PMQs live: Boris Johnson faces Keir Starmer as pressure over Russia sanctions grows | Politics

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12.27pm GMT 12:27

Imran Hussain (Lab) says the PM is “no stranger to derogatory remarks about Muslim women”. He is asking about the inquiry into Mark Spencer and the “Muslimness” claim.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker, says this is no place to discuss the allegation about the PM. He interrupts Hussain, and allows Johnson not to address the question.

12.25pm ​​GMT 12:25

Kerry McCarthy (Lab) asks how it looks for members of the cabinet to be “throwing their toys out of the pram” because they want to eat foie gras when there is a cost of living crisis.

Johnson ignores the foie gras point, and lists government measures to help people with the cost of living.

12.22pm GMT 12:22

Caroline Lucas (Green) says when Johnson was foreign secretary, he said there was no evidence of “successful” Russian interference in UK elections. What evidence has he seen of unsuccessful interference in UK elections.

Lucas is being particularly loudly barracted by Tory MPs (some of whom are particularly sensitive to Russia’s claims tried to intervene in the Brexit referendum).

Johnson ignores the question, and repeats his claim that he has seen no evidence of successful Russian intervention in UK elections.

12.20pm GMT 12:20

Ian Blackford, the SNP’s leader at Westminster, says sanctions need to be stronger. We should not wait for Russia to attack before getting rid of Russian “dirty money” from London, he says. He says in the past he raised the issue of limited partnership. Some 113 of them have been used to channel $20.8m, he says. But the government has not addressed the problem, he says.

Johnson claims no country has done more to tackle the dirty money problem.

Blackford says he raised this problem five years ago. Nothing was done. He says Russians willing to offer “golden handshakes” got a warm reception. Some of this money went to the Conserative party. He quotes from the recent US thinktank report (see 10.04am) saying donations to the Tory party are discouraging the government from acting on this.

Johnson says he wants to clarify the situation

We do not raise money from Russian oligarchs. We raise money from people who are registered to vote on the UK register of interests.

And he criticises Alex Salmond, the former SNP leader, for taking money from RT.

12.14pm GMT 12:14

Starmer says the government should make it clear the UK can no longer be a home for the “loot” of Russian oligarchs.

Johnson claims no one has done more to address the problem. The UK was the first to call out what was happening in Ukraine, he claims. He says the UK is working in lockstep with its allies. Democracy is at stake, he says. He says it is vital the Commons sticks together on this. He says he is grateful for the opposition’s broad support.

12.13pm GMT 12:13

Starmer says Labor will back an economic crime bill in this session of parliament.

He calls for legislation to tighten the rules stopping foreign money coming into politics.

Johnson says the biggest foreign donations recently went to a Labor MP getting money from a member of the Chinese Communist party.

12.11pm GMT 12:11

Starmer welcomes the review of the RT license.

Johnson says economic sanctions will be more effective if taken in tandem with other countries.

And he says the economic crime bill will come forward in the next session of parliament.

12.09pm GMT 12:09

Government has asked Ofcom to review Kremlin-backed RT’s broadcasting license, Johnson says

Starmer says RT is Putin’s progaganda vehicle. Will the government ask Ofcom to review its license?

Johnson says the secretary of state has already asked Ofcom to review its license.

But he says the UK has a culture of free speech.

Updated at 12.13pm GMT

12.08pm GMT 12:08

Starmer says the package announced yesterday may have been misunderstood. If he goes further, Labor will support him. Will he do so?

Johnson says under the measures already approved any Russian entity and any Russian entity can be targeted. And members of the Duma can be targeted too, he says.

(Johnson is referring to the legislating enabling sanctions to be imposed – not the actual sanctions announced yesterday.)

12.06pm GMT 12:06

Johnson claims UK ‘out in front’ in terms of imposing sanctions on Russia

Keir Starmer says we all want to deter aggression in Europe. A sovereign country has been invaded. The PM said he would unleash a full package of santions following an invasion. “If not now, when?”

Johnson says people do not realise that the UK is “out in front” in terms of sanctions. He says 275 people are subject to sanctions. (Only three of those were added to sanctions lists yesterday.) And he says bank assets have been frozen. And there is more to come, he says.

12.03pm GMT 12:03

Johnson announces UK supplying further arms to Ukraine

Boris Johnson starts by saying that, in light of the “increasingly threatening behavior from Russia”, he can announce that the UK will soon be providing a further package of military support to Ukraine, including lethal aid and non-lethal aid.

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Sources

1/ https://Google.com/

2/ https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMid2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZWd1YXJkaWFuLmNvbS9wb2xpdGljcy9saXZlLzIwMjIvZmViLzIzL3VrLXBvbGl0aWNzLWxpdmUtYm9yaXMtam9obnNvbi11a3JhaW5lLXJ1c3NpYS1wbXFzLWxhdGVzdC11cGRhdGVz0gEA?oc=5

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