Tag Archives: Politics

BBC Question Time: Comedian Dom Joly Blasts Government’s ‘Disgusting’ Treatment Of Ukrainian Refugees

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Comedian Dom Joly has condemned the government’s “disgusting” treatment of Ukrainian refugees as he blasted the visa requirement and ministers’ fears of letting in spies.

Speaking on BBC’s Question Time, the Save the Children ambassador also criticised Conservative policies that tried to deter the “wrong sort of refugee”.

Joly took issue with the bureaucracy around the Homes for Ukraine scheme, with the government yet to say how many visas have been issued via the programme.

He also spoke out against ministers warning that women fleeing Ukraine could be Russian spies coming to Britain to launch Salisbury-style attacks.

Joly said: “Firstly, this government seems to … well, its supporters mainly, seem to have an anti-refugee, anti-immigrant feeling and so I think they feed off that, they feel that is the way to go.

“And certainly they have been incredibly confused by the fact that people seem to be incredibly sympathetic towards Ukrainian refugees and I cannot, for the life of me, see what the difference is between Ukrainian refugees and Syrians and Afghans. Well, actually, I can and I think that is one of the reasons, for instance, that there were no visa offices set up at Calais, because they did not want the wrong sort of refugee or immigrant turning up.”

He said the apparent sluggishness in issuing visas via the Homes for Ukraine scheme spoke to the “ludicrous amount of complications”.

“Why are we the only country asking people to have visas?,” he said, referring to the European Union, by contrast, granting temporary residency to Ukrainians fleeing the invasion and giving them access to employment, social welfare and housing for up to three years.

“There was this ridiculous excuse that somehow some of these people might be spies or they might be secret agents coming to do that. Well, that does not seem to affect any other country, so why are we so special?”

He finished: “I think it is disgusting the way we treat it, I really do.”

Almost a week after its launch, the government has not confirmed how many Homes for Ukraine applications have been successful. On Question Time, government minister Damian Hinds said a report detailing the figures has yet to be published, but “thousands” of Ukrainians with family links have been given visas.

He said: “Everybody recognises that there is the most enormous humanitarian emergency going on. We are a warm-hearted, kind-hearted nation, and we must do not only our share, but we want to do more than our share.”

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Anoosheh Ashoori: Freed Iran Detainee ‘Angry’ UK Government Delayed Paying Debt To Tehran

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A father freed from a prison in Iran after a five-year ordeal has said he feels “angry” the UK government took so long to secure his release.

Anoosheh Ashoori, 68, a retired civil engineer, accused Boris Johnson of “opportunism” after the prime minister ignored his request for an intervention two years ago, and is now offering a meeting.

Ashoori, a British-Iranian dual national, was arrested in August 2017 while visiting his elderly mother in Tehran.

He was detained in the notorious Evin prison for almost five years, having been accused of spying. He consistently and vigorously denied the allegations.

Ashoori was released at the same time as charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, and came after months of intensive diplomatic negotiations between London and Tehran.

The UK finally agreeing to settle a £400 million debt dating back to the 1970s appeared to break the deadlock.

British-US national, Morad Tahbaz, remains imprisoned in Iran.

<img class="img-sized__img landscape" loading="lazy" alt="Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori.” width=”720″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.wellnessmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/anoosheh-ashoori-freed-iran-detainee-angry-uk-government-delayed-paying-debt-to-tehran-2.jpg”>
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori.

Leon Neal via PA Wire/PA Images

The mother-of-one said she was let down by successive foreign secretaries before she was finally freed last week.

Speaking at a press conference in the House of Commons, Zaghari-Ratcliffe said she disagreed with her husband, Richard, who had thanked the government for finally reaching a deal over a £400 million debt owed to Iran by the UK over an order for Chieftain tanks more than 40 years ago.

The British-Iranian said there had been five different foreign secretaries over the course of her six years in jail.

She said: “How many foreign secretaries does it take for someone to come home? Five?

“What’s happened now should have happened six years ago.”

When asked on Beth Rigby Interviews on Sky News whether, after being held for nearly five years under four different foreign secretaries, he felt forgotten, Ashoori replied: “I agree with Nazanin 100%. She in fact put her finger on the right button by saying that. She should have been here years ago, if that debt was paid. That wasn’t a ransom, that was a debt that the British government owed. It should have been paid, and if it was paid perhaps none of this would have happened. So yes, I feel a bit angry.”

He added the prime minister had written to him “eager to see us”, despite Johnson previously snubbing a 2020 voicemail from Ashoori that attempted to get his case heard (his wife, Sherry, did not hear back).

