10.11 a.m. BST 10:11
Peter Walker A cross-party group of MPs and peers has joined forces with UK universities to extend visa requirements for Ukrainian refugees to temporary accommodation for students and academics. In a letter to Priti Patel, the UK Home Secretary, MPs and Universities, the university’s defense organization, he said the program should provide visas and temporary places to displaced students and academics for study and research. Led by Andrew Rosindell, the Conservative MP for Romford, who is a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, the group also includes Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey. David Blunkett, the Labor Party peer and former education secretary. and Tom Tugendhat, the Tory backbencher who chairs the foreign affairs committee. The government has so far introduced two systems to allow Ukrainians displaced by the Russian invasion of their country to come to the UK – a program for family members already in the country and one that individuals or organizations can support. the arrival of men. The latest statistics from the Ministry of Interior showed that out of 32,800 applications through the family system, 24,400 visas had been issued. Through the sponsorship route, 150,000 expressed interest in granting individuals, with 32,200 formally applying to do so and 4,700 visas issued. The letter argues that the magnitude of interest in the sponsorship system shows that many Britons are willing to help and that a visa for students and academics would help more people flee until they are ready to return home. Read more here:
10.10 a.m. BST 10:10
Rowena Mason Public service leaders are preparing for the behavior of Whitehall executives, who will be severely criticized at Sue Gray’s partygate show after the former head of government ethics apologized for his presence at an illegal rally. Amid speculation about whether Boris Johnson will be fined for a lockdown party at No. 10, there is also concern in Whitehall about how to deal with the consequences of senior civil servants involved as rally organizers when the full report is finally released. It comes as Helen MacNamara, the former head of decency and ethics in the cabinet’s office, apologized after a leak that named her as one of the 20 people fined following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police. Understandably, a departure party for Kate Josephs, who chaired the Covid task force, has also resulted in fines in the first wave of penalty announcements. Joseph is currently on paid leave from her job as executive director of Sheffield City Council pending an investigation. A senior source said there was concern that details in Gray’s report, which is a senior civil servant, would throw some civil servants in the wrong light and there may be indications that some knowingly broke the rules when organizing rallies, leading to possible disciplinary action. . Gray has the power to name senior civil servants in her report, though she may choose not to use it. In her interim report, she did not name or mention only the “senior official whose main function is to directly support the prime minister” – believed to be a reference to Martin Reynolds, the chief private secretary. Read the full story here:
9.49 a.m. BST 09:49
Pro-Cabinet Green ministers are frustrated by Boris Johnson’s decision to step down from ambitious onshore wind farm projects in England, as more than 100 Tory MPs have emerged as pushing backstage policy. The prime minister, who will announce his energy strategy later this week, will announce big targets for increasing nuclear and offshore wind power, as well as exploiting more North Sea oil and gas. But it has been hit by a cabinet split over land winds, with Kwasi Kwarteng, secretary of operations, and Michael Gove, secretary of leveling, in favor, and others, such as Grant Shapps, secretary of transport, characterizing the land. turbines as “eye rub”. . Nine other cabinet ministers – Steve Barclay, Nadine Dorries, Simon Hart, Chris Heaton-Harris, Brandon Lewis, Priti Patel, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Mark Spencer and Nadhim Zahawi – have signed a letter calling for a cut in support. ashore. in 2012. The letter was orchestrated by Heaton-Harris, now in charge of party discipline, who co-organized a campaign called Together Against Wind and wrote a handbook that was a “step-by-step guide to opposition to a wind farm in your area “. A spokesman for Heaton Harris did not comment on the incident, saying it was a “windfall”. Read more from my colleagues Rowena Mason, Rob Davies and Helena Horton here:
9.32 a.m. BST 09:32
Waterproof restrictions should be placed on the agency that buys Channel 4, said Dorothy Byrne. Asked if Labor should commit to renationalisating the network if it is in government, the former Channel 4 head of news and current affairs told BBC Radio 4 today: I do not think it is up to me to say what the Labor government should do. But I think if this is what the government is going to do, and it seems that, I think the fight is going on to really ensure as much as possible that there are tight barriers to this organization that buys it. Meanwhile, the conservative former chairman of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sports Committee, Damian Collins, has spoken out in favor of privatization. Mr Folkestone and Mr Hythe said: If we do nothing in a landscape where traditional broadcasters have reduced incomes, reduced amounts of money they can spend on new programs, will Channel 4 be viable? To me this is the test, actually. Private ownership and the cash flow that could come from it could be good for making Channel 4 viable in the long run.
9.31 a.m. BST 09:31
The former head of news and current affairs on Channel 4 said the government planned to privatize the network to “throw some red meat at Tory supporters”. Speaking to Times Radio on Tuesday, Dorothy Byrne said Channel 4 is not left-wing, adding: I think it is being privatized to throw some red meat at very right-wing Tory supporters at a time when the government is in trouble. I think the political agenda is to show that the government is doing something radically right to please the people. It’s the same agenda as the attack at the end of the leave. It’s this crazy thing, privatization, good to do. He also said: It is flourishing and thriving at the moment, it costs absolutely nothing to the British people, it owes nothing, it is a great success. All of its programs are run by independent production companies, so Channel 4 does not need to be privatized to raise money to help independent production companies, because Channel 4 already does this and does many, many of its programs outside London. goes on to do half of its programs outside London.
9.28 a.m. BST 09:28
The privatization of Channel 4 “does not make sense” and will cause “great damage”, say Labor
The privatization of Channel 4 “does not make sense” and will cause “great damage to jobs and opportunities,” Labor said. It was revealed yesterday that the Secretary of Culture, Nadine Dorries, is promoting the controversial privatization plans of Channel 4, with the government supporting proposals for the sale of the broadcaster after 40 years of public ownership. The plans were met with strong reactions from the media industry, with prominent broadcasters such as Sir David Attenborough suggesting that the government pursued an agenda of “short-sighted political and economic attacks” on British public service broadcasters. Shadow Culture Secretary Lucy Powell told BBC Radio 4 today: It makes no sense. I do not find that many are in favor of this. I think it will cause great damage to jobs and opportunities in the creative industries, especially in Leeds and …
