The first fines for violations of the Covid-19 lockdown on Downing Street are to be issued soon by the Metropolitan Police, according to reports. Sources told the Guardian that the fines were “imminent” and that about 20 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) would be issued, with more expected to follow. The force is investigating 12 incidents, including six, which are said to have been attended by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. It emerged last week that detectives investigating alleged anti-lockdown parties on Downing Street and the Cabinet Office had begun questioning key witnesses. The Met said that at that time more than 100 questionnaires had been sent to individuals at the reported concentrations. There was no official briefing from Downing Street or the Cabinet on Monday afternoon. Met said: “We are not currently commenting and will refer you to our March 21 statement which is still on our website.” It comes as Rishi Sunak faced his first Commons vote since delivering his spring statement, which was widely criticized by lawmakers last week.

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More than two million EU citizens and their families are in temporary immigration status that could lead them to lose their UK residency rights and leave the country, Oxford academics have warned. A new report from the University of Oxford’s Immigration Observatory is sounding the alarm about the “default status”, which requires people to reapply within five years or become illegal immigrants. The status was given to people who lived in the UK before the end of free movement in December 2020, but could not prove they had been in the country for more than five years up to that point, writes Jon Stone. Joe Middleton March 29, 2022 00:09 1648507632

ICYMI: Russians must decide who governs them, says Secretary of Education

The Russians must decide who governs them, says the Minister of Education Joe Middleton March 28, 2022 11:47 PM 1648506055

“Murders are the result of half-heartedness”: Women killed by men in more than a quarter of homicides in recent years

Women have been murdered by men in more than a quarter of all homicides in England and Wales in recent years, according to a new study. A survey by the House of Commons library, published exclusively in The Independent, found that women are the victims while men are the main suspect in 28 per cent of all homicide cases since 2016. The report found that 2,350 homicides took place between April 2016 and March 2021 – with 668 of these cases being women murdered by men, writes Maya Oppenheim. Joe Middleton March 28, 2022 11:20 p.m. 1648504545

ICYMI: Rishi Sunak denies posing as ‘tax-cutting chancellor’

Risi Sunak denies posing as ‘tax-cutting chancellor’ Joe Middleton March 28, 2022 10:55 PM 1648503291

The Metropolitan Police is preparing to issue the first fines for the No 10 lockdown party

The Metropolitan Police is ready to impose the first series of fines on government officials as part of its investigation into multiple complaints about parties destroying the lockdown at No. 10, according to reports. It’s been two months since the force launched a formal investigation, examining hundreds of photographs and footage from an internal government investigation conducted by Whitehall Sue Gray mandarin. A first installment of pre-determined penalty notices for the simplest cases will be issued “immediately” as part of the force search for 12 separate events held at No. 10 during strict Covid restrictions, according to reports by The Guardian and the BBC. Our political correspondent Ashley Cowburn has the details. Joe Middleton March 28, 2022 10:34 PM 1648501925

The minister refuses to say how many visas were issued after 20,000 applications in the Homes for Ukraine program

The minister refuses to say how many visas were issued after 20,000 applications in the Homes for Ukraine program Joe Middleton March 28, 2022 10:12 PM 1648500655

Brexit trade shock was ‘always inevitable’, Rishi Sunak tells lawmakers

It was “always inevitable” that Brexit would have an impact on the UK’s trade with the rest of Europe, Chancellor Rishi Sunak admitted. Mr Sunak agreed that the UK’s drop in trade volume relative to other top economies could very well have been caused by the fact that Britain was the only one to go through Brexit. The chancellor’s comments came after the publication of a survey by the Office for Budget Responsibility which suggests that the UK “trade intensity” has fallen by about 15 percent as a result of leaving the EU, writes Andrew Woodcock. Joe Middleton March 28, 2022 9:50 PM 1648499231

The Met has imposed the first fines for the No 10 violations of the lockdown Covid

According to reports, the police investigating the alleged anti-Covid blockade held at No. 10 will soon issue an initial installment of fines. The Guardian said it understood the 20 FPN alerts would be issued “immediately”, although a government source told the PA that they would not be issued Monday night. The force is investigating 12 incidents, including six that Prime Minister Boris Johnson allegedly attended. It emerged last week that detectives investigating alleged lockdown parties at Downing Street and the Cabinet Office had begun questioning key witnesses. The Met said that at that time more than 100 questionnaires had been sent to individuals at the reported concentrations. There was no official briefing from Downing Street or the Cabinet on Monday afternoon. Met said: “We are not currently commenting and will refer you to our March 21 statement which is still on our website.” Joe Middleton March 28, 2022 9:27 PM 1648487504

Will Smith was invited to speak in the British Parliament about Chris Rock’s slap

Will Smith was invited to speak in the British Parliament after an incident where he hit Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars. Conservative MP Dehenna Davison wrote to Mr Smith on Monday after the incident and asked the French Prince’s star to come and speak to MPs. It comes after Labor leader Keir Starmer said it was wrong for Mr Smith to slap his comedian colleague, writes Jon Stone. Joe Middleton March 28, 2022 6:11 PM 1648486469

Putin’s Russia must pay “long-term costs” for invading Ukraine, Labor says

Vladimir Putin’s Russia must pay a “long-term cost” for invading Ukraine, Labor said. Shadow Foreign Minister David Lamy told lawmakers: “Putin’s invasion may have stopped, but the threat remains. Information indicates that he may be looking for a way out. We want to see an end to the bloodshed and the restoration of Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty. “I am confident that the Foreign Minister will agree with me that any ceasefire agreement must have the full support of the democratically elected Government of Ukraine. “If an agreement is reached, there will be no return to the previous status quo in our economic relationship with Russia. “Putin’s regime has to pay a long-term cost for its aggressive war. “We must resolutely end our dependence on fossil fuels and move quickly to cheap domestic renewables to support our energy sector.” Earlier, Secretary of State Liz Tras said: “We have to make sure that Putin will never again be able to act in this aggressive way. “Any long-term settlement must include a clear resumption of sanctions, which will be automatically triggered by any Russian aggression.” Joe Middleton March 28, 2022 5:54 p.m.