Ben Wallace appeared to undermine Liz Truss this morning as he said there are “better ways” to help Ukraine than by going out to fight.
Ms Truss, the Foreign Secretary, said on Sunday that she supported Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s call for an international resistance force drawn from abroad.
But Mr Wallace, the Defence Secretary, told Sky News that while Ms Truss was “right to say” it was for a just cause, only “trained military personnel” should travel to join the frontline.
“We can all do our bit – whether that’s donating through the Ukrainian Embassy… Our armed forces are contributing in a proper way to do this,” he said. If you’re keen to help, come and join our armed forces. There are people who will go.
“Unless you are properly trained, unless you are an experienced member of the armed forces, I think there are better ways for you to contribute to the security of Ukraine.”
09:47 AM
‘Butt out’ of Downing Street parties investigation, Boris Johnson ally tells police
Police should “butt out” of the “farcical” investigation into Downing Street lockdown parties, says a Tory peer who was a close adviser to Boris Johnson as London mayor.
Lord Moylan, who was appointed by Mr Johnson to lead a series of projects in London, said the “partygate” investigation by the Metropolitan Police was “extremely ill-judged” as it was never intended for Covid regulations to be used as a “retrospective” punishment.
Responding to allegations in The Telegraph that police had bungled the investigation by sending questionnaires to government figures about events they had not attended, he tweeted: “Time for the police to butt out of this farcical investigation.”
“My view has always been that during the pandemic the role of the police and the role police gave themselves was to seek compliance with the regulations through a gentle word of encouragement and admonition,” he said.
Only ‘acid house’ parties require enforcement, suggests peer
09:31 AM
How Volodymyr Zelensky is winning the propaganda war
The translator’s voice cracked as she attempted to relay Volodymyr Zelensky’s latest impassioned message to the Ukrainian people, writes James Crisp.
Mr Zelensky declared “Glory to Ukraine” as the interpreter apologised through sobs for being unable to continue.
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It was the president’s statement that Ukrainians knew exactly what they were defending that had proved too much for the translator from Germany’s Welt. But she is simply the latest to have been deeply moved by Ukraine’s communicator-in-chief, who was until recently floundering in the polls.
Liz Truss has called the Ukrainian president a hero. Ursula von der Leyen has praised him as “an inspiration”. And he is fast becoming an international icon.
Volodymyr Zelensky: A source of inspiration to his people
09:29 AM
Shadow culture secretary: Russia-Ukraine crisis requires ‘radical rethink’
The Russia-Ukraine crisis demands a “radical rethink” of British foreign policy, the shadow culture secretary said this morning.
Calling on the Government to go further and faster in its sanctions on the Putin regime, Lucy Powell observed the UK, Nato and other Western actors were “waking up” to a new threat.
“We didn’t ever think, as a generation, that we would see such a breach of those international norms we have been living with for decades with an illegal invasion of a European country on our doorstep by Russia,” she told Sky News.
As she noted action against Russia could be “tougher still”, Ms Powell said: “That is going to require a radical rethink in terms of our public policy, foreign policy and defence policy and so on.”
09:20 AM
Londoners told by TfL to WFH
Transport for London is urging commuters to work from home next week as tube strikes threaten to cause widespread disruption, writes Gurpreet Narwan, our Consumer Affairs Editor.
Although the Government dropped its work from home guidance in January, transport bosses said that workers should try to avoid coming to the office after talks with union bosses broke down last week.
TfL said that services would be seriously affected on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday after the RMT union announced industrial action.
TransPennine Express services will also be affected on Sundays from March 13 to April 3 and for three weekends in April and June after the RMT announced a series of fresh strikes by conductors.
Read more: City facing serious transport disruption
09:12 AM
Ban Russia from all culture and sport events, urges Labour
Russia should be banned from all international cultural events and sporting fixtures in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine, Labour urged this morning.
