Politics

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

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 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

Michael Gove said he was never told that he or Boris Johnson should not meet Evening Standard owner Evgeny Lebedev after reports that MI6 has had concerns about the Russian oligarch since 2013. Fresh questions have been raised about Boris Johnson’s decision to nominate Lord Lebedev, whose father was a KGB agent in London, for

JK Rowling has accused Sir Keir Starmer of misrepresenting equalities law after the Labour leader said that according to statute, “trans women are women”. The Harry Potter author disagreed with the Labour leader’s comments and said he had misrepresented the law, which she said indicated “the Labour Party can no longer be counted on to

Downing Street put the brakes on Home Office initiatives to allow a bigger share of Ukrainians fleeing their homeland to settle in the United Kingdom, Sky News understands. Home Secretary Priti Patel faced significant criticism this week from colleagues for failing to provide more routes for Ukrainians to reach the UK, prompting anger among Conservative

Public hearings for the inquiry into the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic are not set to begin until next year, raising the possibility that its findings won’t be published before the next election. The revelation came in an open letter to the public from Baroness Hallett, the chair of the inquiry. She said representatives

Britons will be able to open their homes to Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion under a new scheme. Defending the government amid criticism of its response to the refugee crisis, Boris Johnson told Sky News’ Beth Rigby Interviews programme the UK would be “generous” to those fleeing Ukraine, and details of this second visa scheme

When Boris Johnson was deep in the quagmire of the partygate scandal, his rival Sir Keir Starmer said the country needed “a serious leader for serious times” and called on the prime minister to go.  For weeks, Mr Johnson was hanging on by a thread, his future being openly discussed as the Metropolitan Police launched

Armed Forces minister James Heappey has warned serving British soldiers and veterans not to travel to fight in Ukraine. Mr Heappey told Sky News the government position is that if you are serving member of the armed forces and choose to join the conflict in Ukraine, you are considered to be breaking the law. “No

Liz Truss will warn the West must “never again” allow aggression like Vladimir Putin’s “to grow unchecked” – as the Ukraine invasion enters its third week. The foreign secretary will use a speech at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington DC on Thursday – the 15th day of the Ukraine invasion – to call

A visa centre being set up in northern France to assist Ukrainian refugees will not offer appointments or walk-in access, and its exact location will not be made public, the Home Office has confirmed. Earlier, a Downing Street spokesman told reporters the centre in Lille would “start accepting appointments” from Thursday, but that has been

The Ukrainian ambassador to the UK has said he does not believe a huge number of refugees fleeing the country will come to Britain as many want to stay in bordering nations “closer to their roots”. Appearing in front of the Home Affairs Commons Committee, Vadym Prystaiko told MPs that Ukrainian refugees want to get

The government has made it a criminal offence for any Russian aircraft to enter UK airspace. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss also announced a ban on the export of aviation and space-related goods and technology and on UK companies providing insurance and re-insurance services in relation to these. On Tuesday Transport Secretary Grant Shapps sent a

A new Economic Crime Bill to bolster the government’s ability to target Russian oligarchs has been pushed through the Commons. The Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Bill received an unopposed third reading on Monday evening and will now go to the House of Lords for further scrutiny. It was rushed through the Commons in the

Boris Johnson has defended the UK’s support for fleeing Ukrainian refugees and has said “nothing is off the table” when it comes to sanctioning Russian oligarchs. Yesterday, the Home Office revealed that only “around 50” visas had been issued under the Ukraine Family Scheme – which allows Ukrainian refugees who have family settled in the

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mark Rutte of the Netherlands will visit Downing Street today for talks about the international response to the Ukraine crisis, as the UK government is criticised for moving too slowly on sanctioning oligarchs. Prime Minister Boris Johnson will launch into a week of what Number 10 called “focussed engagement”