Ashoori said: ”​I think that it’s a bit of opportunism involved in it, at the same time as all of this has happened under his command. So one could argue that it was the British government, the present British government, that succeeded in doing that, which is correct. At the same time you could say that why didn’t you contact us, my family, and now you are eager to do that.

“How would you expect us to absorb that? How would you expect us to think of you with this letter now? Why couldn’t this letter be sent five months ago, a year ago, two years ago? Why now?”

Ashoori said he was “not sure” whether he would see Johnson now.

In an interview with the Guardian, Ashoori questioned whether ministers would have acted earlier if they had spent just a day in Evin.

He told the newspaper: “Is it such a big job to pay this debt? Would those ministers be able to stand even one day of their life in Evin? If they could feel what it is like maybe they would have made the right decision much earlier. You cannot imagine yourself in that hell, that cesspool.”

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UK Sends 6,000 More Missiles To Ukraine In Johnson Push To ‘Keep Flame Of Freedom Alive’

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The UK is to send 6,000 more missiles to Ukraine to bolster Kyiv’s fight against Russia’s invasion as Boris Johnson urged Western allies to help “keep the flame of freedom alive”.

The British prime minister will use as summit of Nato and G7 leaders to detail a new support package for the Ukrainian military, including thousands of missiles comprising anti-tank and high-explosive weaponry.

In addition, the UK is providing £25 million from the Foreign Office’s conflict security and stabilisation fund to help pay the salaries of Ukrainian soldiers and pilots battling the Russians.

Ahead of his visit to Brussels on Thursday for talks, a month on from the Russian invasion, Johnson called on other Western leaders to step up the supply of military hardware to Kyiv as well as doubling down on sanctions against Russia.

“Vladimir Putin is already failing in Ukraine. The Ukrainian people have shown themselves to be extraordinarily brave and tenacious in defending their homeland, in the face of an unprovoked onslaught,” he said.

“But we cannot and will not stand by while Russia grinds Ukraine’s towns and cities into dust. The United Kingdom will work with our allies to step up military and economic support to Ukraine, strengthening their defences as they turn the tide in this fight.

“One month into this crisis, the international community faces a choice. We can keep the flame of freedom alive in Ukraine, or risk it being snuffed out across Europe and the world.”

Britain has already sent more than 4,000 anti-tank weapons to Ukraine, including next-generation light anti-tank weapons systems (Nlaws) and Javelin missiles.

The UK is also supplying and training Ukrainian troops in the use of Starstreak high-velocity anti-air missiles as well as providing body armour, helmets and combat boots.

In a further move, the government is to provide an additional £4.1 million to the BBC World Service to counter disinformation in Russia and Ukraine as well as new support for the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Justice secretary Dominic Raab will chair a meeting of justice and foreign ministers in The Hague to coordinate support for the ICC’s war crimes investigations.

He is expected to announce an additional £1 million in funding for the court, as well as new support from UK soldiers with expertise in intelligence gathering and Scotland Yard’s War Crimes Team.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s predecessor told ITV News on Tuesday: “Please, no comparison.”

“How many citizens of the United Kingdom died because of Brexit? Zero,” he said, pointing to “only today” 150 Ukrainian children were killed by the Russian military and that whole cities have been completely destroyed.

Johnson also faced a backlash on Wednesday for pulling faces in the Commons as chancellor Rishi Sunak described Ukrainians huddled in basements.

The latest UK military intelligence suggests Russia is failing to break the spirit of the Ukrainian population as its invasion continues to stall.

In an intelligence briefing on Tuesday night, the ministry of defence said attempts to use media manipulation, propaganda and install pro-Kremlin local leaders have so far been unsuccessful.

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Rishi Sunak Confronted On Live Radio By Mother Who Cannot Afford To Heat Home

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A single mother-of-two has confronted Rishi Sunak about how she cannot afford to heat her home despite taking on two extra jobs and reducing her grocery bill to £15 a week.

On LBC Radio, Hezel tackled the chancellor – on the day of his spring statement – about the “intense strain” rising costs had put on her ability to provide for her children, despite “on paper” having what is considered a good salary.

She said a government grants are not “going to cut it” as she asked Sunak “what else you suggest I can be doing to help myself”.

Experts – including consumer champion Martin Lewis – have said measures in Sunak’s financial update will do not go far enough in alleviate the squeeze on households.

The caller said: “The significant increase in our energy bills has meant that we don’t have the boiler on.

“The lights are always off unless absolutely necessary and when it’s cold, we wear jumpers and coats and sometimes you can see our breaths when we breathe.

“Now, despite working a full-time job I’m having to find ways to bridge the gap. I’ve started cleaning houses and I spend every evening riding a bike delivering Uber Eats.

