Markus Andrews

Boris Johnson’s government has been warned that some forms of UK trade will “collapse” if further post-Brexit checks are introduced in July.The Independent revealed earlier this week that the government is exploring a delay to new controls on imports from the EU because of growing alarm over the cost of living crisis.The Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) checks coming into force on 1 July will see inspections on imported agri-food and plant products, adding an estimated £1bn to the costs of trade.Shane Brennan, chief executive of the Cold Chain Federation, said the checks would be a “nightmare” for small businesses – calling for the government to push them back.The food industry chief warned a potential “collapse” in trade among “small volume” British businesses if the new checks are imposed in the summer.“The full SPS controls on our meat and dairy goods – those are the nightmare in moving goods across the trade border for food because they require veterinary certification … they require potential inspection at arrival at port of entry,” he said.Mr Brennan said the Brexit red tape already imposed on small businesses trying to export has already led to a “dramatic decline in the amount of goods actually trying to leave the country.”He added: “It’s all about small businesses … That trade has become basically impossible on the export routes. It will become impossible on the import routes starting on the 1 July.”The Independent has learnt that some No 10 officials are “sympathetic” to the idea of further delay, with the prime minister expected to be briefed in the coming days.Jacob Rees-Mogg, the minister for Brexit opportunities, has argued for the checks to be abandoned altogether, and Mr Johnson will be asked to decide on next steps.On Thursday, Mr Brennan and other food industry bosses told MPs and peers on the cross-party UK Trade and Business Commission that they would welcome further delay from government.“I think they should push back the 1 July deadline for SPS controls – this is the wrong year to do this,” said the Cold Chain Federation chief executive.Mr Brennan added: “We are facing rampant inflation on our food supply. We have huge supply chain stress. There is an unnecessary thing to put in on top of everything else.”Peter Hardwick, trade policy advisor the British Meat Processors Association, added: “We’re simply not ready. [for introduction of import checks in July]. Many [ports] are not well set up. It is very difficult, therefore, to plan.”Daniel Lambert, a wine importer based in Wales, told the commission that many small firms in his business were already struggling to survive the impact of existing red tape brought in by Brexit.“People used to seek out small producers and sell through independent wine shops,” said Mr Lambert. “That business is fundamentally being strangled to a death [by Brexit]. Many, many small wine shops will cease to trade … because it’s simply not affordable to do it any more.”July is meant to bring the final set of import controls. There are concerns that British ports do not have the necessary infrastructure – or veterinary experts – needed for the rigorous new checks, which involve random physical inspections.The Independent understands Mr Rees-Mogg is leading calls for the checks to be stalled or scrapped altogether, including at a meeting this week of the Global Britain (Operations) Committee.It comes as Mr Rees-Mogg claimed the government was “building up the kindling wood” of a post-Brexit “bonfire of red tape”.The Brexit opportunities minister has issued a plea to readers of a tabloid newspaper to help him identify ways to scrap EU regulations.“We are building up the kindling wood thanks to the readers of The Sun who are sending in their brilliant suggestions,” Mr Rees-Mogg told the Commons. More

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has “already lost” with his invasion of Ukraine after making series of “catastrophic misjudgements”, the UK Armed Forces’ chief has said.Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the chief of the defence staff, said the president had allowed himself to be “misled” on the strength of his own forces, as Russia’s military gets pushed back in parts of Ukraine.“The coming weeks will continue to be very difficult – but in way ways Putin has already lost,” Sir Tony said in a speech to the Institute for Government on Thursday.