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Following repeated questioning from the Labour leader, Mr Johnson told the Commons: “He could have asked anything about the coronavirus pandemic, Mr Speaker, instead he’s concentrated his questions entirely to the interests of the people of Yemen.”The prime minister queried why his opponent had not limited his grilling to “the issues of the hour”, prompting a bemused laugh from Sir Keir.It has also faced renewed criticism for selling weapons to Saudi Arabia, which is leading the war against Houthi rebels in Yemen.Sir Keir had begun his questioning by asking: “How on earth can the prime minister justify selling arms to Saudi Arabia and cutting aid to people starving in Yemen?”Mr Johnson said his government had raised foreign aid spending “the the highest proportion in the history of our country” while conceding that “straitened circumstances” – meaning the coronavirus pandemic – had forced a temporary reduction.Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekday
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Rishi Sunak has unveiled a £19 million package in the budget to tackle domestic abuse amid soaring incidents in lockdown.The chancellor warned the experience of domestic abuse victims was one of the “hidden tragedies” of lockdown measures rolled out to curb the spread of coronavirus.Domestic abuse services, which often help those at risk of murder if they remain in their own homes, have been decimated by austerity measures in recent years.While several refuges have closed altogether, others are grappling with a chronic shortage of bed spaces, as local authority spending on refuges has been cut from £31.2m in 2010 to £23.9m in 2017.Over the weekend, the government announced Mr Sunak was expected to spend £15 million of the package to double the amount currently spent on schemes which attempt to stop perpetrators of domestic abuse harming their victims.While an extra £4m will help homeless women who have suffered domestic abuse get specialist help in “Respite Rooms’” – with the government hoping this will deliver up to 132 new bed places for roughly 1,100 homeless and extremely vulnerable women a year.Women’s Aid, a leading domestic abuse charity, told The Independent the budget announcement did not do enough to tackle the “funding crisis” the sector is in which has endangered services “very survival”.Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayLucy Hadley, a spokesperson for the organisation, added: “Specialist women’s domestic abuse services continue to face a funding crisis, with funding cuts and poor commissioning decisions failing to keep them secure. “Women’s Aid estimates that £393m is required for lifesaving refuges and community-based services in England, alongside ring-fenced funding for specialist services led ‘by and for’ black and minoritised women, disabled women and LGBT+ survivors. However next year only £165 million will be delivered”.Ms Hadley called for the government to give extra details about the funding – adding that it is not clear what “respite rooms” are.“Whilst funding for working with perpetrators is important, it must never come at the expense of funding lifesaving support for survivors,” she added. “Women-only services deliver tried and tested support that survivors and their children continue to desperately need. They are likely to face even further pressure and demand once lockdown finally lifts, and more women and children are able to reach out for help.” Domestic abuse has risen substantially during the pandemic as victims have been cooped up indoors with abusive partners. The national domestic abuse hotline saw a 65 per cent increase in calls during the first lockdown last year and research by Women’s Aid found one in seven victims currently enduring abuse at the hands of their partners said it had got worse in the wake of the public health crisis.A report released by MPs at the end of April last year revealed domestic abuse killings in the first 21 days of the first lockdown were double the total of an average period in the past decade. Tracy Blackwell, of Refuge, the UK’s largest provider of shelters for domestic abuse victims, warned services need to be able to get beyond the “funding cliff edge many find themselves on year after year”.She added: “Refuge would have liked to have seen this budget include an increase in funds for community-based services for survivors of domestic abuse, such as Independent Domestic Violence Advocates (IDVAs). “Right now, across the country Refuge is supporting more than 7,000 women and children – 6,000 of whom are accessing our community services and around 1,700 of whom are living with their perpetrators. Not all women who come to Refuge for support are able, or ready, to leave their perpetrators, and we support them through community led services which provide life-changing and life-saving support to women who need it.”Charlotte Kneer, chief executive of Reigate and Banstead Women’s Aid refuge in Surrey, warned the funding is a “drop in the ocean” as she explained they are forced to turn away eight women and their children for each space they have.She added: “The bulk of this announced funding will go to perpetrator programmes with the aim of stopping offending. We are concerned about this for a number of reasons. Improperly managed perpetrator programmes can create more danger for victims. The outcomes from these programmes have not been proven effective.”Pharmacies joined forces with the government earlier in the year to launch a codeword scheme which allows victims who may be trapped at home with abusers to discreetly gesture they are in need of help.If a victim asks for ANI (which stands for action needed immediately), a trained pharmacy worker will offer them to go into a private space where they can support them to either contact domestic abuse services or the police. The Independent recently reported cash-strapped services have been forced to turn away victims fleeing abusive partners – with leading services warning bed shortages push survivors into homelessness or into returning to their abuser where they face further torment.Providers say they have long been battling severe economic uncertainty due to austerity measures, but surging demand for help during the pandemic has compounded an already fragile financial situation.Anyone who requires help or support can contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline which is open 24/7 365 days per year on 0808 2000 247 or via their website https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/ More

Sir Keir Starmer has claimed the Budget “papers over the cracks” of the problems facing Britain in the wake of the Covid pandemic, as he suggested insecurity is being “deferred” for millions with a temporary extension of the universal credit uplift.Speaking moments after Rishi Sunak unveiled the government’s economic plans, the Labour leader accused the government of ignoring the crisis facing social care, telling MPs: “Although the chancellor spoke for almost an hour, we heard nothing about the long-term plan to fix social care.”“We needed a Budget to fix the foundations of our economy, to reward our key workers, to protect the NHS and to build a more secure and prosperous economy for the future,” Sir Keir added.“Instead what we got was a Budget that papered over the cracks rather than rebuilding the foundations — a Budget that shows the government doesn’t understand what went wrong in the last decade or what’s needed in the next.”Echoing his comments on social care, the former Conservative health secretary Jeremy Hunt also questioned the lack of help, suggesting. there was “little hope” for the sector which had been “bruised and demoralised after [the] most devastating year in its history”.”Understand money is difficult to commit at this stage, but they desperately need to know a plan is coming,” he said.Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayWhile the decision has been welcomed, many campaigners have highlighted concerns that when the support expires in September — coinciding with the end of the furlough scheme — the extra £20 per week will remain vital lifeline.Hinting at the political battle looming over the future of the welfare payments, the Labour leader accused Mr Sunak of “once again deferring the problem”.And he said: “As a result, insecurity and the threat of losing a £1,000 a year still hang over six million families. We would keep the uplift until a new, fairer system could be put in place.”The Labour leader also welcomed the “long-overdue” commitments to extend the coronavirus furlough scheme, the business rates relief for business and the extended VAT cut for the hospitality and tourism sectors as national restrictions are eased. However, he said: “There is no excuse for holding the announcement of this support back until today – and, of course, we will look at the detail.” More

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) sees a “swifter and more sustained recovery” than it expected in November, Chancellor Rishi Sunak said in his 2021 Budget speech.Mr Sunak said the OBR, the Treasury’s independent forecaster, is now projecting UK GDP to be back to its pre-crisis peak by the middle of 2022 , six months earlier than it previously expected.He added that the OBR now thinks that unemployment will peak at 6.5 per cent, down from the 11.9 per cent it projected in its central scenario last summer.However, Mr Sunak also said that the OBR continues to project a 3 per cent of shortfall in UK GDP relative to its pre-crisis forecasts in five years’ time.Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekday More

