UK Politics

People traffickers on Europe’s borders are preying on child refugees fleeing war in Ukraine, former prime minister Theresa May has warned.Ms May called for the UK’s National Crime Agency to take the lead in targeting the gangs responsible for abducting children, and said Border Force officers should be told to watch out for young Ukrainians being smuggled into the UK.Her warning in the House of Commons followed warnings that the government’s refugee sponsorship scheme may lead to vulnerable Ukrainians falling into the hands of unscrupulous people ready to exploit them for sex or labour unless those offering accommodation are rigorously vetted.The United Nations estimates around 3m people have now fled Ukraine in the face of murderous attacks by Vladimir Putin’s Russia, the majority of them seeking refuge in Poland but others crossing the border to Slovakia, Hungary and Moldova.Among them are 1.5m children – the equivalent of almost one every second since the invasion began – according to Unicef figures.Ms May told MPs that many crossed the border alone, either because they are orphans or because they have been split up from their parents or carers as they fled the violence.The Conservative former prime minister said: “We have seen the photographs at the border. We know that the numbers are such that this can be chaotic, and it is very difficult.“There are many unaccompanied children coming over, not necessarily orphans, but children who may not just have their family with them when they come in.“Some of those children don’t have papers. The Polish authorities, I understand, are making valiant efforts to look for papers, to find papers, to photograph children, to find some sort of record of the children, to identify them.“What we know is that there is no database, there is no real means of that identification and tracking of what is happening to those children.”And she warned that from the moment the invasion began on 24 February, people traffickers began gathering at the borders in the hope of “making money out of this human distress and vulnerability”.“It’s a sad reflection on human nature, that the very point where these women and children are fleeing Ukraine for their safety to find refuge elsewhere, the criminal gangs have moved in to make money from the trafficking of what they consider to be yet another commodity – that is human beings,” said Ms May.“This is happening in Poland. It’s happening in other countries where Ukrainian refugees are fleeing to.”The former PM called on the government to work closely with the UN, EU and tech companies to put in place a system to log and track children and reunite them with their loved ones.And she called for the National Crime Agency and Border Force to be give roles in fighting unscrupulous people-trafficking gangs.The Independent has a proud history of campaigning for the rights of the most vulnerable, and we first ran our Refugees Welcome campaign during the war in Syria in 2015. Now, as we renew our campaign and launch this petition in the wake of the unfolding Ukrainian crisis, we are calling on the government to go further and faster to ensure help is delivered. To find out more about our Refugees Welcome campaign, click here. To sign the petition click here. If you would like to donate then please click here for our GoFundMe page. More

Parents in Wales who are struggling with bills will be given £100 by the government to cover the cost of PE kits.Education Minister Jeremy Miles said the policy would help with the cost of living crisis and make household budgets “go a little bit further”.Any child who receives free school meals will be eligible for the one-off assistance from summer 2022.”Many parents will be worried about how they can afford the things their children need for school,” Mr Miles said.”This extra payment will help cover other costs, such as PE kits, school shoes and other equipment, helping household budgets go a little bit further.”The grant will be handed out through Wales’ Pupil Development Grant Access scheme, which gives families extra cash to cover uniform costs, PE kits, school shoes and other equipment. The scheme’s payout will be £100 higher this year, meaning learners entering year 7 will get a total of £300 and other years groups £225. More

The West must push for a negotiated settlement to end the Ukraine war and may have only a two-week window to achieve it, Tony Blair says.The former prime minister argued the key disputes – over Nato membership, the stationing of Western weapons and the futures of Crimea and Ukraine’s eastern regions – could be settled in talks.Mr Blair said he understood the view that “Putin deserves nothing but total defeat”, but warned: “The burden of this struggle is being borne by Ukrainians, not by us.”He pointed out that the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has pursued “ad hoc” talks – but called for the US and Europe to throw their full weight behind that effort.And he warned: “The next two weeks may be the last chance to achieve a negotiated settlement before the assault on Kyiv becomes worse, the Ukrainian people become hostile to any negotiation, or Putin faces a binary choice between “double down” or retreat.”In an article, Mr Blair also argued:* Ukraine will “in the end emerge as a strong independent nation” – because it is “absurd” to believe its people will “live under the heel” of Russia.* The blunder of the invasion may “herald the downfall of Putin” – who is “detached from reality, and with no one around him prepared to tell him the truth”.* It is “strange” for the West to suggest it will not respond with military action if Russia uses chemical weapons or a tactical nuclear weapon, or “tries to destroy Kyiv”.* The West will only “regain its confidence” on foreign and defence policy if it can defeat the “rampant populism of left and right”.* It is “no coincidence” that Nigel Farage and Jeremy Corbyn – fringe figures 15 years ago, but later successful – were most vocal in blaming Nato for Putin’s aggression.On the prospects for negotiations, Mr Blair said a deal might be possible on Putin’s red lines, although: “The final decision in any negotiation rests with Ukraine.”However, “Ukraine would require binding guarantees from the West to contemplate giving up on Nato membership”.Equally, it might be possible to “construct a process” to decide the future status of Crimea and the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, Mr Blair argued.That was “provided Putin doesn’t add a demand to keep the territory he is currently taking with considerable brutality in the corridor between Rostov and Odessa, a demand Ukraine could never accede to”.On Nato ruling out military involvement, Mr Blair wrote: “I accept the reasoning behind our stance.“But suppose he uses chemical weapons or a tactical nuclear weapon, or tries to destroy Kyiv as he did Aleppo in Syria, without any regard to the loss of civilian life – is it sensible to tell him in advance that whatever he does militarily, we will rule out any form of military response?“Maybe that is our position and maybe that is the right position, but continually signalling it, and removing doubt in his mind, is a strange tactic.” More

Boris Johnson justifies Saudi visit as attempt to build ‘widest possible coalition’ against PutinMore than 100,000 people have offered to house Ukrainian refugees within 24 hours of the government scheme launching.Offering monthly payments of £350 to hosts, the scheme was devised after days of criticism over the government’s handling of the humanitarian crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.Michael Gove said it will allow Ukrainians with no family links to come to the UK with “unrestricted access” to benefits, employment and healthcare.The levelling-up secretary added there would be “no limit” to the number of Ukrainians who can benefit from the scheme.Boris Johnson thanked all those who had signed up so far.Meanwhile, the UK sanctioned more than 370 new Russians with links to Vladimir Putin, Downing Street said.More than 1,000 sanctions have now been brought by Britain since the Russian invasion of Ukraine; 775 for individuals, the rest to banks, institutions and companies.Sanctions on Russian goods including vodka and a ban on exports of luxury products including vehicles, fashion and art were also announced today.Show latest update

1647354595More than 100,000 Britons register to sponsor Ukrainian refugees in first 24 hoursMore than 100,000 people have registered their interest in sponsoring Ukrainian refugees to stay in their homes – just 24 hours after the government website went live.Offering those who provide sanctuary a monthly payment of £350, the scheme was formally launched on Monday after days of criticism over the government’s handling of the humanitarian crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.Michael Gove told MPs it will allow Ukrainians with no family links to come to the UK and benefit from “unrestricted access” to benefits, employment and healthcare.The levelling-up secretary added there would be “no limit” to the number of Ukrainians who can benefit from the scheme.Liam James15 March 2022 14:291647353813Boris Johnson justifies Saudi visit as attempt to build ‘widest possible coalition’ against PutinBoris Johnson defended his forthcoming trip to Saudi Arabia, arguing there was a need to build the “widest possible coalition” to respond to Russia.Asked about the mass executions in Saudi Arabia and the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Mr Johnson said: “I think what the world is seeing is the return in Ukraine to the kind of brutality, the kind of absolutely indiscriminate bombing of civilian centres, of great cities that we last saw in the European continent 80 years ago, this is quite unbelievable what is happening now in our continent.“We need to make sure that we build the strongest, widest possible coalition to ensure that Vladimir Putin does not succeed, that we wean ourselves off Russian hydrocarbons and that is what the Uk is helping to do.”Pressed on whether that meant a coalition with other unpleasant regimes, Mr Johnson said: “We want to build the widest possible coalition to ensure that we focus on what is happening in Ukraine, the effect that is having on the price of oil and gas.”Boris Johnson justifies Saudi visit as attempt to build ‘widest possible coalition’ against PutinLiam James15 March 2022 14:161647352866Partygate shows system for investigating prime minister’s ‘behaviour’ failing, former adviser suggestsThe scandal over No 10 parties suggests the system for investigating a prime minister under the ministerial code is failing, a former adviser says.Philip Mawer, a former adviser on ministerial interests, hit out at No 10’s stranglehold over what is investigated – as he warned public confidence has been “seriously damaged recently”.“There is an issue around how the prime minister’s behaviour and/or lead in these matters is appropriately investigated,” he told a Commons inquiry.And he added: “The recent Partygate affair has brought that question to the fore.”The Conservatives have rejected a watchdog’s call for Boris Johnson to be stripped of the power to decide whether ministers are investigated for sleaze, despite public anger over sleaze.Liam James15 March 2022 14:011647351726Tory MPs block law to name and shame water companies that kill animals with sewageConservative MPs have voted down a law that would have named and shamed water companies that kill animals animals by dumping sewage into the natural environment (Jon Stone writes).In a Commons division on Monday evening parliament rejected the plan by 286 votes to 179 – despite support from the Liberal Democrats, Labour, and other parties.The amendment to the Animal Welfare Bill would have required a new committee on animals to detail “the number of sentient animals killed or injured as a result of polluted rivers”.It would also have required the report to explain what water companies were doing to protect animals in the future.MPs in favour of the change argued that current enforcement of how private water companies operate is too weak – noting that between 2018 and 2021, there were only 11 prosecutions of water companies for dumping sewage.Liam James15 March 2022 13:421647350586Arms imports to Europe up nearly 200% in last five yearsArms shipments to Europe jumped amid deteriorating relations with Russia in the five years through 2021, even as the global arms trade slowed, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) think tank said.Compared with the previous five-year period, international transfers of major arms shrank 5 per cent globally, Sipri said in a statement. But imports to states in Europe increased 199 per cent – the biggest growth in any world region.”The severe deterioration in relations between most European states and Russia was an important driver of growth in European arms imports, especially for states that cannot meet all their requirements through their national arms industries,” Sipri researcher Pieter Wezeman said.Britain, Norway and the Netherlands were Europe’s biggest importers, it said. Ukraine’s imports of major arms were very limited in the period despite tensions with Russia in the run-up to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine last month.”Other European states are also expected to increase their arms imports significantly over the coming decade, having recently placed large orders for major arms, in particular combat aircraft from the USA,” the think tank said.The United States remained the world’s biggest arms exporter, growing its market share to 39 per cent from 32 per cent.Liam James15 March 2022 13:231647349446Boris Johnson says UK will ‘continue to support’ Ukraine after Zelensky criticismBoris Johnson said the UK will “continue to support” Ukraine during the Russian invasion after a meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky earlier.The Ukrainian president criticised the Nato support for his country when he addressed the meeting of the Joint Expeditionary Force countries, several of which border Russia in the Baltics.A tweet from the @10DowningStreet account said “the UK-led Force is working intensively to implement further measures to cripple Putin’s war machine, support Ukraine and shore up European security.”The UK yesterday said it would continue to send arms to Ukraine after previous shipments of anti-tank missiles and other weapons.Liam James15 March 2022 13:041647348306Russian TV Editor who went on air with anti-war protest sign speaks outA Russian TV editor who protested against Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine has made a statement following her arrest.Marina Ovsyannikova has been praised by many around the world after she interrupted Russia’s most famous newsreader on the Kremlin-controlled Channel 1.She walked on the live broadcast and told viewers “They’re lying to you here” and “Stop the war!”The British government said it was worried for the safety of Ms Ovsyannikova.Russian TV Editor who went on air with anti-war protest sign speaks outLiam James15 March 2022 12:451647347853UK sanctions 370 more Russians linked to Vladimir PutinThe UK has imposed sanctions on an additional 370 people linked to Vladimir Putin, Downing Street has said (Andrew Woodcock writes).The move brings to more than 1,000 the total number of sanctions imposed since Mr Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, with 775 relating to individuals and the remainder to banks, institutions, companies and subsidiaries.Britain has lagged behind US and EU allies in targeting individual oligarchs for their support of the Russian president, because new legislation brought in as a result of Brexit meant that a watertight legal case needed to be established for each one, raising fears that the process could take months to complete.But last night’s passage of the Economic Crime Act has accelerated the process, allowing the UK to match sanctions imposed by the EU and US, and then develop detailed cases later.The Foreign Office said that the new list included “more Russian oligarchs and their family members, Putin’s political allies and propagandists”.Liam James15 March 2022 12:371647346266Boris Johnson tells Zelensky that West ‘must do more’Boris Johnson told Volodymyr Zelensky that he knows the West must do more to help Ukraine as Russian attacks continue.In a video address to a London meeting of Joint Expeditionary Force nations, the Ukrainian president said Nato had been “hypnotised” by Russian aggression and fear of a third world war had stunted the alliance’s response.Mr Johnson, at the meeting with representatives from Baltic and northern European countries, said to Mr Zelensky: “You challenge us, quite rightly, to do more and we all know that we can and we must do more.” “I hear your point very loud and clear about the economic sanctions that we need to tighten, where we need to go harder on the banks, on Swift.”He acknowledged it was a “desperate moment” and “we must try to do more, particularly to support you in protecting the Ukrainian people from bombardment from artillery and by aviation”.The UK has already said it was planning to send Starstreak anti-aircraft missile systems to Ukraine.Mr Johnson and Mr Zelensky last spoke on Sunday. The prime minister then said the UK would consider more options “for bolstering Ukraine’s self-defence”.Liam James15 March 2022 12:111647345306Ukrainian refugees can bring pets to UKRefugees fleeing Ukraine for the UK can bring their pets with them, the government has announced.Checks on pets will be sped up and the government will cover the costs of rabies and any other needed vaccinations, and quarantine for those awaiting vaccination.Microchipping costs will also be covered.Under normal UK rules, owners may enter or return to Britain with a pet cat, dog or ferret only if the animal has been microchipped, has a pet passport or health certificate and has been vaccinated against rabies.Normally, animals from Ukraine would also need a blood test for rabies at least three months before travelling.But these requirements have all been waived.Liam James15 March 2022 11:55 More

Boris Johnson is to travel to the Middle East overnight for talks to urge Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to step up oil production in response to the Ukraine war, Downing Street has confirmed.The prime minister will meet Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman just days after the desert kingdom executed 81 people in the largest mass imposition of the death penalty for many years.Downing Street said the PM will raise human rights and the UK’s opposition to capital punishment with the kingdom’s de facto ruler on Wednesday, but declined to say whether Mr Johnson will raise the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, in which “MBS” is widely alleged to have been implicated.Confronted by a Sky News interviewer over whether he was seeking support from “unpleasant” countries like Saudi and Iran in order to counter the threat from Vladimir Putin, Mr Johnson insisted it was necessary to “build the widest possible coalition”.He compared Putin to a drug-pusher feeding on the “addiction” of Western nations on Russian oil and gas and said the world needed to “to avoid being blackmailed by Putin in the way that so many Western countries sadly have been”.“We’ve got to get ourselves off Russian hydrocarbons,” said Mr Johnson. “They’re a massive part of the global market for hydrocarbons. They help to drive the price. “We need to talk to other producers around the world about how we can move away from that dependence. Vladimir Putin over the last years has been like a pusher, feeding an addiction in Western countries to use hydrocarbons, to use oil and gas. We need to get ourselves off that addiction.”Asked about his willingness to talk to MBS despite the Khashoggi murder, Mr Johnson said: “We want to build the widest possible coalition to ensure that we focus on what is happening in Ukraine and the effect that that is having on the price of oil and gas.“There’s no question at all that the spike in oil and gas … is being felt by British consumers, by everybody who has a central heating system. Everybody in this country is seeing the effects of that spike in prices. “We have to deal with that in any way that we can.”But anti-arms trade campaigners said that the visit would “embolden” Saudi Arabia in its use of military violence in Yemen and abuse of human rights at home.The Campaign Against Arms Trade said Mr Johnson appeared to be rewarding Riyadh for last week’s executions by making it the UK’s “fossil fuel supplier of choice”, as well as its largest arms customer, with £22m of sales to the coalition fighting in Yemen since the start of the war.CAAT’s Kate Fallon said: “This trip signals that the prime minister plans not only to replicate but to entrench another trading relationship with a murderous regime with no regard for the right to life of their own citizens, yet alone those of another country such as Yemen. “When we ask ourselves how did Russia feel so emboldened as to invade Ukraine indiscriminately targeting civilians throughout the first three weeks of this devastating war, the answer lies in decades of silence, excuses and short-sighted self-interest illustrated perfectly by the unconscionable actions of the prime minister.”The one-day visit comes as Mr Johnson prepares an energy supply strategy designed to help the UK wean itself off Russian gas and oil, which look set to involve new drilling in the North Sea as well as an accelerated switch to nuclear and renewables.It follows reports that MBS refused to take a phone call about the energy crisis from US president Joe Biden, who has previously said that Riyadh should “pay the price” for Khashoggi’s death.But Downing Street insisted that Mr Johnson, while visiting as the leader of a G7 country and permanent member of the UN Security Council, was not seeking to represent the views of the West in talks with Mohammed.Mr Johnson’s spokesperson said the PM recognised that the massive spike in energy prices caused by sanctions on Russia cannot be reversed overnight by oil-rich Gulf states turning on the taps.“There are no quick fixes,” said the spokesperson. “This is something that is a global challenge and needs to have global solutions. It won’t be fixed in one visit.” More

The UK has imposed sanctions on an additional 370 people linked to Vladimir Putin, Downing Street has said.The move brings to more than 1,000 the total number of sanctions imposed since Mr Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, with 775 relating to individuals and the remainder to banks, institutions, companies and subsidiaries.Britain has lagged behind US and EU allies in targeting individual oligarchs for their support of the Russian president, because new legislation brought in as a result of Brexit meant that a watertight legal case needed to be established for each one, raising fears that the process could take months to complete.But last night’s passage of the Economic Crime Act has accelerated the process, allowing the UK to match sanctions imposed by the EU and US, and then develop detailed cases later.The Foreign Office said that the new list included “more Russian oligarchs and their family members, Putin’s political allies and propagandists”.Among them are Putin’s prime minister Mikhail Mishustin, defence minister Sergei Shoigu and former president of Russia Dmitry Medvedev, as well as the Russian president’s chief spokesman Dmitry Peskov and Russian foreign affairs ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.Oligarchs Mikhail Fridman, Pyotr Aven and German Khan are on a list which includes super-wealthy individuals with a combined estimated worth of more than £100bn.Foreign secretary Liz Truss said: “We are going further and faster than ever in hitting those closest to Putin – from major oligarchs, to his prime minister and the propagandists who peddle his lies and disinformation. We are holding them to account for their complicity in Russia’s crimes in Ukraine.“Working closely with our allies, we will keep increasing the pressure on Putin and cut off funding for the Russian war machine.” More

Conservative MPs have voted down a law that would have named and shamed water companies that kill animals animals by dumping sewage into the natural environment. In a Commons division on Monday evening parliament rejected the plan by 286 votes to 179 – despite support from the Liberal Democrats, Labour, and other parties.The amendment to the Animal Welfare Bill would have required a new committee on animals to detail “the number of sentient animals killed or injured as a result of polluted rivers”.It would also have required the report to explain what water companies were doing to protect animals in the future.MPs in favour of the change argued that current enforcement of how private water companies operate is too weak – noting that between 2018 and 2021, there were only 11 prosecutions of water companies for dumping sewage.Following the defeat of the plan, Liberal Democrat rural affairs spokesperson Tim Farron, who proposed the amendment, said Conservative MPs “should hang their heads in shame”. “Yet again they have let water companies off the hook whilst our precious rivers and waters are being pumped full of raw sewage,” he said.“Enough is enough, we need to name and shame water companies which are being found to destroy precious wildlife habitat. It is scandalous that animals are swimming in filth and seeing their habitats become sewage traps. “This is a national scandal. Time and time again Conservative MPs refuse to take tough action on water companies. When will they finally listen to the public and do the right thing before our rivers are damaged beyond repair?”283 Tories voted against the motion, plus independent, Anne Marie Morris, who was elected as a Tory but now sits as an independent.The motion to require the reports was backed by nine Liberal Democrats, 158 Labour MPs, 1 Green, two Plaid Cymru, five DUP, one Alliance party member, and one Conservative MP, Henry Smith. Rejecting the amendment in the Commons, environment minister Jo Churchill said: “It is important that we do not dictate the committee’s work plan. Its members are the experts, not us, and are best placed to know where they can add value.”Water companies posted 2.8 billion in operating profits in 2020/21, with all of England and Wales’ monopolies raking in hundreds of millions of pounds in profit despite rising bills.Campaigners say the private companies have for years been underinvesting infrastructure to boost their profits. And conservationists are worried that lax treatment of water is leading to ecological damage, including in high-profile locations like Lake Windermere.Last week Ofwat, the regulator, said it was seriously concerned about the companies dumping sewage into seas and rivers and launch an investigation over “widespread shortcomings”.The Department for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs has been contacted for comment. More

The scandal over No 10 parties suggests the system for investigating a prime minister under the ministerial code is failing, a former adviser says.Philip Mawer, a former adviser on ministerial interests, hit out at No 10’s stranglehold over what is investigated – as he warned public confidence has been “seriously damaged recently”.“There is an issue around how the prime minister’s behaviour and/or lead in these matters is appropriately investigated,” he told a Commons inquiry.And he added: “The recent Partygate affair has brought that question to the fore.”The Conservatives have rejected a watchdog’s call for Boris Johnson to be stripped of the power to decide whether ministers are investigated for sleaze, despite public anger over sleaze.Amid the partygate furore, No 10 hinted at a possible rethink – but nothing has been heard since about beefing up the adviser’s role.In evidence to the Commons public administration committee, both Sir Philip and Alex Allan – who quit as the adviser when Mr Johnson refused to sack Priti Patel for bullying staff – attacked the current system.Sir Philip added: “There has been a succession of events recently which have called into question public confidence.“They bring what I regard as the honourable profession of politics into disrepute.”Sir Alex agreed that the current system is “not satisfactory”, calling for the adviser on ministerial interests – currently Christopher Geidt – to be able to launch investigations, to give “credibility to the process”.Otherwise, there would “always be suspicion” that – where no expected inquiry took place – the prime minister had simply decided not to refer the matter for a probe.He declined to give details, but referred to a case where he expected to start an investigation, but suddenly learned that the No 10 spokesman that there would not be one.“If the independent adviser had the ability to initiate investigations that would add to the credibility of the process,” Sir Alex told the committee.He also agreed there is a case for strengthening the ministerial code following criticism of ministers for using WhatsApp and other social media for official communications.“I think it probably would be improvement for the code to make it clear what is or isn’t acceptable,” Sir Alex said.Mr Johnson refused to allow investigations of Robert Jenrick and Matt Hancock, a controversy fuelled by the botched attempt to fix anti-sleaze rules to clear Owen Paterson.But the issue has been given rocket fuel by the investigation into the No 10 parties, which is still in the hands of the Metropolitan Police.The prime minister is accused of lying to the Commons and the ministerial code states that “ministers who knowingly mislead parliament will be expected to offer their resignation”.However, the current rules leaves Mr Johnson interpreting and enforcing the code himself. More