“Far from being the far-sighted manipulator of events that he would have us believe, Putin has damaged himself through a series of catastrophic misjudgements,” the Armed Forces boss said.Sir Tony added: “Like all authoritarians, he allowed himself to be misled as to his own strength – including the effectiveness of the Russian armed forces.”The chief of the defence staff said Putin failed to understand “how deeply the notions of sovereignty, democracy and national identity have taken root in Ukraine” – and also failed to anticipate “the unity and cohesion” of the west.He added: “What is very clear is that is that Putin is a weaker and more diminished figure today than he was a month ago. Conversely, Nato is stronger and more united today than at any time I can remember.”The military leader’s remarks come as head of the GCHQ intelligence agency Sir Jeremy Fleming used a rare public speech to say it is clear that Mr Putin “misjudged the resistance of the Ukrainian people”.Sir Jeremy said: “He under-estimated the strength of the coalition his actions would galvanise. He underplayed the economic consequences of the sanctions regime. He over-estimated the abilities of his military to secure a rapid victory.”He said in a speech in Australia: “We’ve seen Russian soldiers – short of weapons and morale – refusing to carry out orders, sabotaging their own equipment, and even accidentally shooting down their own aircraft.The GCHQ chief added: “And even though we believe Putin’s advisers are afraid to tell him the truth, what’s going on and the extent of these misjudgments must be crystal clear to the regime.”However, western official said Russian forces have continued shelling the strategically important Ukrainian city of Chernihiv – despite promises to scale back operations.UK defence intelligence analysts believe only a “limited number” of units have withdrawn from around Kyiv following Russia’s announcement at talks in Istanbul on Tuesday that it would “fundamentally” reduce military activity near the capital and Chernihiv.The Ministry of Defence (MoD)’s latest intelligence assessment said “significant Russian shelling and missile strikes” have continued around Chernihiv.Around Kyiv, Russian forces continue to hold positions to the east and west “despite the withdrawal of a limited number of units”, meaning heavy fighting “will likely take place in the suburbs of the city”.Meanwhile, a former commander of UK land forces suggested Nato has been “defeated” because Vladimir Putin called the alliance’s bluff by invading Ukraine – arguing that a smaller coalition of nations will be needed to respond militarily to Moscow.General Sir Nick Parker, who has also acted as an adviser to Ukraine’s defence ministry, said Nato had adopted a defensive position by putting a protective ring around its members but not being prepared to develop an “offensive counter-strategy to Putin”.“Slightly controversially I suppose – I mean Nato’s been defeated, Nato’s bluff was called,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.Sir Nick said: “We were unable to stop the Russians trampling all over Ukraine and now Nato is holding the line of the 2004 expansion, along the line of the Baltic states and Poland and Hungary and Romania.”He added that the alliance does not have the capacity “to move on to the offensive with its 30 nations all with slightly different views” and so “we need to have a smaller coalition of nations who can start to develop an offensive counter-strategy to Putin”. More

The government’s pledge to match money donated to the Ukraine disaster appeal is being funded by taking cash from other parts of the aid budget, ministers have admitted.Labour accused the government of feigning an “act of generosity” by moving money around and told Rishi Sunak to open his wallet instead of “balancing the books on the backs of the world’s most vulnerable”.The government pledged earlier this month to match-fund donations to the Disaster Emergency Committee’s Ukraine humanitarian appeal up to £25 million – amid an outpouring of generosity from the public in light of the Russian invasion.But it has emerged the extra support promised by the government is part, not in addition to, the £220 million provided to Ukraine and will come out of the existing overseas development budget.And ministers have now clarified that the money will count towards the government’s commitment to spend just 0.5 per cent of GNI on aid – down from 0.7 per cent – which means cuts are being made elsewhere to fund it.A coalition of aid charities, warned earlier this month that “it would be ill-judged and morally wrong if our support came at the expense of other marginalised communities affected by extreme poverty, conflict and inequality”.But in a written statement responding to a question from Labour’s shadow international development secretary Preet Kaur Gill, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office minister James Cleverly said: “The humanitarian response to Ukraine is a priority for the FCDO and the international community. “The £25 million matched Disasters Emergency Committee Appeal funding is part of the £220 million allocated for life-saving humanitarian assistance. “This will come from the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget and will be within the 0.5 percent settlement.”Labour’s Preet Kaur Gill told The Independent: “The public were led to believe the government matching their donations to the Ukraine DEC appeal was new funding and an act of generosity. “Instead, it turns out Rishi Sunak will take it from the aid budget for existing crises in places like Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan. “After two years of aid cuts, this is another low: the government is again balancing the books on the backs of the world’s most vulnerable. Funds meant for Ukraine should be on top of the 0.5 per cent floor – not instead of it”.Foreign Secretary Liz Truss promised at the start of the month that the UK “will match, pound for pound” donations “from the Great British public, ensuring vital support reaches communities in desperate need of help”.Simon Starling, director of policy, advocacy and research at aid charity coalition Bond said: “The money we give to Ukraine – and all future crises – should be additional to the already-reduced UK aid budget, not taken from it, until the government meets its 0.7 per cent commitment. “Otherwise, we risk sabotaging our own efforts to assist people in crisis in countries such as Ethiopia, Afghanistan and Yemen.”Aid charities are already having to cut programmes across the world thanks to Mr Sunak’s decision to temporarily ditch the 0.7 per cent target for aid, which was previously being met. Mr Sunak’s move caused consternation among many Tory MPs, who were proud of the policy agreed under David Cameron. It is not clear which projects will lose out as a result of the Treasury’s reticence to spend extra cash, but projects that that have faced cuts due to the lower settlement include programmes covering polio vaccination, girls’ education, and clean water. More

The public should be told if Boris Johnson’s wife Carrie is issued with a fine for lockdown-breaching parties in Downing Street, Sir Keir Starmer has said.No 10 insists that it will reveal details of fixed penalty notices only if they are handed out to the prime minister himself or the head of the civil service Simon Case.There is no obligation on ministers, officials or members of Mr Johnson’s family to declare that they have received a penalty, and the police have made clear that they will not publicise names of those found to have broken Covid laws.Ms Johnson is alleged to have hosted a surprise party in No 10 for the PM’s 56th birthday in June 2020, and to have gathered with friends in the couple’s flat above No 11 that November to celebrate the resignation of aide Dominic Cummings by singing Abba songs.Labour leader Starmer said his focus was “laser-like” on the question of whether the prime minister himself breached coronavirus restrictions which he had imposed on the rest of the country.But he said that the public had a right also to know whether the PM’s wife had stuck to the rules.Starmer did not mention Partygate during the launch of Labour’s local election campaign in Bury, where he focused on the cost-of-living crisis.But speaking to broadcasters later, he said: “If Carrie Johnson gets a fixed penalty notice, then of course it should be made public.“My focus is on the prime minister because he is the one who sets the culture, he is the one who oversaw this criminality at his home and his office, he is the one that came to arliament and said all rules were complied with, which is clearly not the case.“So I do think Carrie Johnson should be named if she gets a penalty notice, but my focus is laser-like on the prime minister.”Neither Mr nor Mrs Johnson are thought to be among the individuals referred for fixed penalty notices by the Metropolitan Police earlier this week, after they determined that 20 breaches merited punishment. More

The £20 uplift to Universal Credit introduced during the Covid pandemic and abolished by chancellor Rishi Sunak last autumn played a part in lifting 400,000 children out of poverty, new figures released today have indicated.But charities said that the withdrawal of the uplift, coupled with the chancellor’s refusal to upgrade welfare benefits in line with soaring inflation, means that many of the same children will be thrust back into poverty this year.The Child Poverty Action group accused ministers of “turning their backs on low-income families” after a mini-budget in which Mr Sunak cut fuel prices for motorists and promised an income tax cut for workers, but left the annual benefit increase at 3.1 per cent in a year when inflation is expected to reach almost 9 per cent.Independent economic thinktank the Institute for Fiscal Studies said that the “benign” impact of the £20-a-week payment and Mr Sunak’s furlough scheme meant that the incomes of Britain’s poorest households actually rose by almost 4 per cent during the pandemic.But IFS associate director