Politics

Vladimir Putin is in “a total panic” about a revolution in Moscow which is why he is trying “so brutally to snuff out the flame of freedom in Ukraine”, Boris Johnson has said. Condemning the “vicious and a barbarian attack on innocent civilians”, the prime minister drew a direct comparison with the actions of the

As the chancellor prepares to deliver the Spring Statement next week, polling suggests confidence in the Conservative Party’s handling of the economy is at its lowest point in more than a decade. Labour’s rating has remained relatively static, with only a slight improvement since Jeremy Corbyn’s time as leader and no sign yet of a

Jacob Rees-Mogg has dismissed the row over parties held during lockdown in Downing Street and across Whitehall as trivial “fluff”. Speaking at the Conservative spring xonference in Blackpool, the Brexit minister said the current Ukraine crisis showed that partygate was not a fundamentally serious issue. “It is a reminder that the world is serious, that

This week, the pundit, coach and former player talks to Beth Rigby about what he says are big questions about football ownerships after sanctions were put on Roman Abramovich. Plus, why he’s signed up as a member of the Labour Party, what makes a good leader and who would he rather work for – Liverpool

The government is reviewing its contracts with P&O after the ferry company’s “wholly unacceptable” and “insensitive” sacking of 800 staff members, a minister has told MPs. Condemning the firm, maritime minister Robert Courts told the House of Commons he was “extremely concerned and frankly angry” at the treatment of workers by P&O. “These are hardworking,

Boris Johnson has vowed a further crackdown on oligarchs and the super-rich by promising to curb their abuse of the UK legal system to stifle public criticism. The prime minister has called for an end to the “chilling effect” of elites using the threat of legal action to silence critics. Ministers will take aim at

Boris Johnson has declined to say whether his trip to Saudi Arabia will result in a boost to the kingdom’s oil production – as he insisted his talks about its human rights record would be “kept private”. The prime minister visited both the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday as he continues his

Legal targets for air pollution and the abundance of wild species are among proposals being set out by the government. Ministers want legally-binding targets for air quality, wildlife, water, waste reduction and resource efficiency. The proposals include annual targets for average concentrations of fine particulate matter – air pollution that can affect lung function and

The Lord Speaker has called for a more “robust” appointment process for peers after the SNP called for Lord Lebedev’s parliamentary pass to be revoked. In a letter on Tuesday, Lord McFall said “there is a case for examination of the appointments process” to ensure that “new appointees are able to make a worthwhile contribution

The government-backed refugee scheme being unveiled today will build on lessons learned from the Afghanistan evacuation last summer, according to government sources. 15,000 Afghans were taken to the UK, but many are still stuck in hotels and unable to work or integrate. The hope in Whitehall is that the approach for Ukrainian refugees will go

Justice Secretary Dominic Raab is visiting the International Criminal Court (ICC) today to offer the UK’s help in gathering evidence to prosecute Vladimir Putin for possible war crimes in Ukraine. Mr Raab will meet the court’s prosecutor, British lawyer Karim AA Khan, in The Hague to offer “technical support in bringing those responsible for war

A government minister has defended the Saudi Arabian takeover of Newcastle United as MPs described the mass execution of 81 men as a “new low” for the kingdom and urged the prime minister to cancel a visit. Senior Conservative MP Crispin Blunt, a former chair of the House of Commons foreign affairs committee, asked an

The UK has issued 4,000 visas under the Ukraine Family Scheme ahead of launching a further programme for Britons to house refugees. The Home Office said the latest number is as of 3pm on 13 March, after Communities Secretary Michael Gove told Sky News on Sunday “more than 3,000” visas had been issued. Under the

Boris Johnson has called on Western nations to “take back control” of their energy supplies and end an “addiction” to Russian oil and gas that has left them subject to “blackmail” by Vladimir Putin. In an article for the Daily Telegraph, the prime minister insisted the West “cannot go on like this” and remain “economically

There will be no limit to the number of Ukrainian refugees who can come to the UK as they face their “hour of greatest need”, Cabinet minister Michael Gove has told MPs. Announcing the details of a new sponsorship scheme for those fleeing Russia’s invasion, Mr Gove expressed his hope that many Britons would “open their

The UK has announced sanctions on 386 Russian politicians who supported Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the Foreign Office has said. The sanctions mean bans on travel to the UK and the freezing of assets for those who voted for the independence of separatist regions Luhansk and Donetsk. Fears Putin’s forces could use chemical weapons