“I’ve managed to cut my grocery shop down to just £15 a week for an adult and two children, and I often go without myself to make sure the kids get what they need and they’re fed.”

Sunak replied that he “cannot imagine how difficult” her job was, as he has a “wife and other help”, adding that he pays tribute to her for “working your socks off to look after them”.

He pointed to the energy bill rebate and higher national insurance threshold that will give a tax cut in July, although it will only offset a tax rise due in April.

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Martin Lewis On Rishi Sunak Tackling The Cost Of Living Crisis: ‘Nowhere Near Enough’

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Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis has said Rishi Sunak’s spring statement announcements to help tackle the cost of living crisis were “nowhere near enough”.

On Wednesday, the chancellor brought fuel duty down by 5p until next March, raised the national insurance contribution thresholds to remove more low-paid workers from paying it, and took a penny off the basic rate of income tax by 2024.

But the founder of moneysavingexpert.com, speaking to Sky News, made clear there was very little to help with soaring household bills.

Lewis said the national insurance change would have a limited impact on people claiming Universal Credit. and extra cash for a “starving or freezing” fund would only help those in the most extreme circumstances.

Lewis said: “The chancellor has done more than I expected him to do but still nowhere near enough.

“We are still standing on a personal finance precipice in the UK.

“The chancellor is now the only person who can pull us back from that and I don’t think what we saw today is enough to do it.”

Lewis pointed to a “very dangerous time” where typical households will see their energy bills in October go up by £1,300 compared to the same time a year earlier.

“There is nothing close in this budget to covering that amount of money,” he said.

The consumer journalist said the country was reaching the point where people were “heating the human not heating the home”. He explained: “Don’t turn your central heating on, sit in a sleeping back. This is not advice, this is the tangible situation people are putting themselves in. Whether you have to get an electric blanket to get the heat you need, then leave the house to be cold. That is a tactic I am seeing people doing. Stark, isn’t it?”

He added in a message to Sunak: “Chancellor, you are the only person who can help.”

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Is Rishi Sunak Trying To Meme His Way To No. 10?

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In what has now become tradition, Rishi Sunak’s team has published a series of pre-financial update pictures featuring the chancellor that were immediately seized upon on social media.

Ahead of reveling how he’ll push taxpayers’ money around (it’s called the spring statement but is a budget in all but name), the image-conscious politician was variously pictured preparing his speech and looking relaxed as he held forth to aides.

Wednesday’s address is set against a difficult backdrop. Sunak is trying to square the circle between burnishing his low-tax Conservative credentials with one eye on the Tory leadership, and actually raising taxes to pay for pandemic policies and NHS promises. There’s also pressure to provide relief from the rising cost of living and added strains from the war in Ukraine.

While crunching the numbers is Sunak’s prioriry, so-called optics matter too. One picture stood out from the set:

We can assume the A4 sheets of paper laid out in two neat rows represent the latest version of the speech Sunak will deliver to the Commons. It’s a bit like a footballer carefully positioning their kit in the changing room ahead of the big match.

Anyway, Twitter was ready to do what Twitter does.

It was pretty easy to photoshop

It had a certain posed energy

There were echoes of a gameshow classic

Two gameshows, in fact

These were some of the other pictures of the chilled-out chancellor

SIMON WALKER HM TREASURY

SIMON WALKER HM TREASURY

And the article he’s reading in one of the photos seems fascinating

It’s very much not the first time Sunak has been instantly memed.

On the eve of the budget in October, the Treasury published another series of photographs of the chancellor preparing for the big day.

The pictures included one of a Twix bar and a can of Sprite, and another with his dog Nova. The most commented on image had Sunak standing next to an adviser while sporting socks and £95 Palm Angels’ sliders.

And on the eve of his summer 2021 statement to parliament, the chancellor was pictured with a £180 “supermug”.

On his desk was the Ember Travel Mug, reportedly a gift from his wife, Akshata Murthy, the daughter of a billionaire businessman, which retailed for up to £179.95 online.

<img class="img-sized__img landscape" loading="lazy" alt="Sunak and the Ember Travel Mug.” width=”720″ height=”494″ src=”https://www.wellnessmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/is-rishi-sunak-trying-to-meme-his-way-to-no-10-6.jpg”>
Sunak and the Ember Travel Mug.

HM Treasury

One less successful piece of stage management saw Sunak on the stairs of No. 11, alongside other members of his Treasury team.

The oddly-framed picture brought to mind films including Titanic and The Shining, as many pointed to chairs being photoshopped out of the shot.