Jonathan Cribb said that they were likely to fall back again this year as taxes rise and earnings and benefits fail to match inflation.The government’s response to the cost-of-living crisis showed it is “to some extent unable and to some extent unwilling to protect household incomes, including for the poorest, in the way that it managed to do during the pandemic”, said Mr Cribb.CPAG said that even after 400,000 children being lifted out of relative poverty in 2020/21, today’s figures showed that 3.9 million – more than a quarter (27 per cent) of all the country’s children – were in poverty, after housing costs are taken into account.This was 300,000 higher than when Conservative-led governments took power in 2010/11.More than one in five (22 per cent) children – a total of around 900,000 – was living in a household classified as food insecure.The group’s chief executive Alison Garnham said: “Today’s figures show that government has the power to protect children from poverty. But in a week when the chancellor made clear he was comfortable with his choices and the prime minister claimed child poverty had been left out of his plan for the country ‘by accident’ it looks like ministers have turned their backs on low-income families.“Many of the children who were lifted out of poverty by the £20 increase to universal credit have already been forced back over the brink by the government’s actions.  And as millions struggle with spiralling costs, we know the picture will worsen.   “Government must step in to support hard-pressed families by increasing benefits by 8 per cent to match inflation.”Dan Paskins, director of UK impact at Save the Children, said: “There is a clear message from these statistics: strengthening the social security system is the most effective way to lift children out of poverty. But instead of building on the policies introduced during the pandemic, the UK government has taken several steps backwards.“On top of the £20 cut to Universal Credit last year, families are now facing another real-terms cut to their incomes because the chancellor has failed to increase benefits in line with inflation.“For months, parents have been telling us that they’re skipping meals, turning off the heating and electricity and taking on unsustainable amounts of debt. Children are going to school hungry and feeling anxious about what this crisis means for their family.“The government must invest in social security now, before families are forced into even more desperate situations. And in the longer term, we need to see more ambitious strategy to lift families’ incomes. Because it’s simply not acceptable that in one of the richest countries in the world, more than a quarter of children are growing up in poverty.”Mark Russell, chief executive at the Children’s Society, said: “It’s a stain on our nation that nearly a third of children – around 3.9m – were living in poverty last year.“The looming cost-of-living crisis will undoubtedly make matters worse as more desperate families struggle to make ends meet. Some will face impossible choices between heating and eating. Compared to the overall population, children remain more likely to be in low-income households. “This is unacceptable. The spring statement did not go far enough to help families facing the frightening prospect of rising prices and higher bills. The government must provide more targeted and extensive help as a matter of urgency.”A government spokesperson said: “Latest stats show there were 2 million fewer people in absolute poverty after housing costs than in 2009/10, and 600,000 fewer compared to 2019/20. These figures reflect the temporary emergency support we provided during the pandemic.“The landscape now is vastly different, and it is right that our focus has shifted to filling the record number of vacancies as we know that work is the best and most sustainable route out of poverty.“This is backed up by over £22bn of targeted investment to support low-income households. We have made permanent changes to Universal Credit that mean claimants in working households are £1,000 better off on average, cut fuel duty by 5p a litre and set out our £9.1bn energy rebate.“This support is all in addition to a rise in the minimum wage to £9.50 from tomorrow and cutting National Insurance for more than 30m people from July.” More