Lucy Powell, the shadow culture secretary, called for Russia to be “fully excluded, fully boycotted” across the board. On Friday, it was announced Russia would be excluded from this year’s Eurovision song contest, while the Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix was also cancelled last week.
“We now need to see a full and clear categoric (sic) signal so that Putin, who takes these occasions very seriously when he is hosting or participating in these events,” Ms Powell told Kay Burley at Breakfast.
“He needs to feel the full force of that where it hurts, and it will send a strong signal to the Russian people as well that they need to stand up to Putin because they will no longer be able to take pride in their country taking part in such events.”
09:04 AM
‘I haven’t had casual sex with anybody’
… the words of Matt Hancock, the former Health Secretary, to ease you into your Monday morning.
Mr Hancock said the affair with his married lover which ended his ministerial career did not break the law but started “quite quickly” after Covid rules were lifted.
The former health secretary resigned from Boris Johnson’s cabinet after CCTV images showing him in an embrace with Gina Coladangelo inside the Department of Health during the height of the pandemic.
On the pre-recorded The Diary of a CEO podcast, which went live this morning, Mr Hancock said he “fell in love” and “it all happened quite quickly. It actually happened… after the rules were lifted, but the guidance was still in place.”
Matt Hancock breaks silence on affair and weepy TV appearance
08:53 AM
Britain will ‘no doubt’ meet the moment on refugees
There is “no reason to doubt” that Britain will provide a “very generous” offer in response to the refugee crisis created by Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
“I think what I would say is, you know, our track record so far, both with Afghans and (the) Arap scheme, and indeed with the Hong Kong nationals who were suffering persecution, has been actually very generous,” he told the BBC.
“So there’s no reason to doubt we won’t continue on that path.”
08:45 AM
Breaking: Ukrainian delegation arrives for talks
The Ukrainian delegation has now arrived at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border for talks with representatives of Russia.
They will meet today “without precondition” – although President Zelensky has indicated he sees little prospect of any meaningful dialogue.
08:41 AM
Populist right ‘most likely to cost Tories next election’
A populist right wing party is the biggest threat to the Tories and could cost them the next election, according to a study by the think-tank that predicted the Red Wall collapse.
The research, by Onward, said the battleground for the next election will be in the north of England where changing demographics such as age, home ownership and education could enable the Tories to capture more than 30 more seats from Labour.
The analysis, which uses the same methodology that identified the red wall in 2019, found no comparable Conservative “Blue Wall” in the South that is vulnerable, although it detected a gradual drift away from the Tories.
Even a successful Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition would not dislodge the Tories because Labour has yet to extend its appeal into traditional Conservative territory, with its voting base concentrated in London and Liverpool at the expense of a wide geographical appeal, the study found.
Charles Hymas has all the details
08:31 AM
Russia haven’t got what they wanted, says Ben Wallace
What’s the situation on the ground in Ukraine? Russia has failed to take two big cities on the north-east, Ben Wallace noted this morning, while they have also struggled to take some key airfields despite having some success in the south.
“What you’re seeing is the Russian advance not going to plan,” the Defence Secretary told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “They haven’t yet got what they wanted, they haven’t got it to timetable. They are taking casualties every day and that’s mainly because of the flawed planning assumption that
“The Russian doctrine is if you don’t get what you want, get more and more violent, get more and more indiscriminate. That doesn’t always work and we’ve seen right now it isn’t working.”
08:22 AM
Ben Wallace: Ukrainians want to stay in Ukraine
Ukrainians want to stay in Ukraine and have the means to protect their country, Ben Wallace insisted this morning when asked what support Britain will offer refugees.
Speaking to the Today programme, the Defence Secretary said: “Britain is leading the world in providing and coordinating lethal aid and non lethal aid. Ukrainians want to be in Ukraine, they want to be in Ukraine, that is their first wish.”
Mr Wallace said the people of Ukraine want the ability to defend themselves above anything else.
“I know you want me to come on and talk about refugees, I’m the Defence Secretary and I was going to come on and also give you an update on where we are so people understand in the media the difference between what’s being reported and what our [assessment is].”
