UK Politics

Government buildings in London have been flying the Ukrainian flag in a symbol of solidarity following the invasion of the country by Vladimir Putin’s Russian army.The distinctive pale blue and yellow colours fluttered above famous locations ranging from 10 Downing Street to the Thames-side HQ of secret intelligence service MI6 from Thursday evening.And both of these venues were lit up with the Ukrainian national colours last night.Boris Johnson’s official spokesperson said the move was an “expression of solidarity” with the people of Ukraine.The Home Office also shared a photo of the flag flying over its Whitehall HQ on Friday. “Today we’re flying Ukraine’s flag in support of the Ukrainian people, including those here in the UK,” said the department.The flag of Ukraine was also raised outside the Scottish Government’s HQ at St Andrew’s House, Edinburgh.The combination of blue and yellow as a symbol of the Ukrainian homeland stems from the 12th century flag of the kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia.It has been used as a national flag since 1848, when it was raised above the town hall of Lviv, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.The bicolour flag was officially adopted as a state flag for the first time in 1918 by the short-lived Ukrainian People’s Republic, but was outlawed under the Soviet Union.It was officially restored as the national flag in 1992 following Ukrainian independence.Many landmarks around the world have been lighting up in Ukraine’s colours to show their solidarity with the country.The Colosseum in the Italian capital Rome and the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin were illuminated with yellow and blue. More

Keir Starmer has stepped up his fight with Young Labour activists who attacked his backing for Nato in the Ukraine crisis, by scrapping their annual conference.The party’s youth wing is also having its funding slashed – and access to its Twitter account has been restricted for breaches of acceptable “standards of behaviour”.The move comes after David Lammy, Labour’s shadow foreign secretary, condemned the “lazy knee-jerk” anti-Americanism of young people he described as “just out of university”.A statement on the Twitter feed reads: “The account has recently become actively detrimental to the Party’s core objectives: to promote Labour candidates and policies, and to win elections.”“Young Labour is supposed to be a place for younger members to get away from factional rubbish,” a Labour source told the Daily Mirror.The stance was criticised as bullying by Jess Barnard, the group’s chair, who also warned it will drive young people away from Labour.“It is important that young members are not bullied into silence and we will continue to push for a democratic and autonomous Young Labour,” she said.“We fear this move will have the effect of encouraging young members to leave the party ahead of the Young Labour and Labour Students elections this summer.”Momentum, the group set up to support Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, also attacked a “shameful and anti-democratic attack on young members within Labour”“This is a blatantly factional move designed to silence critics of Labour’s direction under Starmer, exploiting a moment of global crisis,” the group said.“It’s also a recipe for disaster, as Starmer is set to further alienate the younger voters who are a key pillar of Labour’s core support.”The Independent has been told that the conference will not go ahead and that funding for Young Labour has been reduced.In tweets earlier this month, the Labour leader was condemned for “celebrating” closer cooperation by Nato while “attacking Stop The War and other pro-peace activists”.“Nato’s acts of aggression both historical and present are a threat to all of our safety,” Young Labour claimed.“Stoking up tension, macho posturing & trying to ‘out do’ the Tories on hawkish foreign policy will only lead to further devastation, loss of life and displacement of people across the world.”Young Labour – which all members under 26 join automatically – went on to “offer solidarity with those organising against this, including members of Stop the War”.On Thursday, 11 left-wing Labour MPs who signed a Stop The War Coalition statement criticising Nato withdrew their names, after being threatened with removal of the party whip. More

In talks with Nato leaders this afternoon, Boris Johnson is to renew his call for Russia to be excluded from a crucial international bank transfer system.Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Western powers to act immediately to lock Russia out of the Swift system, which would place a significant barrier to its oil and gas industries receiving payments from abroad.The move was included in the package of sanctions unveiled by Mr Johnson on Thursday, but has been resisted by Germany and Italy, with France also expressing reservations. The UK cannot go ahead without the agreement of partners in the Belgian-based system.Mr Johnson failed in a bid to secure agreement on the measure in talks with G7 leaders on Thursday, but will pursue the issue again in a conference call with Nato allies today, said Downing Street.Defence secretary Ben Wallace said the UK was ready to “work all day” to secure Russian exclusion, but said the measure could not be taken by Britain acting alone.“We want it switched off. Other countries do not,” he told the BBC. “We will work all the magic, do everything we can in diplomacy, the prime minister is going to address the Nato leaders summit today.”A spokesperson for chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government, Steffen Hebestreit, said on Friday that Russian suspension would be technically difficult and would have a massive impact on transactions for Germany and German businesses in Russia.The Swift system is a global messaging network used by almost all financial institutions worldwide to wire sums of money to each other and is a cornerstone of the international payments system.But there are concerns in capitals including Washington that Moscow could respond to exclusion by joining a parallel system being developed by China which is not tied to US dollars.US president Joe Biden has played down the need to block Russia from Swift, saying that while it is “always” an option, “right now that’s not the position that the rest of Europe wishes to take.” “The sanctions we’ve imposed exceed Swift,” said Biden. “Let’s have a conversation in another month or so to see if they’re working.” A Downing Street spokesperson played down the rapid rebound of Russian stock markets, which saw shares gain 15 per cent after a nosedive on Thursday as the invasion of Ukraine began.“As the prime minister said yesterday, the sanctions will deal a severe blow to the Russian economy,” said the spokesperson. “As much as £250bn was wiped off the Russian stock market yesterday, which is the biggest one-day decline on record.“Already, because of the actions, the rouble has reached record lows and blocking access to clearing services will send a shock to the banking system and the Russian economy.“What we’ve seen is one of the most severe packages of sanctions on any major economy that we’ve ever seen.” More

In talks with Nato leaders this afternoon, Boris Johnson is to renew his call for Russia to be excluded from a crucial international bank transfer system.Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Western powers to act immediately to lock Russia out of the Swift system, which would place a significant barrier to its oil and gas industries receiving payments from abroad.The move was included in the package of sanctions unveiled by Mr Johnson on Thursday, but has been resisted by Germany and Italy, with France also expressing reservations. The UK cannot go ahead without the agreement of partners in the Belgian-based system.Mr Johnson failed in a bid to secure agreement on the measure in talks with G7 leaders on Thursday, but will pursue the issue again in a conference call with Nato allies today, said Downing Street.Defence secretary Ben Wallace said Britain was ready to “work all day” to get Swift turned off for Russia, but stressed that this can only be done with the agreement of all partners in the system. “We want it switched off. Other countries do not,” he told the BBC. We will work all the magic, do everything we can in diplomacy, the prime minister is going to address the Nato leaders summit today.”A spokesperson for chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government, Steffen Hebestreit , said on Friday that Russian suspension would be technically difficult and would have a massive impact on transactions for Germany and German businesses in Russia.The Swift system is a global messaging network used by almost all financial institutions worldwide to wire sums of money to each other and is a cornerstone of the international payments system.But there are concerns in capitals including Washington that Moscow could respond to exclusion by joining a parallel system being developed by China which is not tied to US dollars.US president Joe Biden has played down the need to block Russia from Swift, saying that while it is “always” an option, “right now that’s not the position that the rest of Europe wishes to take.” “The sanctions we’ve imposed exceed Swift,” said Biden. “Let’s have a conversation in another month or so to see if they’re working.” More

Englands three largest cities are also the three most expensive in Europe for public transport, a new study has found. London, Manchester and Birmingham occupied the three bottom spots in a ranking of 36 metropoles by affordability. Researchers looked at each city and compared the price of a monthly travel pass to the average household budget.London ranked bottom with its £167 zone 1-3 price cap taking up 9.6 per cent of average household budget. By contrast an equivalent pass in Copenhagen, the most proportionally affordable city, takes up just 1.3 per cent of a local resident’s household budget. A 30-day commuter pass costs 620 Danish Krone (£69), while residents enjoy some of the highest incomes in Europe.Manchester and Birmingham fared little better than London, with Manchester’s monthly System One travel card weighing in at £126 and Birmingham’s TfWM zone 1-3 card costing £105. These account for 9 per cent and 7.9 per cent of household budgets respectively.The UK government subsidises urban public transport far less than most European countries, with the cost of bus and rail increasing in recent decades, while the cost of motoring has fallen.In the capital, the government has scrapped regular day-to-day subsidies for Transport for London and requires the operator to cover its costs.Rail fares are set to increase a further 3.8 per cent next week, while London tube and bus fares will go up by 4.8 per cent. Meanwhile the government has frozen fuel duty since 2009, forgoing around £46bn in revenues.In Paris, just 2.3 per cent of household income is required for an equivalent public transport ticket. A monthly pass giving free travel on all public transport in the wider Paris region costs just €75 (£62).Brussels, meanwhile, demands 2.4 per cent, where a regional public transport pass costs €55 (£45). Rome’s ticket costs 2.5 per cent of household income, while Amsterdam’s is 3.6 per cent and Berlin’s is 3.9 per cent.But London fared well in another metric: access to public transport. Inner London has 10.7 stations and stops per square km, behind only Paris and Lisbon. Manchester and Birmingham respectively ranked 17 and 10 out of the 36 cities studied by this metric, roughly in the middle of the pack.Oliver Lord, UK head of Clean Cities Campaign, which produced the report, said: “The only way to address our air pollution and climate crisis is to ensure public transport is a cheap, reliable and accessible alternative to the car. “Our new report shows that UK cities have the least affordable public transport in Europe, which will inevitably get worse given this government’s decision to increase fares in a cost of living crisis. “This government should be helping, not hindering, our cities to play their role in meeting the UK’s clean air and climate goals.”Paul Tuohy, chief executive of Campaign for Better Transport, said: “This report makes clear the link between the cost of public transport and efforts to decarbonise transport, and must therefore act as a wake-up call for the UK government. “We currently have a situation where it is often cheaper to drive or fly short distances than take the train or the bus, whereas the greenest option should always be the cheapest. “We need more affordable public transport to help us achieve the government’s vision, where public transport, cycling and walking are the first choice when it comes to transport.” A Department for Transport Spokesperson said: “Public transport in the UK is some of the best in the world and we will continue to build on the strong, green credentials thanks to our Transport Decarbonisation Plan, working towards a cheaper, cleaner and more accessible transport network.” More

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is facing questions from police investigating allegations of lockdown-breaching parties in Whitehall.Sources close to the chancellor said he had received a questionnaire from the Metropolitan Police asking him to confirm whether he attended the events under investigation and what excuse he had for being there.The move means that Mr Sunak is effectively being questioned under caution, and could face a fixed penalty fine of £100 or more for breaching Covid regulations.Mr Sunak was present at an impromptu birthday party arranged for Mr Johnson in No 10’s cabinet room on 19 June 2020.Police are understood to have been passed a picture of the event taken by an official photographer, which reportedly shows Mr Johnson holding a can of beer and Mr Sunak with a soft drink.A Treasury source has previously said that the chancellor joined the party inadvertently after going to the cabinet room for a Covid strategy committee meeting.Around 30 people were present at the event, where cake was served, at a time when indoor gatherings were banned under strict coronavirus legislation.Questionnaires were sent by the Met’s Operation Hillman to 88 people including the prime minister earlier this month, asking them to provide a “lawful exception” or “reasonable excuse” for their presence at any of the 12 events under investigation.The document states at the outset that those accused have an opportunity to provide “a written statement under caution”.It then goes on to ask around a dozen questions, including timings of attendance at parties and how many others were present.It also asks respondents if they “interacted with” or undertook “any activity with” any one present.The form gives them a chance to justify their actions, asking: “What, if any, lawful exception applied to the gathering and/or what reasonable excuse did you have for participating in the gathering?” More

Boris Johnson has said Britain will impose economic sanctions on more than 100 Russian individuals, entities and subsidiaries – including oligarchs close to president Vladimir Putin.The prime minister vowed to “hobble” the Russian economy in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine, as he set out the government’s plan to expand sanctions in the Commons on Thursday.Mr Johnson told MPs that the government would freeze the assets of major Russian banks – including VTB, the second’s largest bank – and would ban Russian airline Aeroflot from landing planes in the UK.The prime minister said it was the “the largest and most severe package of economic sanctions that Russia has ever seen” – and promised that Russian oligarchs living in London “would have nowhere to hide”.It is understood that further lists of targets have already been prepared so pressure can be further ratcheted up in what the PM called “a rolling programme of intensified sanctions”.Mr Johnson said Mr Putin’s “hideous and barbarous” venture in Ukraine must “end in failure”, adding: “Now we see him for what is – a blood-stained aggressor who believes in imperial conquest.”The PM also indicated that the UK would work with allies to limit Russian access to the Swift international payment system. “I know that this House will have great interest in the potential of cutting Russia out from Swift … nothing is off the table.”On the expanded list of sanctioned entities are five major companies in the Russian defence sector – including the country’s largest defence company Rostec, which employs more than 2m and exports £10bn of weapons a year – as well as more than 70 of their subsidiaries.All will have their assets frozen and UK-based companies and individuals will be barred from any transactions with them.Five super-wealthy individuals with close links to the Kremlin will also face asset freezes and blocks on transactions, as well as a ban on travel to the UK.The measures will mean, for example, that any of them with children studying at British public schools will be unable to pay their fees.The targeted oligarchs are Russia’s youngest billionaire Kirill Shamalov, who was previously married to Putin’s daughter, PS Bank chief Petr Fradkov, VTB Bank deputy president Denis Bortnikov, defence company director Yuri Slyusar and Novicom Bank chair  Elena Georgieva.A UK diplomatic source said: “These are people who have international lifestyles – they come to Harrods to shop, they stay in our best hotels when they like, they send their children to our best public schools, and that is what’s being stopped.”The official added: “So that these people are essentially persona non grata in every major western European capital in the world. That really bites.”Mr Johnson promised the Economic Crime Bill will include a register of overseas property ownership, while a new “kleptocracy cell” will be set up in the National Crime Agency. “That means oligarchs in London will have nowhere to hide,” said the prime minister.Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer braced the UK for the “sacrifice to defend democracy” of “economic pain” as oil prices soar and Russian money is flushed out of banks.Sir Keir said Labour would support further sanctions against the regime to see “its ability to function crippled” – and called for a ban on Russia’s participation in the Swift payment system.Earlier on Thursday Ukraine’s foreign minister urged countries to ban Russia from the Swift payments system – saying those who resisted the move would have “blood on their hands”.Mr Johnson has faced resistance from Germany to the exclusion of Russia from the Swift system, and a conference call of leaders of G7 states this afternoon agreed only that any move must be taken by members as a group rather than unilaterally.Legislation will be introduced and brought into effect on Tuesday to prohibit all major Russian companies form raising finance through UK markets and bar the Russian state from raising sovereign debt in Britain.All exports of dual-use technology are immediately banned and legislation will be rushed through to prohibit sales of hi-tech items and supplies for extractive industries. And elements of the Economic Crime Bill will be brought forward from next year’s agenda and pushed through parliament before Easter to crack down on illicit finance and laundering of Russian money.A limit will be set on the size of deposits which any Russian national can hold in a UK bank, though the threshold, and the date from which it will be applied, are yet to be decided.All sanctions on Russia will be extended to include Belarus.The package of sanctions has been drawn up over a matter of months by a team of officials trebled in size as the Ukraine crisis developed.Detailed cases for action have been drawn up for each individual and business, with the aim of making the justification for sanctions legally watertight in the case of a court challenge by the notoriously litigious oligarchs. More

Boris Johnson has said the UK would offer support for a Ukrainian government in exile after warning the president he may need a “safe place” to flee from Russian troops.The prime minister said he has told Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky he and his ministers may have to leave the country in the wake of the Russia invasion.“One of the points I made to president Zelensky this morning was it might be necessary for him to find a safe place for him and his cabinet to go,” the PM told MPs.Conservative MP Julian Lewis, who chairs the Intelligence and security select committee of parliament, asked: “If, as appears likely, Ukraine gets overwhelmed, will we offer to give sanctuary to a government in exile pending Ukraine’s future freedom?”Mr Johnson replied: “Of course we will give all support that we can – logistical or otherwise – as Britain always has done to governments in exile.”The prime minister said the UK will support the Ukrainians “economically, diplomatically, politically, and yes, militarily as well – I know that in due time we will success”.He said the “unflinching goal” of his government will be to see Vladimir Putin’s “squalid” venture fail. “Now we see him for what is – a blood-stained aggressor who believes in imperial conquest.”The PM extended punitive measures on Thursday to hit five further oligarchs, including the Putin’s former son-in-law, and to tackle more than 100 Russian businesses, individuals and organisations.Mr Johnson said the UK will imminently ban Aeroflot from touching down planes in the UK and will freeze the assets of all major Russian banks, including immediately against VTB.Earlier on Thursday Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba urged countries to ban Russia from the Swift payments system – saying those who resisted the move would have “blood on their hands”.Mr Johnson also indicated that the UK would work with allies to limit Russian access to the Swift international payment system. “Nothing is off the table,” he said.The PM is to lead another meeting of the government’s Cobra emergencies committee to discuss the Ukraine crisis, followed by a meeting of the cabinet, this evening.The PM’s spokesman said Whitehall departments, including No 10, will fly the Ukrainian flag and will be lit up in yellow and blue on Thursday evening in a gesture of solidarity. More