A government minister has admitted Covid laws were broken after the Metropolitan Police issued 20 fixed-penalty notices linked to partygate scandal – despite No 10’s refusal.Repeatedly pressed on the issue, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the international trade secretary, eventually replied “that’s right” when asked if laws were broken in Whitehall.It comes after Boris Johnson was at odds with his deputy, Dominic Raab, over the scandal, as he refused to to endorse the justice secretary’s admission that Covid regulations were broken.Mr Raab’s comments followed 24 hours in which No 10 had refused to accept the decision of the Met police to issue 20 fines for lockdown breaches amounted to proof of law-breaking.During a committee yesterday, the prime minister repeatedly ducked questions on the issue, stressing he would not comment until Scotland Yard had concluded its probe into 12 events held in No 10.Quizzed on whether Mr Raab “misspoke” after he suggested on Wednesday morning there were breaches of the law, Ms Trevelyan told Sky News: “No, he is the justice secretary and he has set out a position.“I think if you or I get a fine, we hopefully pay it and move on from there. And I hope, and I assume, that those who have been fined by the police will pay their fines and that will be the punishment that they have accepted.”Pressed on whether 20 fines being issued meant there were 20 instances of people breaking the law, she said: “Well, that’s right. They’ve broken the regulations that were set in the Covid Act, and police deem that that was what they did and therefore they’ve been fined accordingly.”Asked why the PM would not say this, she added: “Because, as I say, he wants to wait until the whole process of the police review has been done.”Under initial questioning, Ms Trevelyan declined to answer the question of whether the fines amount to law-breaking, echoing the prime minister’s view that she wanted to allow the force to continue their work without “interference and commentary”.“We will see when the full, completed report is done and then Sue Gray will be able to publish hers and we’ll be able to discuss it in detail,” she added.Addressing the issue on Wednesday during a session of the liaison committee, the prime minister was asked whether he accepted “there has been criminality committed”, given Scotland Yard’s decision to issue 20 fixed-penalty notices.“I have been, I hope, very frank with the House about where I think we have gone wrong and the things that I regret, that I apologise for,” he told MPs.“But there is an ongoing investigation… I am going to camp pretty firmly on my position. I won’t give a running commentary on an ongoing investigation.” More

Boris Johnson has come down against onshore wind farms in the cabinet row which has delayed the publication of his energy security strategy.His comments dismayed environmentalists who believe that the development of onshore wind power is a vital part of the UK’s move towards net zero carbon emissions by the 2050 target.Environment think tank Green Alliance said it was “absolutely bizarre” to seemingly exclude one of the UK’s cheapest energy sources from the nation’s future power mix.The prime minister had been reported to be leaning towards business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng’s drive for the relaxation of planning rules to allow more onshore turbines, in the face of opposition from ministers including Jacob Rees-Mogg.But giving evidence to a parliamentary committee today, he singled out offshore wind farms as a priority for the UK’s future energy supplies. And he underlined the fact that he was drawing a distinction with developments on land by repeating the word “offshore”.It is now almost a month since Mr Johnson promised an energy security strategy “in the coming days” in order to help wean the UK off reliance on Russian oil and gas, ease cost of living pressures and step up the drive for net zero. It is regarded as crucial to break the deadlock over onshore wind in time to allow the document to be released next week, ahead of the purdah in the run-up to May’s local elections.Setting out his plans for the long-delayed strategy, Mr Johnson told the Commons Liaison Committee: “In the UK we have failed for a generation to put in enough long-term supply and it’s been one of those colossal mistakes.“Renewables are fantastic and offshore wind – and I stress offshore wind – I think has massive potential. But so does nuclear.”Green Alliance senior political adviser Joe Tetlow said the government should show “leadership” over onshore wind rather than ruling it out for fear of a “not in my back yard” response from communities close to the sites of proposed facilities.“It’s 2022, not 2012,” Mr Tetlow told The Independent. “People support onshore wind.“They recognise we need it for energy independence, for national security, and to bring down bills. Of course we need community support, but we also need political leadership.”And Danny Gross, energy campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said Mr Johnson “cannot afford” to ignore onshore wind if he is serious about dealing with the energy crisis.