08:17 AM
‘Opportunity to be generous’ on refugees, says Tom Tugendhat
Britain could follow the European Union’s lead in granting asylum to Ukrainian refugees for up to three years, the chairman of the foreign affairs committee said.
“I’ve been speaking to ministers this morning and I can tell you there are many who are hopeful that this will be something that’s reviewed in the coming days,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Pressed on the EU’s stance, Mr Tugendhat said: “I suspect that’s likely to be where we end up to be honest. I think there’s a definite opportunity to be generous.”
08:12 AM
Putin’s oligarchs risk having UK properties seized under new powers
New powers to make it easier to seize the properties of Vladimir Putin’s oligarchs are to be introduced by the Government this week.
Investigators will be able to target the properties of oligarchs when they apply for orders to confiscate them if they suspect they have been bought with laundered money.
A new register of overseas entities will also allow investigators to unmask oligarchs who are using shell companies in Britain’s overseas territories to conceal their property wealth.
The UK, US and EU are setting up “kleptocracy” units to hunt down Russian oligarchs’ “luxury homes, yachts, jets and fancy cars” to prevent them bypassing economic sanctions following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, official sources said.
Charles Hymas and David Millward have this report
08:08 AM
Rishi Sunak bans Britons from transactions involving Russian state bank
The Government this morning confirmed it will target the Central Bank of the Russian Federation (CBR) in line with the US and EU.
It plans to introduce a ban on any British citizens or residents undertaking financial transactions involving the CBR, the Russian finance ministry, or its National Wealth Fund.
Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor, said: “These measures demonstrate our determination to apply severe economic sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We are announcing this action in rapid coordination with our US and European allies to move in lock step once more with our international partners, to demonstrate our steadfast resolve in imposing the highest costs on Russia and to cut her off from the international financial system so long as this conflict persists.”
08:05 AM
UK has got lethal aid into Ukraine since Russian invasion, confirms Ben Wallace
Ben Wallace has confirmed that the UK has got lethal aid into Ukraine since the Russian invasion.
Launching a strong defence of his defence policy after criticism of cuts to troop nubmers, Mr Wallace said: “We’ve got lethal and non lethal aid into Ukraine.
“Britain was the first European country to step up to join America with lethal aid. We’ve now even got the Belgians and other countries who historically would have been hesitant delivering lethal aid. I welcome strongly the EU’s position, it took quite a lot of us quite a lot of effort.”
“The key [with defence] is to get that balance. In the defence command paper we said a number of things should happen. One is [to] spend the money on the armed forces, the people we have, to be better equipped, more lethal, more joined up and at more readiness.
“Otherwise you end up in an army I was in when we had on paper lots of divisions but when you press the button they were completely hollow and we didn’t quite have the kit to deliver it… We have to some extent changed the balance.”
07:58 AM
Do not be ‘unduly alarmed’ by Putin’s nuclear threats, urges Ben Wallace
Britons must not be “unduly alarmed” by Vladimir Putin putting Russia’s nuclear arsenal on standby, the Defence Secretary said.
In a televised address, broadcast from the Kremlin, President Putin ordered the deterrence forces of the Russian army into a special mode of combat service.
“He’s made this comment, we keep it under review,” Mr Wallace said. “What we shouldn’t really forget is this is a big attempt to distract away from his troubles in Ukraine by just deploying into the media space these phrases.”
Describing an excessive focus on Putin’s rhetoric as “unhelpful”, he said the Russian president was completely focused on the invasion of a sovereign country.
And speaking to Times Radio, he added: “The people of the United Kingdom should not be unduly alarmed. We’re all talking about that, we’re not talking about his failures in Ukraine.”
07:55 AM
Good morning
Ben Wallace appeared to undermine Liz Truss this morning as he said there are “better ways” to help Ukraine than by going out to fight.
Here’s the front page of your Daily Telegraph:
