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UK politics live: Liz Truss to make Commons statement on Russian sanctions and Ukraine invasion UK politics live: Liz Truss makes Commons statement on Russian sanctions and Ukraine invasion
(32 minutes later)
Foreign secretary to appear before MPs; defence secretary warned over ‘indiscriminate’ bombing in Ukraine Foreign secretary appears before MPs; defence secretary warned over ‘indiscriminate’ bombing in Ukraine
And here are some more line from Ben Wallace’s interviews this morning.And here are some more line from Ben Wallace’s interviews this morning.
Wallace, the defence secretary, said Russian invasion of Ukraine was likely to become more violent, with “horrific” casualty levels possible. He said:Wallace, the defence secretary, said Russian invasion of Ukraine was likely to become more violent, with “horrific” casualty levels possible. He said:
Wallace described Putin’s decision to put his nuclear deterrent on high alert as “rhetoric”. It did not fundamentally change the threat, he implied. He said:Wallace described Putin’s decision to put his nuclear deterrent on high alert as “rhetoric”. It did not fundamentally change the threat, he implied. He said:
Wallace also said that, after Putin’s announcement, his 12-year-old son had asked if it meant there would be nuclear war. Asked how he replied, Wallace told LBC:Wallace also said that, after Putin’s announcement, his 12-year-old son had asked if it meant there would be nuclear war. Asked how he replied, Wallace told LBC:
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 high-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 new 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.
Patel also told MPs that the UK was pushing for Russia to be removed from Interpol.
Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, says Patel wants Ukrainians to use existing visa procedures that are not suitable. She asks about a case highlighted by the Guardian, involving a 69-year-old woman, with a daughter living in the UK, unable to come to the UK without having to pay a visa fee because she does not meet the very tight criteria. Will she able to come to the UK safely?
Yes, says Patel.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker, reprimands the home secretary for spending too long on her statement. He says she should have made a formal Commons statement on this, which would have allowed questions for an hour, instead of dealing with this in the final few minutes of Home Office questions.
Patel says some MPs are calling for visa waivers for Ukrainians.Patel says some MPs are calling for visa waivers for Ukrainians.
But she says she will not agree to that. She says biometric checks are an essential part of the system. She says, on the basis of security advice, they need to stay. She says Russians are inflitrating Ukrainian forces, and she says extremist groups are active in the war zone. But she says she will not agree to that. She says biometric checks are an essential part of the system. She says, on the basis of security advice, they need to stay. She says Russians are infiltrating Ukrainian forces, and she says extremist groups are active in the war zone.
Priti Patel, the home secretary, is now on the topical questions phase of Home Office questions, and she is talking about the proposals for Ukrainians wanting to come to the UK.Priti Patel, the home secretary, is now on the topical questions phase of Home Office questions, and she is talking about the proposals for Ukrainians wanting to come to the UK.
She summarises the rules in place.She summarises the rules in place.
Some requirements and salary threshold have already been lowered, she says.Some requirements and salary threshold have already been lowered, she says.
She says an extra 100,000 Ukrainians will be able to come to the UK as a result of her changes.She says an extra 100,000 Ukrainians will be able to come to the UK as a result of her changes.
During Home Office questions in the Commons Stephen Kinnock, the shadow immigration minister, asked the immigration minister Kevin Foster to apologise for the tweet he posted on Saturday saying Ukrainians wanting to come to the UK had the option of applying for a seasonal worker’s visa. That tweet “was the modern day equivalent of ‘Let them eat cake’,” Kinnock claimed.During Home Office questions in the Commons Stephen Kinnock, the shadow immigration minister, asked the immigration minister Kevin Foster to apologise for the tweet he posted on Saturday saying Ukrainians wanting to come to the UK had the option of applying for a seasonal worker’s visa. That tweet “was the modern day equivalent of ‘Let them eat cake’,” Kinnock claimed.
Foster refused to apologise. He said the home secretary, Priti Patel, would be saying more shortly, and he implied Kinnock’s approach contrasted unfavourably with the Scottish government’s, with whom he had had a “constructive conversation” on Friday, he said.Foster refused to apologise. He said the home secretary, Priti Patel, would be saying more shortly, and he implied Kinnock’s approach contrasted unfavourably with the Scottish government’s, with whom he had had a “constructive conversation” on Friday, he said.
Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, has criticised the Kremlin for suggesting that Liz Truss is responsible for President Putin deciding to put his nuclear forces on alert. (See 12.37pm.)Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, has criticised the Kremlin for suggesting that Liz Truss is responsible for President Putin deciding to put his nuclear forces on alert. (See 12.37pm.)
Here are the main points from the Downing Street lobby briefing.Here are the main points from the Downing Street lobby briefing.
The prime minister’s spokeman suggested that Boris Johnson wants the war in Ukraine to lead to the downfall of President Putin. This may seem obvious, but it is not something that ministers have said publicly. (As anyone who remembers the Iraq war will remember, setting regime change as policy is a significant act, with consequences in international law.) Talking about the impact of all the anti-Russia measures being taken, the spokesman said:The prime minister’s spokeman suggested that Boris Johnson wants the war in Ukraine to lead to the downfall of President Putin. This may seem obvious, but it is not something that ministers have said publicly. (As anyone who remembers the Iraq war will remember, setting regime change as policy is a significant act, with consequences in international law.) Talking about the impact of all the anti-Russia measures being taken, the spokesman said:
But when asked specifically if bringing down Putin was a goal of policy, the spokesman (who has a reputation for being careful with his language) retracted the suggestion. “We are not seeking anything in terms of regime change,” he said.But when asked specifically if bringing down Putin was a goal of policy, the spokesman (who has a reputation for being careful with his language) retracted the suggestion. “We are not seeking anything in terms of regime change,” he said.
The spokesman suggested the PM wanted City law firms to stop doing business with Russian state-owned companies. He said:The spokesman suggested the PM wanted City law firms to stop doing business with Russian state-owned companies. He said:
These are from Times Radio’s Tom Newton Dunn.These are from Times Radio’s Tom Newton Dunn.
Johnson will tomorrow travel to Poland and Estonia for meetings with his counterparts and the Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, on Tuesday, the spokesman said.Johnson will tomorrow travel to Poland and Estonia for meetings with his counterparts and the Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, on Tuesday, the spokesman said.
The spokesman said Priti Patel, the home secretary, will give “more detail” of measures to help Ukrainian refugees wanting to come to the UK in the Commons this afternoon, the spokesman said.The spokesman said Priti Patel, the home secretary, will give “more detail” of measures to help Ukrainian refugees wanting to come to the UK in the Commons this afternoon, the spokesman said.
The spokesman said up to 100,000 Ukrainians with British national relatives could come to the UK under the measures already announced.The spokesman said up to 100,000 Ukrainians with British national relatives could come to the UK under the measures already announced.
The spokesman refused to back Liz Truss’s claim that it was acceptable for Britons to travel to Ukraine to fight against Russia. (See 1.35pm.)The spokesman refused to back Liz Truss’s claim that it was acceptable for Britons to travel to Ukraine to fight against Russia. (See 1.35pm.)
The spokesman said the immigration minister Kevin Foster was wrong to post a message on Twitter on Saturday saying Ukrainians wanting to escape to the UK could get a fruit picker’s visa. Asked about the tweet, the spokesperson said:The spokesman said the immigration minister Kevin Foster was wrong to post a message on Twitter on Saturday saying Ukrainians wanting to escape to the UK could get a fruit picker’s visa. Asked about the tweet, the spokesperson said:
Here is the tweet.Here is the tweet.
The spokesman dismissed the Kremlin’s critcism of Truss this morning (see 12.37pm) as a distraction exercise. Asked for a response, he said:The spokesman dismissed the Kremlin’s critcism of Truss this morning (see 12.37pm) as a distraction exercise. Asked for a response, he said:
Johnson told cabinet this morning that Putin had made a “colossal mistake” with the invasion, the spokesman said. Giving a readout from cabinet, he said:Johnson told cabinet this morning that Putin had made a “colossal mistake” with the invasion, the spokesman said. Giving a readout from cabinet, he said:
An unnamed ally of Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, has dismissed the Kremlin’s attempt to blame her for President Putin putting his nuclear forces on alert as an attempt to distract attention from what is happening in Ukraine. (See 12.37pm.) The “ally” told PA Media:An unnamed ally of Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, has dismissed the Kremlin’s attempt to blame her for President Putin putting his nuclear forces on alert as an attempt to distract attention from what is happening in Ukraine. (See 12.37pm.) The “ally” told PA Media:
It has been quite a morning for Truss. Both No 10 (see 1.35pm) and the Kremlin have been briefing against her.It has been quite a morning for Truss. Both No 10 (see 1.35pm) and the Kremlin have been briefing against her.