“On average it takes six years to develop an onshore wind farm, compared with 28 years for new oil and gas fields,” Mr Gross said. “Johnson’s energy review must focus on unlocking the nation’s huge renewable potential, and this must include ending the unfair planning rules that hamper onshore wind.”Mr Johnson said he wanted to accelerate a new generation of nuclear power in the UK, telling MPs that new-style small nuclear reactors (SMRs) being developed by Rolls Royce could be on-stream by the end of the 2020s.But he said that fossil fuels would remain part of the country’s energy mix, both as part of the transition to renewable sources and as an element in the production of hydrogen energy. He insisted that the ambition to put the UK on the path to net zero “has not been adulterated or lost at all”. But despite the UK’s decarbonisation promises at the Cop26 summit last year, he said it would be “very useful” to continue oil and gas exploration in the North Sea.Mr Johnson told MPs he could not claim that new nuclear reactors would be producing electricity “in the next couple of years”.But he added: “We’ve got to be looking at big-ticket nuclear solutions – Sizewell and other projects – but we’re also going to be looking at small modular reactors. “The Qataris are just one of the countries that wants to work with us on SMRs. There’s a huge list of potential partners for Rolls Royce… If we don’t start now, we won’t be fixing the problem.”Mr Johnson’s remarks came after 14 green groups called on the government earlier this week to “unblock” onshore wind in England.Green groups have repeatedly pointed out that wind is popular, clean and cheap. A YouGov poll last year found that 70 per cent of respondents supported the installation of more onshore wind turbines in the UK. A more recent report by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy found that 80 percent of people supported onshore wind.In 2020, the government estimated that onshore wind would cost around £46 per megawatt-hour by 2025, compared to £85 for gas. The estimates suggest it will be the second cheapest energy source after large solar in 2025, according to analysis by Carbon Brief. More

Labour is calling for the UK to agree a security pact with the EU following the wake-up call of the Ukraine invasion, as part of its drive to “make Brexit work”.Boris Johnson must end his “petty diplomatic spats with our neighbours” and rebuild relationships, the party says – arguing last year’s Integrated Review of Foreign Policy is out of date.That review rejected formal cooperation with Brussels, arguing the Indo-Pacific region and, in particular, China will be more important in the post-Brexit ‘Global Britain’ era.Mr Johnson had rejected the EU’s push for a defence and security pact in the Christmas 2020 Brexit deal, despite Theresa May’s attempt to make it a priority.Now David Lammy, Labour’s shadow foreign secretary, will argue it is time for an urgent rethink, “as war ravages parts of our continent”.“The government has pursued an Indo-pacific tilt, but it must not do so at the cost of our commitments to European security,” he will say, on a visit to the US.“We need to put past Brexit divisions behind us, stop seeking rows with European partners, and use this moment to explore all possibilities to renew relations with European allies through a new UK-EU security pact.”Delivering a speech to the Institute for Global Leadership in Boston, Mr Lammy is expected to say: “Britain has left the EU. The task now is to make Brexit work.”Labour is arguing for the rebirth of the ‘E3 format’ between France, Germany and the UK – which emerged in nuclear negotiations with Iran – warning it has not met since late 2020.The Integrated Review, published in April 2021, contained “practically no detail” on how the UK will cooperate with its European allies, the party says.The stance echoes the call from the Conservative European Forum for a defence pact, to allow the UK to quickly “deploy forces around Europe”, it said.In Boston, Mr Lammy will set out four principles in response to the “age of authoritarians”, which are:* Ending government defence “cuts” – with the Army set to shrink by 9,500 soldiers to 72,500 by 2025.* Ending Britain’s dependence on dirty fossil fuels from authoritarian states – by matching Labour’s £28bn-a year green investment plans.* Stopping the UK facilitating “dirty finance from corrupt elites from across the world”.* Restoring the UK’s ‘soft power’ – by reversing overseas aid cuts, as well as supporting the BBC World Service and the British Council.Mr Lammy will say the UK “must adjust our mindset” because it was wrong to believe that “the era of wars between states was over.“We reshaped our security, defence, intelligence and diplomacy to tackle different threats – allowing core capabilities to dwindle,” he will say.“Just months before Russia’s invasion, Boris Johnson said that the era of tank battles on European soil was over. Now we see tanks rolling across frontiers in Europe.” More