Labour is urging Rishi Sunak to come clean as to whether he has benefited from his wife’s non-dom tax status.
The party have demanded the Chancellor answer 12 central questions about whether he personally benefited from Akshata Murthy’s tax arrangement which means she is not legally entitled to pay tax in Britain on foreign income.
Mr Sunak has been called upon to set out how much tax has been saved and how he has “ensured he is not involved in Treasury discussions” about the rules.
“As chancellor it is crucial you both follow the rules and lead by example,” James Murray, a shadow Treasury minister has written.
“Any impression that there is one set of rules favouring a few, and another for everyone else, threatens the integrity of tax policy in our country.”
It comes after Mr Sunak’s family was accused of “sheltering” itself from paying tax in the UK through the non-dom status which Ms Murty has confirmed.
3,000 more Covid deaths added to UK’s official figures after discovery of data error
Almost 3,000 more Covid-19 deaths have been added to the UK’s official figures after a data error was discovered.
In addition to 233 newly-reported deaths, the cumulative number of people who have died within 28 days of testing positive for coronavirus jumped by an extra 2,714 on Wednesday.
This means the total number of deaths in the UK within 28 days of a positive test now stands at 169,095.
The UK Health Security Agency said that “due to a data processing error, a number of people who died within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test were not reported in a timely manner”.
My colleague Maryam Zakir-Hussain reports:
Poland thanks UK for support in aiding efforts to help Ukrainian refugees
Poland’s president has thanked the UK for supporting the country and for better equipping it to aid Ukrainian refugees fleeing war.
Speaking alongside Boris Johnson at Downing Street today, Andrzej Duda said: “Thank you for supporting Polish people, and this is something that I would like to express my gratitude for, thank you because in this way we are able to better help our Ukrainian guests, our brothers, who are coming to Poland as a result of war.”
He said the two would discuss “how we can support Ukrainian defenders” and “how we can make sure that the sanctions are stepped up”, among other topics.
He also spokes about the situation in Bucha, Ukraine, saying “the pictures of that massacre recall the worst pictures that we know from the Second World War”.
He said Russia’s actions in Ukraine have been “a clear and blatant violation of international law, but what we have seen is also a blatant violation of the law of war”.
Watch: Johnson announces ‘Energy Security Strategy’ to bring cleaner, affordable power to UK
UK to send £30 million to Poland, PM says
The UK will send £30 million to Poland in a bid to launch a “proper thoroughgoing security defence partnership” with the country, Boris Johnson today announced
Speaking alongside Polish President Andrzej Duda, Mr Johnson said: “What is going on today, the current crisis is bringing us even closer together. And with every day that goes by, we see the opportunity to do more together.
“And that’s why we want to take steps now together and your visit in London is an important moment, an opportunity to do this, to launch a proper thorough going security defence partnership.”
He said “we already do a lot together” but added “there is much much more that we can do”, and said he hopes to discuss it in the days and weeks ahead.
He added: “For the immediate future the UK and Poland will work together to try to alleviate the suffering in Ukraine in any way that we can. I think we’re now sending another £30 million to support Poland.”
‘Extremely busy’ ex-Tory minister Eric Pickles tells Grenfell Inquiry not to waste his time
A former Conservative cabinet minister has provoked anger after telling the Grenfell Inquiry not to waste his time because he is “extremely busy”.
Eric Pickles, who was housing secretary, was being grilled about programme to cut “red tape“ he oversaw in government – and whether it compromised building safety regulations.
72 people died in the Grenfell Tower disaster, a social housing block that had been covered in unsafe flammable cladding.
But the public inquiry was left stunned on Thursday after the irate Lord Pickles, who is now a Tory peer, responded to questioning by saying he had been promised he could leave soon.
Our policy correspondent Jon Stone reports:
Watch: Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng says energy bills could reduce within 3 years
Scotland to face ‘cost of living election’ as local government ballot looms
Scotland’s anticipated local government ballot will be the “cost-of-living election”, the country’s Labour leader has said.
Anas Sarwar was speaking on Thursday as he unveiled his party’s manifesto for the upcoming vote on 5 May.
Mr Sarwar said the ballot should not be focused on the “bitter division of the past”, but rather on helping the public through the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
Mr Sarwar said: “People are having to decide whether they’ll perhaps pass on lunch or dinner to make sure they can feed their children.”
He added: “That’s the harsh reality facing so many of our fellow citizens right here in Scotland every single day.
“That difficult choice between heating and eating is not about political debate, it’s a real lived experience for thousands of our fellow citizens every single day.
“That’s what this election is about. This is a cost-of-living election. An election that is based around the people and not about the divisive politics of the SNP and the Tories.”
Breaking: Labour tells Rishi Sunak to come clean on whether he has benefited from wife’s non-dom status
Labour is demanding that Rishi Sunak answer 12 key questions about his wife’s non-dom status, including whether he has benefited personally.
As the controversy grows, the chancellor has been urged to set out how much tax has been saved and how he has “ensured he is not involved in Treasury discussions” about the rules.
More to follow from our deputy political editor Rob Merrick:
UK to boost arms supply to Ukraine
Britain to looking to step up its supply of arms to Ukraine in a bid to boost its defences against the Russian invasion.
Prime minister Boris Johnson said the UK is “certainly looking at what more military assistance we can give” as Nato allies considered how to bolster Ukraine’s resistance.
Ukrainian generals have visited the UK to see some of the kit that could potentially be offered, including armoured vehicles which could offer troops protection from Russian attack as they move around the war zone.
