Government officials violated Covid laws at the height of the lockdown, a second cabinet minister has admitted. Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the international trade minister, said “this is right” when asked if the rules had been violated. Ms Trevelyan’s comments to Sky News on Wednesday morning came after Dominic Raab, the deputy prime minister, admitted the law had been broken. But Prime Minister Boris Johnson still refuses to accept that the Meteorological Police’s decision to impose 20 fines on staff showed that the breach had taken place in the heart of his government. Elsewhere, Labor is urging voters to “send a message to the Tories that they can not ignore” about the cost-of-living crisis as it launches its campaign for local elections. The party is set to unveil a survey that says it shows households will be 6 2,620 εν worse amid rising fuel, food and energy bills.
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Further sanctions imposed on prominent Russians
The latest names to be added to the sanctions list include propagandist Sergei Brilev and the Kremlin-sponsored TV-Novosti, which owns the RT news channel. Aleksandr Zharov, CEO of Gazprom-Media, Alexey Nikolov, CEO of RT, and Anton Anisimov, head of Sputnik International Broadcasting, were also fined. General Mikhail Mizinchev, dubbed “the butcher of Mariupol”, is also among the 14 new additions to the sanctions list. “Putin’s war in Ukraine is based on a torrent of lies,” said Foreign Minister Liz Truz. Britain has helped lead the world in exposing the Kremlin’s misinformation, and this latest round of sanctions is cracking down on shameless propagandists who banish false news and Putin’s narratives. “We will continue with more sanctions to increase pressure on Russia and to ensure that Putin loses to Ukraine. “Nothing and no one is off the table.” The United Kingdom has imposed further sanctions on prominent Russians, including members of the media and military leaders. Matt Mathers31 March 2022 11:25 1648721573
Fisherman asks for more help with fuel prices
Fishermen in Shetland, fearful that rising fuel prices could force them to moor their boats, are calling for help from the government – warning that without action the UK food supply could be affected. Shetland Fishermen’s Association (SFA) Daniel Lawson urged ministers to “help our fishing fleet continue to feed the nation.” The SFA appealed for help as it said the war in Ukraine had doubled the cost of diesel oil on the islands compared to last year. And Mr Lawson said: “While Shetland boats are struggling, they are seeing governments elsewhere take action to help an industry that is clearly valued.” Matt Mathers31 March 2022 11:12 1648720659
More progress is needed to find out the Home Office from the Windrush scandal
The Home Office must make “much greater progress” if it is to bring about the “cultural change needed” in the wake of the Windrush scandal, according to a review. The government department should “seize the opportunity” to make “fundamental” changes, so that it is better to deal with the public, more “confident in the eyes of control” and have a more professional workforce, according to a report published on Thursday. The findings come two years after Wendy Williams’ critical review concluded that the Windrush scandal was “predictable and preventable” and that victims were disappointed by “systemic operational failures” at the Home Office. The March 2020 report stated that the government department had shown “institutional ignorance and negligence” on the issue of race and history of the Windrush generation and made 30 recommendations for change. Matt Mathers31 March 2022 10:57 1648718916
Tories “incredibly proud” that their colleague goes out as a trans
International Trade Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan said the Conservatives were “incredibly proud” of Jamie Wallis for his “brave” decision to go out as a trans. Asked about reports that Boris Johnson made a joke about trans issues at a dinner for Tory MPs on Tuesday, Ms. Trevelian told Sky News: “You know, the jokes that are made at dinners are made, I think … everyone we know the Prime Minister. you know he has a very, very warm and affectionate personality and I think he is really, you know, proud and affectionate and he wants to support Jamie in his decision to share with the world his choice to present himself as a trans. “And I think, I mean, he’s a great young man and we’re very, very proud of him. “I think, you know, this ongoing discussion is so important, but it is also important that in fact, at the end of the day, we respect and love each other as we want to live our lives and I think that is always what he wants. prime minister to try and succeed. Matt Mathers31 March 2022 10:28 1648717772
Prime Minister’s removal will not affect UK position in Ukraine, Reeves claims
Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves said Labor’s renewed call on the prime minister to step down in the wake of the partygate scandal would not affect Parliament’s response in Ukraine. He told BBC Radio 4 today: “The whole Parliament is united in our response to Ukraine and if Boris Johnson replaced a different member of the cabinet, a different member of parliament … the position on Ukraine would not change. “The House of Commons is united in our resolute response to Russia’s aggression and to the needs of the Ukrainian people. “The position of the United Kingdom Government would not change if the Prime Minister changed. “But at the moment we have a Prime Minister who does not fully respect the rules, he has treated the British people as if he were a fool and I do not think he is capable of governing.” Matt Mathers31 March 2022 10:09 1648716655
List of written ministerial statements for Thursday
– Minister of Enterprise, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Business Information. – Undersecretary of State for Enterprise, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Information Briefing. – Undersecretary of State for Enterprise, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Performance Objectives for the Intellectual Property Office (a functional name of the Patent Office) for 2022/23. – Minister of the Council of Ministers: Guidance of payments 2022/23. – Minister of Finance: Decommissioning acts for oil and gas. – Chancellor of the Exchequer: Tax exemptions for sponsorship payments under the Homes for Ukraine program. – Minister of Education: Education Information. – Deputy Minister for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Budget of the Office for Environmental Protection. – Minister for Foreign Affairs, Commonwealth Affairs and Development: Annual Report and Accounts of the British Council 2020-2021. – Minister for Foreign Affairs, Commonwealth Affairs and Development: Notice of possible liability: Guarantee of Ukraine. – Minister for Foreign Affairs, Commonwealth Affairs and Development: Hong Kong Semi-Annual Report. – Minister for Foreign Affairs, Commonwealth Affairs and Development: Member of the Internal Advisory Group of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. – Minister of Health and Social Welfare: Update Covid-19. – Minister of Health and Social Welfare: DHSC briefing. – Secretary of the Ministry of Interior: Independent Office of Police Conduct – Annual Report and Accounts 2020-2021. – Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Ministry of the Interior: Responding to the decision of the ECtHR of the Department of the Greater Treaty in the case of Big Brother Watch & others v. The UK. – Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Ministry of the Interior: Update on the progress of the Windrush course review. – Minister of Interior: Work of the Ministry of Interior. – Secretary of State for Leveling Up, Housing and Communities: Supporting Families Annual Report. – Secretary of State for Leveling Up, Housing and Communities: The Intergovernmental Relations Annual Transparency Report. – Deputy Minister of Labor and Pensions: Annual Households below the median income and statistics of separate families 2020/21. – Deputy Minister of Labor and Pensions: Extension to the Housing Support Fund. The following are the written ministerial statements that are to be made to the Commons on Thursday: Matt Mathers March 31, 2022 9:50 AM 1648715646
Truss to challenge India’s silence on Ukraine in talks with Monti
Foreign Minister Liz Troy and her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov are both visiting India. Ms Truss is holding talks with her counterparts amid Western concern over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reluctance to publicly condemn the actions of Russia – a longtime Cold War ally. Liz Trass with Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, February 10, 2022 (EPA) India, which is heavily dependent on Moscow for arms imports, abstained in a series of UN votes on the issue. Mr Lavrov will use his visit to push for closer trade ties to help reduce the impact of Western economic sanctions on Russia after the invasion. Our political correspondent Ashley Cowburn has more details below: Matt Mathers31 March 2022 09:34 1648714666
NATO has been “defeated,” says the former army chief
General Sir Nick Parker, the former commander of the British Army’s ground forces, said NATO had been “defeated” and called on a smaller coalition of nations to develop an offensive strategy against Russian President Vladimir Putin. Asked by BBC Radio 4 today about NATO’s response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, he said: “I guess it’s a bit controversial, I mean NATO was defeated, it was called a NATO bluff. “We have not been able to stop the Russians from encroaching on all of Ukraine, and now NATO is holding the 2004 expansion line along the Baltic and Polish lines, Hungary and Romania. “And what he has to do is defend this line, in military terms we would call it a defensive position. “And I do not think it has the ability to attack with its 30 nations, all with slightly different views. “We must have a smaller coalition of nations that can begin to develop an aggressive counter-strategy for …
