Ukraine: UK economy on war footing as Ministers urged to act over Roman Abramovich and oligarchs ahead of Rishi Sunak’s Spring Statement – The Yorkshire Post says

That Russia used its artillery to shell a nuclear power station, triggering a fire and potential threat to world health, was yet another affront to humanity as the Kremlin shows no mercy.

Putin must face Nuremberg-style war crimes trial as Russia escalates slaughter of the innocents in Ukraine – Bill Carmichael

Yet, while the military options are limited, as former Nato commander Colonel Bob Stewart MP sets out this weekend, this country now expects Boris Johnson to take a far harder line against those oligarchs, like Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich, who have significant business interests here while also retaining close links with Vladimir’s Putin regime.

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As Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves, the Leeds West MP, warns, a “sceptical public could be forgiven for thinking there are more individuals with Russian links on the Tory donor list than there are Putin allies on the UK’s sanctions list” if Mr Johnson and Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor, continue to procrastinate.

After all, one of the few leverages in the West’s armoury is its ability to destabilise the Russian economy in the hope that this, in turn, triggers Kremlin regime change. It’s also crucial to offset the post-Covid cost of living crisis in Britain.

As petrol prices reach record levels, the energy price cap will rise from £693 to £1,971 next month; National Insurance will rise to pay for the new Health and Social Care Levy and VAT will return to the full rate of 20 per cent for tourism and hospitality.

These changes, plus mounting inflation, will cost families far more than the measures in place to offset council tax and heating bills. And, with the Ukraine conflict now an economic war too, Mr Sunak should be preparing significant contingencies ahead of this month’s Spring Statement.

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