UK Politics

Czech Former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis will face trial after the prosecution indicted him in a fraud case involving European Union subsidies.The move announced on Monday by Prague’s public prosecution office came weeks after lawmakers in the lower house of the Czech Parliament agreed on March 3 to lift Babis’ immunity from prosecution for his alleged involvement in the $2 million fraud. That decision allowed the prosecutors to complete their review of the case and go ahead with Babis’ indictment. It was repeatedly recommended by police investigators.Babis, a populist billionaire, denies any wrongdoing and has repeatedly said the allegations against him were politically motivated. “I’ve never done anything illegal, in the past or in politics,” Babis said on Monday. “I’ll prove it at the court.”The prosecution said Prague’s Municipal Court will take over the case. A date for the trial has not been immediately set.The allegations involve a farm that received EU subsidies after its ownership was transferred from the Babis-owned Agrofert conglomerate of around 250 companies to Babis’ family members. Later, Agrofert again took ownership of the farm.The subsidies were meant for medium- and small-sized businesses, and Agrofert wouldn’t have been eligible for them.Lawmakers twice before lifted Babis’ immunity from prosecution in the case that dates to 2007. The prosecutors had to ask them to do it again following October’s parliamentary election.Babis’ ANO (YES) political movement lost the election. A coalition of five parties formed a new government, and ANO ended up in opposition. More

Boris Johnson has refused to withdraw his incendiary claim that Ukraine’s fight for survival against Russia is like the Brexit vote – and insisted Kyiv is not offended.The prime minister was reported to be regretting making the comparison – made in his weekend Tory conference speech – after it was branded “insulting” to the Ukrainian people and “insane”.But his spokesman made clear he was not having “second thoughts”, arguing it is legitimate to categorise both struggles as a “desire for freedom”.The spokesman added: “It’s worth noting that the Ukrainian ambassador was in the audience at the time. He gave a standing ovation at the end of the speech and tweeted his thanks.”It now appears certain that Mr Johnson will not be invited to the European Council summit in Brussels at the end of the week, which had seemed possible before his weekend remarks.No 10 had indicated he would accept an invitation – but he will now be the only major Western leader shut out of the room when the visiting Joe Biden joins the discussion about the Ukraine crisis.Speaking in Blackpool on Saturday, Mr Johnson drew a direct link between the war and Brexit, telling the Tory faithful: “It’s the instinct of the people of this country, like the people of Ukraine, to choose freedom, every time.“When the British people voted for Brexit in such large, large numbers, I don’t believe it was because they were remotely hostile to foreigners – it’s because they wanted to be free to do things differently and for this country to be able to run itself.”The comments provoked astonishment, not least because Ukraine’s response to Russia’s aggression has been to seek the EU membership, although that is some way off.Rachel Reeves, Labour’s shadow chancellor, demanded an apology, saying: “It is insulting to the Ukrainian people, who are fighting for their very freedom and their very lives, and it is insulting to the British people as well.”Guy Verhofstadt, a former prime minister of Belgium who led the European parliament in the Brexit talks, described the comparison as “insane”.“Brexit was about undoing freedoms and leaving the EU,” he said. “Ukrainians want more freedom and to join the EU.”The prime minister’s spokesman claimed he had not made “a direct comparison” between the fighting in Ukraine and leaving the EU, although his comments suggested he did.And he defended the speech, saying: “He was making observations about people’s desire for freedom and saying that’s what he believes those who voted for Brexit were voting for.”Asked if Mr Johnson was having ‘second thoughts”, he replied: “No. I think those who read the speech in full can see he was talking about the desire for freedom and that’s what these people voted for.” More

The Kremlin was behind the hoax video calls that got through to Ben Wallace and Priti Patel, Downing Street has revealed.Both the defence secretary and the home secretary were embarrassed when the callers got through any security checks – the hoaxer to Mr Wallace pretending to be Ukraine’s prime ministerBoris Johnson’s spokesman said: “The Russian state was responsible for the hoax telephone calls made to UK ministers last week.”Senior government sources now fear the Russians may attempt to doctor footage obtained in the calls in an attempt to embarrass the UKIt was also revealed that a third attempt was made to get through to a cabinet minister, this time targeting the culture secretary Nadine Dorries.Mr Wallace has argued no significant information was disclosed, saying he became suspicious and ended the call after the imposter posed “several misleading questions”.However, an inquiry is underway into whether the guidance issued to ministers’ private offices in such circumstances is sufficient.The prime minister’s spokesman said: “This is standard practice for Russian information operations and disinformation and is a tactic straight from the Kremlin playbook to try to distract from their illegal activities in Ukraine and the human rights abuses being committed there.“We are seeing a string of distraction stories and outright lies from the Kremlin, reflecting Putin’s desperation as he seeks to hide the scale of the conflict and Russia’s failings on the battlefield.”It is understood that the first hoax call saw Mr Wallace put through to a Microsoft Teams video call which lasted about 10 minutes.It was set up after an email, purportedly from an aide at the Ukrainian embassy in London, was sent to a government department and then forwarded to the Ministry of Defence.Mr Wallace was put in contact with someone posing as Denys Shmyhal, the Ukrainian prime minister, in front of a Ukrainian flag, who asked what were described as “wild questions”.He was asked about the prospect of Ukraine dropping its ambition to join Nato, the negotiations taking place with Russia and whether the UK would send warships to the Black Sea, it is believed.A defence source insisted Mr Wallace “didn’t say anything that was not factual or appropriate” – because he knew it was not a secure line.Ms Patel then disclosed, on Twitter: “This also happened to me earlier this week. Pathetic attempt at such difficult times to divide us. We stand with Ukraine.”The spokesman said he was not aware of Mr Johnson himself being targeted by hoaxers, nor any government officials or civil servants.He declined to discuss the unsuccessful attempt to get through to the culture secretary, saying: “I’m not going to get into more details.” More

Pressure is high on Rishi Sunak ahead of this year’s spring statement, with all eyes on the chancellor to ease the cost-of-living crisis gripping the UK.As it weathered the fallout of Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic, the UK was already bracing for the biggest squeeze in living standards in decades as a result of soaring inflation and rising energy prices – a situation now exacerbated further by Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.With the Consumer Prices Index measure of inflation already above 5 per cent, last week saw the Bank of England warn that this could hit double figures for the first time in 40 years – with influential Tory backbencher Robert Halfon warning voters are “living in fear” of rising costs.The coming weeks are also “crunch time” for businesses, with the mini-budget likely to determine whether many firms stay afloat, British Chambers of Commerce director general told The Independent, following reports that recession is being whispered about in Whitehall.And Trades Union Congress chief Frances O’Grady warned the spring statement represents a “moment of truth for this government”, saying: “If you really believe in levelling up, if you really believe in a high-wage economy, the time for action is now.” More

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has said she lost trust in the UK government to bring her home after a string of foreign secretaries failed to get her out of detention.The British-Iranian dual national, who was detained for six years in Iran, said she should have been back in the UK “six years ago”.Speaking at her first press conference in parliament on Monday she said she did “not really agree” that she should be thanking the foreign secretary for her return.”I have seen five foreign secretary changed over the course of six years. That is unprecedented given the politics of the UK,” she told assembled media.”But I was told many many times – ‘we’re going to get you home’. That never happened. So there was a time when I felt like, do you know what, I’m not even going to trust you because I’ve been told so many times that I’m going to be taken home. But that never happened! “I mean, how many foreign secretaries does it take for someone to come home? Five? It should have been one of them eventually. So now here we are. What’s happened now should have happened six years ago.”Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who has consistently denied the spying charges levelled against her, was released after the UK agreed to pay Iran a longstanding £393.8 million debt. Her husband and supportive MPs have long claimed she was being used as a bargaining chip as part of the negotiation. Tulip Siddiq, Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s MP who has long campaigned for her release, said there were questions about “why the debt wasn’t paid for so long, which we know was key to releasing Nazanin”.The Labour MP said she had written to the chair of the Commons foreign affairs select committee to ask for a review of what had taken so long.Ms Siddiq said she particularly wanted the government to give answers about an incident “that took place in 2013 when three Iranian officials came to Heathrow to negotiate the repayment of the historic debt that we owe Iran – or owed Iran, it’s now been paid”. She said the officials “were arrested at Heathrow airport and detained in a UK detention centre” and that she had been told this “contributed to important people in Iranian regime wanting to take matters into their own hands and make sure there was more direct action for the repayment of the debt”. The incident took place when Theresa May was Home Secretary.The MP said there were also questions about why a deal negotiated last year had fallen through and the debt had not been repaid. The debt dates back to 1971 when the UK agreed to sell Iran 1,500 Chieftain tanks, took payment, but then declined to deliver some of the arms after the Iranian revolution in 1979.Speaking at the press conference in parliament’s Portcullis House Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe thanked daughter Gabriella “for being very, very patient with mummy to be coming home” and her “amazing, wonderful” husband Richard for “tirelessly” campaigning for her.She would not be drawn on claims that mistakes by Boris Johnson personally had contributed to her being held. While foreign secretary the prime minister had mistakenly said she was in Iran “teaching journalism”, as opposed to on holiday.The former hostage also used the press conference to draw attention to the plight of other British-Iranian dual nationals being held in Iran. She said said that the “meaning of freedom is never going to be complete” until Morad Tahbaz and others were released and reunited with their families.  More

A former Finnish prime minister has dismissed claims Boris Johnson is leading opposition to Vladimir Putin as “illusion” and “utter rubbish”.Alexander Stubb, whose country shares a 1,340km border with Russia, said only in “Brexit la la land” was the British PM seen as having “taken a lead globally”.”This idea about ‘Global Britain’ is as true as ‘peaceful Russia’,” the conservative ex-leader said.”Simply utter rubbish, to put it diplomatically. To claim that ⁦Boris Johnson ‘has taken a lead globally in standing up to Putin’ is an illusion only possible in Brexit la la land.”His intervention comes after Mr Johnson sparked fury by likening Ukraine’s struggle against the Russian invasion to Brexit.Donald Tusk, a former president of the European Council, dismissed Mr Johnson’s comments at the Tory spring conference as offensive to Ukrainians, the British people, and “common sense” itself.But Sajid Javid, the UK health secretary, endorsed claims Mr Johnson had taken a lead on television on Monday morning. “When it comes to Boris Johnson and Ukraine, it’s hard to find any world leader that’s done more to support Ukraine at this time,” Mr Javid told the BBC Breakfast programme. The UK has sent arms to Ukraine and sanctioned Russian individuals and entities – but has been criticised for being slower to crack down on Kremlin-linked money than Europe.Britain is also the only major European country not to have a full open door policy for Ukrainians fleeing the conflict, and has so far taken fewer refugees than its neighbours.Mr Johnson will visit Brussels on Thursday for a Nato summit, but he has not been invited to attend an EU leaders’ summit on the same day.His absence comes despite US president Joe Biden being expected to attend the meeting. The prime minister gave up his automatic seat on the European Council when he left the EU.Mr Johnson told the Tory spring conference in Blackpool over the weekend: “I know that it’s the instinct of the people of this country, like the people of Ukraine, to choose freedom, every time. I can give you a couple of famous recent examples.”When the British people voted for Brexit in such large, large numbers, I don’t believe it was because they were remotely hostile to foreigners.”It’s because they wanted to be free to do things differently and for this country to be able to run itself.” More

Boris Johnson’s government has failed to enact “a single recommendation” from the first phase of the public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire, London mayor Sadiq Khan has said.Mr Khan questioned whether ministers and the housing sector are taking steps to move forward with instructions from the first phase of the inquiry into the fire which claimed 72 lives.The inquiry’s phase 1 report included 12 proposals aimed primarily at the government – but to date none of these have been completed, according to the mayor’s office.Mr Khan said he was “extremely concerned the government has failed to complete a single recommendation from the first phase of the inquiry”.The mayor added: “It is vital that the government and the housing and building industries act now and do not wait for the inquiry’s next report to take action on such an important issue.“Without faster action, the government is failing the Grenfell community, putting lives at risk and leaving residents feeling unsafe in their homes,” said Mr Khan, calling for “wholesale reform”.But Michael Gove’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) said Mr Khan’s claim of inaction was “unfounded”.The inquiry’s first phase looked at how the June 2017 fire at the 24-storey west London tower block began, spread and became a disaster.These were seen as some of the key findings might influence the deeper investigation of the inquiry’s second phase – into how it could happen in the first place.Mr Khan said the London Fire Brigade (LFB) has completed 26 out of the 29 recommended moves which had been directed them and other fire and rescue services.Introducing smoke hoods to aid in the rescue of people in smoke-filled environments and using 32m and 64m ladders to help tackle fires in high-rise buildings are among the changes the LFB has made since the Grenfell Tower fire.The brigade has also rolled out an extensive training programme to put in place changes for how the brigade responds to high-rise fires, including when the ‘stay put’ guidance is no longer viable and a mass evacuation carried out, according to the mayor.The findings of an October 2019 report recommended that the owners of residential towers should carry out regular lift inspections of lifts, and tell local fire and rescue services about floorplans and the type of cladding used in such buildings.These recommendations include vital changes to legislation and the government’s national guidelines on building regulations, including those that relate to fire safety.A DLUHC spokesman said the government was “making progress” towards implementing the inquiry’s Phase 1 recommendations.“We’re introducing the biggest improvements in building safety for a generation – with tougher regulations that will give more rights and protections for residents and make homes safer,” said the government spokesperson.“Our new building safety regulator will enforce a more stringent regulatory regime for high-rise residential buildings, and oversee the safety and performance of all buildings.”When the first phase of the report was published, Boris Johnson told MPs: “I will not allow the lessons of this tragedy to fall through the cracks.”He said that where inquiry chairman and retired judge Sir Martin Moore-Bick recommends responsibility for fire safety be taken on by central government, “we will legislate accordingly”. More

Boris Johnson did not compare the Ukraine war to Brexit, a senior cabinet minister has said – claiming that “normal people” would choose to interpret his controversial comments differently.Health secretary Sajid Javid said criticism of the prime minister’s remarks was “spurious”, arguing that his Conservative spring conference speech had been taken out of context.Mr Johnson said it was the “instinct of the people of this country, like the people of Ukraine, to choose freedom every time” – before saying people voted for Brexit so the UK could “run itself”.But Mr Javid claimed the PM had been talking about universal “self-determination” but had not made a comparison between the Brexit vote and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.The minister told Sky News: “I think it’s spurious to say he was connecting, somehow, UK and Ukraine in that way – most normal people wouldn’t have drawn that conclusion.”Mr Javid added: “What I heard from the prime minister was the … basically the desire for self-determination in everyone, no matter what country they’re in, no matter what their circumstance, is strong. I don’t think, in any way, he was connecting the situations in Ukraine and the UK.”The health secretary also defended Mr Johnson’s comments on BBC Breakfast, insisting it was “not the case” that the PM had not compared Ukraine’s fight against Russia to Brexiteers’ struggle against the EU.Mr Javid added: “When it comes to Boris Johnson and Ukraine, it’s hard to find any world leader that’s done more to support Ukraine at this time.”Mr Johnson’s comments in a speech to the Tory spring conference has sparked fury, with one European statesman branding it “disgraceful”.Former European Council president Donald Tusk said: “I can still remember the enthusiasm of Putin and Trump after the referendum. Boris, your words offend Ukrainians, the British and common sense.”Labour has called on Mr Johnson to apologise for his “crass” remarks at the Tory spring conference in Blackpool.Rachel Reeves, Labour’s shadow chancellor, told Sky News: “It is utterly distasteful and insulting to compare the fight for freedom against the aggression of the Russian state to the decision to leave the EU.”Mr Johnson is said to regret his remarks about Brexit and “freedom” at the Tory conference. One source close to him told The Times: “It sounded better written down than it did when spoken.”In an awkward exchange on Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday, chancellor Rishi Sunak distanced himself from the remarks and declined to repeat the parallel made by the prime minister.“I don’t think those two situations are directly analogous,” said Mr Sunak. “Clearly they are not directly analogous and I don’t think the prime minister was saying they are directly analogous.” More