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Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe Praised For ‘Speaking Her Mind’ After ‘Vile’ Twitter Attacks

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Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been praised for “speaking her mind” after some “vile” Twitter attacks were launched following her criticism of the government.

On Monday, the charity worker was outspoken about Conservative ministers for taking six years to secure her release from prison in Iran.

The mother-of-one said she was let down by successive foreign secretaries before she was finally freed last week.

Speaking at a press conference in the House of Commons, Zaghari-Ratcliffe said she disagreed with her husband, Richard, who had thanked the government for finally reaching a deal over a £400 million debt owed to Iran by the UK over an order for Chieftain tanks more than 40 years ago.

The British-Iranian said there had been five different foreign secretaries over the course of her six years in jail.

“That is unprecedented given the politics of the UK,” she said. “I love you Richard, respect whatever you believe, but I was told many, many times that ‘Oh we’re going to get you home’. That never happened.”

She said this resulted in her finding it difficult to place trust in them, adding: “How many foreign secretaries does it take for someone to come home? Five?

“What’s happened now should have happened six years ago.”

Following the press conference, the word “ungrateful” trended on Twitter – which appears to have largely been driven by anonymous accounts.

But David Bannerman, a former Conservative MEP for the East of England, and a one-time deputy leader of the UK Independence Party, was among the verified Twitter users to weigh in. He wrote: “I do hope she’s not biting the hand that saved her. Does she bear no responsibility for being in a country with such a nasty regime?”

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He also retweeted an anonymous account which said: “The words you’re desperately searching for are ‘many thanks to the British government and taxpayers for paying the £400 million ransom…’”

Many negative tweets can be found in the replies to a post by Sky News which said: “Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has disagreed with her husband who thanked the foreign secretary for securing her release, saying that her release ‘should have happened six years ago’.’

But the attacks on Zaghari-Ratcliffe appeared to be far outstripped by those praising the 43-year-old.

Channel 4 News host Cathy Newman wrote: “Ridiculous (but sadly predictable) that people are cross with Nazanin for speaking her mind. She was plenty grateful for being released (and spent quite some time exhaustively thanking people) but justifiably angry that she lost six precious years in jail. Wouldn’t you be?”

Television presenter Gabby Logan said: “People (some men) really don’t like women speaking their truth. Tough.”

On April 3, 2016, the mother-of-one was detained by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard at Imam Khomeini airport after a holiday visit to Iran where she showed her daughter Gabriella to her parents.

Gabriella, now 7, was just 22 months old when her mother was arrested on trumped up charges of plotting against the regime – which she has always denied.

The charity worker was sentenced to five years in the notorious Evin Prison and was detained in Iran ever since.

While Nazanin’s release appears now to have hinged on the repayment of the historic debt, the government long dismissed this was the case – despite husband Richard Ratcliffe telling ministers otherwise.

“Nazanin’s interrogators told her five or six months into her arrest that they were astonished that this had lasted so long,” Ratcliffe insisted.

Despite current foreign secretary Liz Truss latterly acknowledging the link, foreign office minister James Cleverly told the commons only in March last year that historic debts between the two countries are “unrelated” to Nazanin’s detention.

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Is Russia Losing The War? Putin’s Army Suffers ‘Considerable Losses’ As Invasion Stalls

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Vladimir Putin’s forces in Ukraine are increasingly relying on the “indiscriminate shelling” of urban areas as they fail to capture key cities, the UK government has warned.

In its latest update on the crisis situation in Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Russia had suffered “considerable losses” since launching its invasion more than three weeks ago.

As a result, Russia has “increased its indiscriminate shelling of urban areas resulting in widespread destruction and a large number of civilian casualties”, the MoD said.

“It is likely Russia will continue to use its heavy firepower to support assaults on urban areas as it look to limit its own already considerable losses, at the cost of further civilian casualties.”

The UK assessment comes as Ukraine accused Russia of further atrocities in the besieged city of Mariupol, where the city council says an art school that was sheltering around 400 people has been attacked.

The latest assault follows Russia’s bombing of a theatre earlier this week that was thought to be sheltering more than 1,000 people.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned Russia’s relentless targeting of Mariupol, calling the bombardment a “terror that will be remembered for centuries to come”.

Pope Francis also used his Sunday address in Vatican City to call on world leaders to “stop this repugnant war”.

“The violent aggression against Ukraine is unfortunately not slowing down,” he said.

“It is a senseless massacre where every day slaughters and atrocities are being repeated.”

The MoD also warned that it was likely that Russia would continue to use heavy firepower to attack urban areas as a means to limit its own “already considerable losses”.

There were reports on Sunday that a senior Russian Navy officer had been killed.