Eight English ports will be granted controversial tax breaks to “unlock billions of pounds of private sector investment”, the Chancellor announced.The scheme is hugely controversial because it allows goods to be imported temporarily without tariffs, excise duties and other taxes being paid – before the goods are shipped on again.The EU is cracking down on that whiff of corruption – amid further criticism that business is simply shifted into the freeport, without the overall economy benefitting.But Mr Sunak said they were a route to “unlocking billions of pounds of private sector investment – generating trade and jobs up and down the country”. He also claimed they were a boost from Brexit, because the UK was constrained as an EU member –even though seven freeports existed in the UK between the mid-1980s and 2012. Freeports would “encourage free trade and reinforce our position as an outward looking trading nation, open to the world”, he told MPS.Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekday“A policy we can now only pursue now that we are out of the European Union,” the Chancellor claimed.“Freeports are special economic zones with different rules to make it easier and cheaper to do business. They’re well established internationally, but we’re taking a unique approach.“Our freeports will have simpler planning to allow businesses to build, infrastructure funding to improve transport links, cheaper customs with favourable tariffs, VAT or duties, and lower taxes, with tax breaks to encourage construction, private investment and job creation.”Mr Sunak promised “an unprecedented economic boost across the United Kingdom”, working with the Scottish Welsh and Northern Irish administrations to create more. The main beneficiaries would be businesses and the super-rich who took advantage of the tax breaks – while the public was left to pick up the bill for the infrastructure required.Up to 40 ports and airports were believed to have applied for the status, which were promised in the Conservative election manifesto. Mr Sunak also* Confirmed the extension of the furlough scheme until the end of September, although employers will be expected to make a contribution from July.* Extended the 5 per cent reduced rate of VAT for the tourism and hospitality sector to the end of September, with an interim rate of 12.5 per cent for another six months after that.* Continued the business rates holiday for the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors until the end of June, with a two-thirds discount for the remaining nine months of the year.The Chancellor also unveiled forecasts suggesting the economy will return to its pre-Covid level by the middle of next year – six months earlier than they previously thought.But he told MPs that, despite the £280bn of support already committed to protecting the economy, the damage done by the virus has been “acute””.“Our economy has shrunk by 10 per cent – the largest fall in over 300 years. Our borrowing is the highest it has been outside of wartime.” More

Watch live as Nicola Sturgeon gives evidence to parliamentary inquiryNicola Sturgeon has rubbished Alex Salmond’s claim that a plot was hatched to remove him from public life, describing the suggestion as “absurd”. He has previously alleged that Scotland’s first minister made a “malicious and concerted” attempt to rid him of a political future through the government’s investigation into sexual harassment claims made against him. Mr Salmond, who was acquitted of 13 charges in criminal court, won a judicial review which found the government’s investigation was “tainted by apparent bias”.However, Ms Sturgeon, whose political future is at stake, strongly denies the “plot” allegations, saying there is not “a shred of evidence” to support them.Earlier this week, written statements by two former SNP officials contradicted Ms Sturgeon’s version of events. Meanwhile, the Scottish Conservatives have called on her to resign over her government’s mishandling of the investigation.Commentators have noted how damaging the feud is for Scotland, with former prime minister Gordon Brown saying it is “bringing the country down”. Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayShow latest update
1614783045First minister asked why no one in government has resigned Scottish Labour MSP Jackie Baillie has asked the first minister why no one in government has resigned over the botched handling of the Salmond investigation. Nicola Sturgeon responded by saying that the situation was horrendous for everyone and by admitting that “people got things wrong”. Rory Sullivan3 March 2021 14:501614782831Sturgeon says she never wanted to face this situation Nicola Sturgeon has told MSPs: “I never wanted to face a situation where a man I revered – had revered – since I was 20, probably younger than that, was facing serious allegations of sexual misconduct.“My conduct in all of this is rightly under scrutiny, I have no complaint about that.“But I think it would have been deeply wrong for me to have intervened in any way, on behalf of Alex Salmond, to try to engineer the outcome he wanted.”Rory Sullivan3 March 2021 14:471614782009It would have been ‘deeply inappropriate’ to intervene on behalf of Salmond, says SturgeonScotland’s first minister has reiterated that it would have been “deeply inappropriate” for her to intervene on behalf of her former friend Alex Salmond. Nicola Sturgeon said she was excluded from the investigation as part of the procedure and that it would have been an abuse of her power to influence things in favour of Mr Salmond.He was facing claims of “serious sexual misconduct,” she reminded the inquiry.The first minister added that it was not her decision not to go to arbitration in the case.Rory Sullivan3 March 2021 14:331614780967First minister questions timeline of lawyers’ advice Nicola Sturgeon has hit out at the suggestion that lawyers told the government before 11 December that it would lose a court case brought by Alex Salmond.Tory MSP Murdo Fraser said that legal advise, published on Tuesday night, showed this information was shared by 6 December “if not before”.“You were risking public funds in continuing with the action,” he added.Ms Sturgeon replied: “I think every time a government defends a legal action it is risking public funds, because there is never a guarantee you are going to be successful.”“My understanding is that much of what went really wrong in the case, catastrophically wrong… was in that later stage of December, when it became clear, I believe not intentionally, that there was information and material that had not hitherto been disclosed.”“Up until as late as December 11 it was the opinion of law officers we had a stateable case with credible arguments,” she added.Rory Sullivan3 March 2021 14:161614778729Hearing to resume at 2pmThe committee hearing has stopped for lunch. Proceedings will start up again at 2pm. Rory Sullivan3 March 2021 13:381614778261Sturgeon denies Salmond’s version of events Tory MSP Murdo Fraser asked Nicola Sturgeon whether the government conceded the judicial review only after its junior and senior counsel threatened to resign, something which Alex Salmond has alleged. In response, the first minister said: “That’s not my understanding.”Before this, she said: “The charge that has been made against me is that I wilfully allowed a judicial review to proceed against the legal advice, therefore I broke the ministerial code.“With respect, as you now know, I was acting in accordance with the views of the law officers, not against.” She later added that the government would not have leant on the counsel to proceed in an “unstateable” case and that it had chosen to concede of its own volition. Mr Salmond was awarded £512,000 towards his legal fees after winning the review. Rory Sullivan3 March 2021 13:311614777414Two sections down, two to go As the BBC’s Nick Eardley notes, there are four sections to the committee’s investigation. After the first four hours of today’s hearing, only two of these have been covered. Rory Sullivan3 March 2021 13:161614776142Sturgeon worries committee’s process has ‘side-lined and silenced’ complainantsNicola Sturgeon said she was concerned about how the committee’s work may draw the attention away from the complainants.She said: “One of the genuine worries I have here is the extent to which this whole process has side-lined and silenced the voice of the complainers and that’s not what anybody on this committee has wanted or tried to do.“It’s not for me to tell you how to do your work, and it’s certainly not, but if you want to know what the complainers thought (about the process of dealing with their allegations) perhaps trying to speak to them would be a better way than trying to get me to second-guess their views.”Kate Ng3 March 2021 12:551614774695No evidence ‘within a million miles’ that Alex Salmond was victim of conspiracy within SNPNicola Sturgeon insisted she had seen “nothing that comes within a million miles” of backing up claims that Mr Salmond was the victim of a conspiracy within the SNP.Speaking about messages sent by various people within the party, she said they showed “people supporting each other, people talking to each other”.She added there was “a bit of gossip about what was going on”, saying: “This was a massive thing for the SNP, particularly for people who had worked closely with him.”But she stressed that people in the SNP were co-operating with police, saying: “Some of what has been misrepresented as trying to find or concoct evidence is actually people co-operating with the police at their request.“I have seen nothing that comes within a million miles of backing up that central assertion Alex was making, that there was some kind of co-ordinated attempt, for whatever motive, and the motive seems to be on shifting sands as well, I have seen nothing that comes within a million miles of demonstrating that.”Kate Ng3 March 2021 12:311614774635Intervening in complaints against Alex Salmond would have been ‘effectively colluding with him’, says SturgeonNicola Sturgeon said it would have been an “egregious” breach of her position had she acceded to Alex Salmond‘s request for her to intervene following complaints against him.The First Minister told the committee: “The issue for me … was is it appropriate for me to intervene in the process, and I don’t think it was.“Had I done so I think I would have been facing serious criticism on that score as well.“I don’t think anybody around this table would be sitting here patting me on the back had I sought to intervene and influence the course of that procedure.”She added: “Had I intervened … I would have felt I was effectively colluding with him to try to thwart the direction and the natural course of the investigation. and I think that would have been a heinous, egregious breach of my position.”Kate Ng3 March 2021 12:30 More

Rishi Sunak has unveiled what he described as the biggest business tax cut in British history, offering companies the chance to reduce their bill by 130 per cent of any amount invested. The chancellor said the unprecedented move would deliver a significant boost to the UK’s economic recovery in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.But he admitted the idea, dubbed the ‘super deduction’, which would effectively pay companies to invest, had never been tried before in the UK.The gamble was necessary because the country “needs an investment led recovery”, he told MPs as he unveiled his budget.He said the move was supported by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility, which said it would boost business investment by around 10 per cent, or £20bn a year.Mr Sunak said the change would make the UK’s tax regime for business investment “truly world leading”.At the moment businesses can only reduce their tax bill by a fraction of the money they have spent on investment.Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he wanted to see the details of the scheme, but added: “It is unlikely to make up for the last ten years, when the levels of private investment growth have trailed other countries”. The changes are due to come into effect at the start of next month and will be worth up £25 billion to companies over two years.Setting out how it would work, Mr Sunak said that under existing rules a construction firm which bought £10m of new equipment could reduce its taxable income that year by £2.6m.However, under the new scheme that reduction would be £13 million.In its assessment the OBR added a note of caution, saying the super deduction “largely brings forward planned investment from future years.” More

Rishi Sunak said in his Budget speech that the benefit uplift introduced last April to mitigate the impact of coronavirus on household finances, which was due to end on 31 March, will remain in place until September.He said working tax credit claimants would receive equivalent support over the next six months through a one-off payment of £500, due to the way that system works operationally.Around 446 people were still making new claims every hour in the first week of 2021, and a total of 4.5 million people have made a claim for the benefit since the start of the public health crisis.The decision to extend the extra benefit support is welcomed by many, but there are concerns that six months is not long enough, particularly as at that point the furlough scheme will have ended and unemployment is expected to be near its highest.Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayEmma, from Kent, who is on universal credit, told The Independent that while she was relieved the extra £20 per week would continue beyond March, six months was not long enough to provide her family financial stability.Her husband, a wine and beer wholesaler, was put on furlough last March and – other than two months between September and December – has been out of work and on 80 per cent of pay since.Emma said he was hoping to return to work in June, but she explained that even if he is able to, this would only give the family two months to “try to get back on top of things fully”.“The way prices have ramped up, plus the winter we’ve had, we’re going to be playing catch-up for a while before we can say ‘right, we can deal with this now’,” she added.“My kids are going back to school this month so I’ve had to buy them new school uniforms – that’s another extra cost that has already put us back this month.“I am worried. It’s still going to be a strain, and half of the trouble is the not knowing it’s the uncertainty of everything.”Experts also highlighted that the 2.2 million people on legacy benefits – most of whom are sick or have a disability– did not receive an uplift at all, despite the fact that many are struggling to afford basic essentials during the pandemic.Kevin Watkins, chief executive at Save the Children, said he was disappointed that the uplift would continue for “only another six months”. “While the extension will provide some help for families in the short term, children and their struggling parents across the UK will continue to face the prospect of having their incomes slashed in a few months’ time – just as furlough is ending, when people are most at risk of losing their jobs,” he said.“It also provides no support to the 2 million people receiving so called ‘legacy’ benefits, who missed out on the first benefits uplift and have been left to struggle throughout this crisis with no additional help.“This pandemic is far from over, and we know that families need long-term support that allows them to plan and budget effectively.”Professor Lisa Scullion, professor of social policy at the University of Salford, said the extension was welcome, but that it was “clear that for many people, this is just not going to be enough”.She added: “And what about benefit claimants who didn’t receive the increase, such as those on legacy benefits. In our research they were most likely to have experienced some of the more severe financial strains.
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