Evgeny Lebedev, the former KGB agent’s son who owns the Evening Standard and who was given a peerage by Boris Johnson, has used a column in his paper to urge President Putin to stop the war.
As my colleague Peter Walker points out, in his article Lebedev refers to it as a conflict, not an invasion.
These are from the Times’s Steven Swinford on today’s cabinet.
Last week, on the day invasion started, Boris Johnson was reluctant to admit that it would involve to accept that British consumers would pay a price in his TV address to the nation.
The Downing Street lobby briefing has just finished, and it saw the PM’s spokesman slap down Liz Truss’s suggestion that it would be acceptable for Britons to go to Ukraine to join the fight against the Russians. Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, distanced himself from what Truss said in interviews this morning, but No 10 effectively said she was wrong.
Asked if Britons should go abroad to fight, the spokesman said:
That is a reference to this appeal.
When asked if Truss had gone too far in her commnts, the spokesman pointed out that the Foreign Office’s own website says people should not go to Ukraine. He said:
The website says Britons are advised “to leave Ukraine immediately” and, in another section, it says Britons going to Ukraine to fight could be breaking the law.
Yesterday Truss says she would support Britons going to Ukraine to join the fight against Ukraine in three separate interviews. Asked if she favoured the idea, she told the BBC:
I will post more from the briefing shortly.
Primary-school-aged children with long Covid are significantly more likely to have a mental disorder than those without, PA Media reports. PA says:
Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary, has also posted a useful thread on Twitter summarising the impact of the war in Ukraine on UK energy security, and what the government is doing about it.
There will be two statement in the Commons this afternoon. At 3.30pm Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, will make a statement on sanctionss, and at around 4.30pm Kwasi Kwarteng, the businesss secretary, will make a statement on the economic crime bill.
Last night the government gave details of the economic crime (transparency and enforcement) bill that will be introduced into parliament this week. (But it is not due to get its second reading this week, the government was briefing last night. It is not being fast-tracked as emergency legislation.) Here is my story about the bill.
The Kremlin has claimed that President Putin’s decision to put Russia’s nuclear forces on high alert was taken in response to comments from Liz Truss, the foreign secretary. The Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, told a press briefing:
Putin’s decision came yesterday morning. Perhaps he had been reading Truss’s interview in the Sunday Times (paywall) in which she warned of the possibility of a confrontation between Russia and Nato (but using language that did not go beyond what ministers have said many times in the past). She said:
MSPs and Scottish government ministers have called for the Russian consul general in Edinburgh, Andrey Yakovlev, to be expelled from the UK. Paul Sweeney, a Scottish Labour MSP, has tabled a motion at Holyrood calling for expulsion. “It is increasingly clear that every one of us must do everything we can to send a message to Russia that their actions have consequences,” Sweeney said.
The UK government has so far resisted calls for the Russian ambassador in London to be expelled, on the grounds that it is helpful for London to be able to communicate directly with someone influential with the ear of the Kremlin.
The Scottish government is donating £4m in financial aid to the relief agencies working in Ukraine and additional medical supplies including anaesthetic machines, syringe pumps and bandages.
Officials in the devolved government are talking to aid agencies about the quickest route to deliver the money, which could increase later. The medical supplies, including medicines, were chosen from a list of emergency materials supplied by the Ukrainian consulate in Edinburgh, in coordination with other UK governments.
Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister, said:
Scottish officials are considering supporting a fund-raising appeal organised by the United Nations. António Guterres, the UN secretary general, said it would launch an appeal on Tuesday to fund its humanitarian operations in Ukraine. The UN expects it will need more than $1bn (£890m) over the next three months, the government said.
Yesterday the UK government announced it was contributing £40m in humanitarian aid to Ukraine, to pay for medical equipment and other basic necessities.