Prime Minister Boris Johnson reacts as he walks up the stairs after a family photo of the leaders of the the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), a coalition of 10 states focused on security in northern Europe, following their meeting at Lancaster House in London
(PA)
Boris Johnson is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia and the UAE on Wednesday to lobby the Gulf states to increase their production of fuel supplies to make up for reduced reliance on Russia.
In a statement issued by his office on Tuesday, the prime minister called the two countries “key international partners”.
The trip comes amid outcry from UK lawmakers, who urged Mr Johnson to scrap plans for a post-Brexit trade accord with Saudi Arabia as it executed 81 people over the weekend.
The government is also facing heat from the parliamentarians and is accused of wasting millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money on a so-called “festival of Brexit” calling it a “recipe for failure”.
The Unboxed: Creativity in the UK event, scheduled for next year, is supposed to showcase the country’s creative minds following its exit from the European Union with the government investing £120 million in it.
Slamming the initiative as “irresponsible use of public money”, the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sports Committee in a scathing report said the ministers failed to communicate a “compelling vision” to the public for a “vague and shape-shifting” event.
Ukrainian soldiers are shouting ‘God save the Queen’, claims Tory minister
A Tory minister has claimed that Ukrainian soldiers are shouting “God save the Queen” as they fire weapons provided by the UK at Russian tanks.
Foreign Office minister James Cleverly made the claim on Tuesday after it emerged that Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly told Boris Johnson that troops were saying a portion of the national anthem while attacking the invaders.
“We have heard anecdotally that Ukrainians are shouting ‘God save the Queen’ as they are firing those weapons at the tanks that have been sent to destroy them,” said Mr Cleverly. “I am very, very proud that we play an incredibly important part.”
Read the details in this report by Joe Middleton.
Namita Singh16 March 2022 05:18
Boris Johnson reaches UAE
Prime minister Boris Johnson reached Abu Dhabi airport early on Wednesday, where he was greeted by British Ambassador to the UAE, Patrick Moody, and presidential adviser Anwar Gargash.
Mr Johnson is visiting UAE and Saudi Arabia as part of his efforts to press for increased oil production from the Gulf states to reduce the UK’s dependency on Russia.
The prime minister, who earlier called the two countries “key international partners”, is scheduled to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed before travelling to Saudi Arabia for a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
British PM Johnson holds bilateral talks with Finland’s President Niinisto following JEF meeting, in London
(REUTERS)
Namita Singh16 March 2022 04:56
MPs accuse Johnson’s government of wasting millions on ‘festival of Brexit’
Parliamentarians have accused Boris Johnson’s government of wasting millions of pounds on a so-called “festival of Brexit” as they slammed it as a “vague and shape-shifting event”.
The initiative, named “The Unboxed: Creativity in the UK”, is scheduled for next year. The government has so far invested upto £120m in the event that is supposed to showcase the country’s most creative minds following the decision to leave European Union.
However, in a scathing report, the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sports Committee slammed the event as a “recipe for failure”, calling it an “irresponsible use of public money”.
Boris Johnson at number 10 Downing Street on 15 March 2022 in London, United Kingdom
(Getty Images)
Namita Singh16 March 2022 04:40
Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of UK politics for Wednesday, 16 March 2022.
Namita Singh16 March 2022 03:50
