Boris Johnson news – live: ‘Millions left out’ in mini budget, as Shapps admits fuel prices still ‘crazy high’
Former Labour PM warns ‘this is an emergency’ as parents choose between turning up heating or feeding children amid rising cost of living
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Gordon Brown has said the chancellor’s Spring Statement “missed out millions of people facing real hardship”.
The former Labour prime minister warned “the problem is only going to get worse” as he described parents having to choose between paying to turn the heating up or feeding their children amid the rising cost of living.
He told BBC Breakfast: “There was a blank page in his budget statement this week and it missed out millions of people who are facing real hardship.”
His comments came as transport secretary Grant Shapps admitted fuel prices were still “crazy high”.
Speaking about the benefits of electric vehicles on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Shapps said: “For the time being, there is a big advantage in – and particularly with the crazy high fuel prices even after the chancellor’s generosity with the 5p off, we’re still seeing prices of £1.66, £1.70 at the pump during March and we want to see people relieved from the cost of living and going electric is one of the ways that that can start to happen.”
Ex-national security adviser calls for dismantling of Russia covert intelligence networks
The former head of the Civil Service and ex-national security adviser has called for the dismantling of Russia's covert intelligence networks across Nato countries.
Lord Sedwill told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Personally I would like to see the sanctions continue to toughen.
"We've seen more action on economic sanctions announced over the past couple of days, but after the Salisbury attack here for example, we completely dismantled the Russian covert intelligence capability in the UK, others did diplomatic expulsions, but I think across the Alliance we could do that."
He said countries should expel undeclared Russian intelligence officers "masquerading as diplomats or businesspeople" who were preparing cyber attacks, trying to "subvert our systems" or break the sanctions imposed on Russia.
Grant Shapps claims he ‘didn’t see’ email night before P&O’s mass sackings
Transport secretary Grant Shapps has claimed he "didn't see" an email sent round Whitehall about P&O's plans the night before the mass sackings and was told "at the despatch box".
Asked whether he had seen a message he was copied into about the company's decision, he said: "No, I didn't. Actually, all I knew is that they were going to make redundancies. They'd made redundancies previously during coronavirus properly."
He told BBC Breakfast: "I was actually stood at the despatch box on Thursday as rumours started to come out and that video, now infamous video, was being played, and was told about it whilst I was standing at the despatch box itself."
Asked who the email would have been sent to if not the transport secretary, he said: "Well, I think it was sent to a very small group of officials in order to record a conversation, the notes of a conversation that happened."
Mr Shapps added: "Frankly, even if I had known the night before, which I didn't, they'd already broken the law by not providing 45 days' notice, by using the Cyprus flag to get around it."
Watch: Grant Shapps says P&O Ferries boss should resign 'now' after his 'breathtaking' comments
UK wants to do ‘everything it can to assist Ukraine without exacerbating matters’, says Shapps
Cabinet minister Grant Shapps has said the UK wants "to do everything that we can to assist" Ukraine "without exacerbating matters".
It comes after Boris Johnson said it would "logistically" be "very difficult" to supply the Ukrainian president with the tanks and jets he asked for during a Nato summit on Wednesday.
The Transport secretary told Sky News: "The whole Nato thing - you saw Nato meeting yesterday, including President Biden, will be a collective decision.
"You know, Ukraine's not actually a member of Nato, of course. We're doing everything that we can to help and assist. We don't want to create a wider war from this."
He added: "We're providing the defensive weapons. What we don't want to do is enter the war directly (and) create a wider conflict, perhaps.
"So, these are judgment calls. But we want to do everything that we can to assist without exacerbating matters."
Grant Shapps taking in family of Ukrainian refugees
Grant Shapps has said he is taking in a family of Ukrainian refugees.
He told Sky News: "I'm in touch, as I say, with my opposite number and also with the Ukrainian family who are coming to live with us in our home, and so I'm hearing about it direct on the ground.
"They are incredibly grateful to the British people for everything that we are doing."
EU leaders warn countries not to try and get around Russia sanctions
European Union leaders have warned against trying to "circumvent" EU sanctions against Russia and say they will close any "loopholes" that are found.
At a top-level summit in Brussels the 27 presidents and prime ministers said any attempts to get around restrictions imposed by the block "must be stopped".
Our policy correspondent Jon Stone has more details:
EU leaders warn countries not to try and get around Russia sanctions
But leaders expected to shy away from ban on Russian gas
Russian foreign minister’s London-based ‘stepdaughter’ sanctioned by UK
The UK has sanctioned the “step-daughter” of the Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov in its latest raft of economic measures against those with close ties to the Kremlin.
The British government targeted Polina Kovaleva and 64 other individuals and companies on Thursday to put more pressure on Russia to end its war in Ukraine.
Rory Sullivan has the full story:
UK sanctions Russian foreign minister’s London-based ‘stepdaughter’
British foreign secretary Liz Truss says those linked to Russian war should ‘pay price’
Any use of chemical weapons by Russia ‘should be met in kind’, says David Lammy
Labour's shadow foreign secretary David Lammy has said the use of chemical weapons by Russia would be an escalation and should be "met in kind".
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Absolutely it's the case that the use of chemical weapons would be an escalation and it should be met in kind."
He added: "It's important not to speculate about that escalation and what the response would be.
"I don't want to signal that to Vladimir Putin but I think that it's right that the scenario that is now going on both in the White House and in the Ministry of Defence is prepared for that act."
Government plans law change to ensure companies at British ports pay minimum wage
Grant Shapps said the government is planning to change the law to ensure companies working from British ports pay people the minimum wage.
It comes after P&O Ferries chief executive Peter Hebblethwaite admitted its new crews are being paid below the UK's minimum wage apart from on domestic routes, but insisted this is allowed under international maritime rules.
The transport secretary said the move from the government would force a "U-turn on what's happened at P&O".
He told Sky News: "What I'm going to do ... is come to parliament this coming week with a package of measures which will both close every possible loophole that exists and force them to U-turn on this.
"We are not having people working from British ports ... plying regular routes between here and France or here and Holland, or (anywhere) else, and failing to pay the minimum wage. It's simply unacceptable and we will force that to change."
Grant Shapps says P&O Ferries boss should resign over ‘breathtaking’ comments
Transport secretary Grant Shapps has said the chief executive of P&O Ferries should resign after his "brazen" and "breathtaking" comments about "knowingly breaking the law".
It comes after Peter Hebblethwaite admitted the company broke employment law when it sacked 800 workers without notice.
Mr Shapps told Sky News: "I thought what the boss of P&O said yesterday about knowingly breaking the law was brazen and breathtaking, and showed incredible arrogance.
"I cannot believe that he can stay in that role having admitted to deliberately go out and use a loophole - well, break the law, but also use a loophole."
Pressed on whether that meant he was calling for Mr Hebblethwaite to resign "right now", he said: "Yes."
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