“Britain and its Nato allies moved tanks, ships and warplanes towards eastern Europe yesterday after casting doubt on claims from Russia that it was withdrawing troops from the border with Ukraine. Diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis continued but Nato’s secretary-general said “we are prepared for the worst” as he set out plans for new deployments. Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, said: “Alongside our Nato allies, we are deploying troops and assets on land, sea and air to bolster European defences in response to the build-up of Russian military forces on the border of Ukraine.” The UK and Nato gave a sceptical response to Russian statements about the withdrawal of troops following military exercises, with Wallace warning that President Putin’s forces still had the capacity to overwhelm Ukraine.” – The Times
> Today: Columnist Garvan Walshe: Putin’s plan for Ukraine: a chilling combination of subversion, bombardment and invasion
> Yesterday: Columnist Daniel Hannan – Putin has shown the West to be dithering, divided and drippy
“Boris Johnson will make a landmark announcement on Monday scrapping all remaining Covid restrictions. The PM is due to announce to Parliament that the final curbs on our every day lives are to be axed. He’s bringing forward his plans to end all pandemic regulations by a month as Omicron cases continue to plummet. It means next Thursday is set to be the first day in two years which Brits will be able to enjoy without any restrictions. Covid cases have tumbled by 27% in a month with another 54,218 people testing positive in today’s figures. Boris will get up on his feet on Monday afternoon to unveil his full plan to “live with Covid” in a watershed moment.” – The Sun
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/politics/17672981/covid-restrictions-end-boris-johnson/
> Today: Profile – Kate Bingham, leader of the scientific cavalry who came to the rescue in the pandemic
“The Cabinet Office has told the Metropolitan Police not to publish 300 photos linked to a criminal investigation into Downing Street parties. Scotland Yard received the request after aides at No 10 expressed concern that publication of the images could harm their reputations, The Times understands. It means that hundreds of photos of the Downing Street parties — some of which are believed to include Boris Johnson — are unlikely ever to be published. In one photo, the prime minister is said to be pictured holding a can of beer at his birthday party in the Cabinet Room in June 2020…Sue Gray, the senior civil servant investigating the gatherings, has handed 300 photos of the alleged rule-breaking parties to the Met.” – The Times
“Teachers have been forbidden from promoting Black Lives Matter to children as part of a crackdown on politics in the classroom. Schools must ensure that any “contentious and disputed” historic periods such as the British Empire and imperialism are taught in a “balanced” manner, according to guidance published by the Department for Education (DfE) on Thursday…Nadhim Zahawi, the Education Secretary, said: “Clearer guidance on political impartiality is just one part of my wider work to give children the best possible education as the Government continues to prioritise skills, schools and families, to enable young people to reach the full height of their potential.” – Daily Telegraph
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/02/16/dont-promote-black-lives-matter-pupils-says-new-guidance-schools/
Other political news:
> Today:
“The Office for National Statistics yesterday revealed that, in the year to January, prices went up by 5.5 per cent, the steepest rise for 30 years. But even that may be a severe underestimate of the real burden consumers now face. It would be a disaster if rapid inflation became a permanent feature of our economic landscape. As Margaret Thatcher, who fought so hard to bring prices under control in the 1980s, said, “inflation is the parent of unemployment and the unseen robber of those who have saved.” She was right. Contempt for the value of money was a central ingredient of our national decline in the 1970s, when the RPI reached more than 25 per cent and Britain became known as “the sick man of Europe”.” – Daily Express
“Labour will fight only a minimal campaign in most of the Liberal Democrat party’s top 30 target seats at the UK’s next general election, in an informal Lib-Lab plan to topple the Conservatives. Sir Keir Starmer, Labour leader, has told colleagues that his party must “ruthlessly focus” resources on its target seats in the vote — which must be held by 2024 — leaving the Lib Dems as the main challengers in some seats. Starmer’s allies say that none of Labour’s top target seats features on the Lib Dems’ list of top 30 target seats. “If both parties put resources into where they are most likely to win, you end up with more Labour seats and more Lib Dem seats,” said one.” – Financial Times
Labour:
> Yesterday: Columnist Emily Carver: The Met’s failings go much further than Cressida Dick
LibDems:
SNP and Scotland: