that Patel should correct the record. | |
| Downing Street has publicly distanced itself from Liz Truss’s suggestion that Britons should be able to join the fight in Ukraine, saying this would contravene travel advice and people should instead consider making a donation instead. | |
| That is all from me for today. But our Ukraine coverage continues on our global live blog. It’s here. | |
| The Scottish parliament has called on the firm which manages its pension funds, Baillie Gifford, to sell off all its Russian shares following the invasion of Ukraine. | |
| Holyrood’s parliamentary corporate body and the presiding officer, Alison Johnstone, said they were distressed to learn after an information request by the Ferret, an investigative website, the fund had £230,000 worth of shares in the state-owned Russian bank, Sberbank. | |
| Johnstone tweeted: | |
| In the Commons, Peter Bone (Con) has just complained that there will be no second reading of the economic crime bill tomorrow. He says he thought it was being fast-tracked as emergency legislation. Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary, says that is not the case. He says the bill will be introduced tomorrow, but he says the second reading will come later. | |
| Downing Street said anti-tank missiles would be included in the new batch of military equipment being sent to Ukraine. Boris Johnson told President Zelenskiy more equipment was coming when they spoke this afternoon. (See 4.14pm.) | Downing Street said anti-tank missiles would be included in the new batch of military equipment being sent to Ukraine. Boris Johnson told President Zelenskiy more equipment was coming when they spoke this afternoon. (See 4.14pm.) |
| Commenting on the call, the PM’s spokesperson said: | Commenting on the call, the PM’s spokesperson said: |
| Downing Street said that Boris Johnson would be using a call with fellow G7 leaders this afternoon to see what more could be done to “further up the pressure” on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. The PM’s spokesman said: | Downing Street said that Boris Johnson would be using a call with fellow G7 leaders this afternoon to see what more could be done to “further up the pressure” on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. The PM’s spokesman said: |
| 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. | 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. | 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. | 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: | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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.) | 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: | 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: | 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: |