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Rishi Sunak Hints At Fuel Duty Cut To Ease Cost Of Living Crisis

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Rishi Sunak has dropped a heavy hint that he will announce a cut in fuel duty in Wednesday’s spring statement.

The chancellor is under pressure from his own MPs to introduce measures to help the public cope with soaring bills.

According to data firm Experian Catalist, the average cost of a litre of petrol at as of last Tuesday was £1.65, while the average cost of a litre of diesel was £1.76.

Meanwhile, energy bills are set to rocket by £693 a year for the average household from April 1, when Ofgem increases its price cap.

Inflation, interest rates and council tax bills are also going up, adding to the pressure on household budgets.

Sunak has been warned that millions of households could be forced into fuel poverty and has been urged to bring in mitigating measures in his spring statement next week.

Asked on Sky News’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday whether he could cut fuel duty, the chancellor said he understood people’s concerns.

“Obviously I can’t comment on specific things, but what I would say, I understand that, I have a rural constituency, people are incredibly reliant on their cars and this is one of the biggest bills that people face, watching it go up, right, we’re all seeing that, when we’re filling up our cars,” he said.

“I get that, that’s why we’ve frozen fuel duty already, I announced that in autumn, it’s the 11th consecutive year of fuel duty freezes and that really helps people, I know that.”

Asked on the BBC’s Sunday Morning programme whether he was considering a 5p cut in fuel duty — as some campaigners are calling for — Sunak replied: “Again, I know this is frustrating for you frustrating and for people watching, I’m not able to comment on on tax policy, particularly in advance of the fiscal event.

“We’re the party that has frozen fuel duty for over a decade because we recognise the importance of people being able to fill their cars up and it not be prohibitively expensive.

“We understand that and that’s why we’ve acted for years already on this issue.”

In response, Labour has said it would not vote against moves to cut fuel duty if the chancellor does decide to slash the tax in his spring statement.

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme that her party would “not stand in his way” if Sunak did go ahead with the measure.

But she said cutting fuel duty by 5p would only reduce filling up a car with petrol by £2.

Instead she said the government should consider Labour’s proposal to introduce a windfall tax on the profits made by North Sea oil and gas companies.

“When I first said there should be a windfall tax back in January, we thought it would raise about £1.2 billion, but since then oil and gas prices have increased substantially and that surcharge, that windfall tax would now bring in about £3.7 billion,” she said,

“Instead of carrying on down the path this chancellor is going on, he should look again at Labour’s proposals for a windfall tax and use that to keep bills low for everybody else.”

Conservative MP Robert Halfon said it was “absolutely vital” the government cut fuel duty, saying there is “real fear out there”.

“People are really terrified about the literal triple whammy that they are facing, whether it is petrol and diesel costs at the pumps, the high energy bills and also general household bills as well, and that’s why it’s absolutely vital the government cuts fuel duty or VAT on fuel because it’s unsustainable for millions of people up and down the country.”

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David Cameron Is Volunteering At A Foodbank – And Everyone Is Pointing Out The Same Thing

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David Cameron has faced a backlash for posted a photo of the former prime minister volunteering at a food bank – despite being blamed for the surge in emergency aid because of his austerity agenda.

In series of tweets, the former prime minister revealed he will be driving a small lorry full of supplies for Ukrainian refugees to the country’s border with Poland.

He announced the trip as he confirmed he had been volunteering for two years at a food project in west Oxfordshire called the Chippy Larder. He has previously referred to helping out at the Chipping Norton Food Bank.

Through the project, he said donations had been taken in for refugees from Ukraine and they now had enough “to fill a small lorry with everything from nappies to sanitary products, warm clothes to first aid kits”.

Posting a photograph sitting behind the wheel of the lorry, Cameron said: “I’m currently driving to Poland with two Chippy Larder colleagues to make our delivery to the Red Cross.

“It’s going to be a long drive, but I’ll keep you updated along the way.”

While most will commend his humanitarian efforts to help Ukrainians, commentators pointed to the “hypocrisy” of a politician who helped create the foodbank phenomenon in Britain now posing for pictures at one of the charitable organisations.

Leading foodbank the Trussell Trust handed out 41,000 food parcels in 2009-10, the year Cameron came to power. By 2016, when he exited office, that number had risen to 1.2m. The latest figure stands at 2.5m.

Cameron and his chancellor George Osborne were the architects of the early 2010s Conservative austerity programme that saw government spending slashed to bring the country’s deficit under control. Critics blame the cuts in benefits for the growth of foodbanks.

Labour MP Zarah Sultana led the criticism, tweeting: “Foodbank use went up 2,612% while David Cameron was prime minister. Apologise for that before you start posing for photos.”

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