Scottish Labour has overtaken the Conservatives in a new poll as the Downing Street PartyGate scandal continues to cause problems for Tories.
16.03.2022 - 16:05 / dailyrecord.co.uk
A plane is “ready and waiting” to bring Ukrainian orphans over to Scotland for sanctuary, but the Home Office is not clearing the paperwork, Ian Blackford has claimed.
The SNP Westminster leader highlighted the Dnipro Kids appeal, set up by Hibs FC supporters in Edinburgh, which is on stand-by to evacuate 48 orphaned Ukraine children from Poland where they have fled to.
Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, Blackford raised the issue in public for the first time after a week of behind-the-scenes appeals.
He said: “There is a plane ready and waiting in Poland to bring these orphans to the UK on Friday but that flight will leave empty without the necessary paperwork from the Home Office.
“The Polish authorities, Edinburgh City Council, the Scottish Government, and the orphans’ guardians are all working to bring these children to safety.”
But a week on - the Home Office is still proving to be the only obstacle in the way and it risks leaving these children stranded.
The SNP Westminster leader appealed to Dominic Raab, the deputy Prime Minister to remove the obstructions before it is too late.
He said: “Will he work with me and the Ukrainian authorities to guarantee that these 48 Ukrainian orphans will get on that plane this Friday?”
In exchanges Dominic Rabb, standing in for Boris Johnson, said the issue was one of safeguarding and not bureaucracy although it was “a heart-rending situation.”
Blackford said it was only the Home Office that stood in the way.
He added: “This one case goes to the heart of the failure in the UK government’s response to the biggest refugee crisis in Europe since World War Two.
“It has taken the intervention of several Ministers, letters to European ambassadors, and the fear of this case being exposed in
Scottish Labour has overtaken the Conservatives in a new poll as the Downing Street PartyGate scandal continues to cause problems for Tories.
Boris Johnson will reportedly not be interviewed by the Metropolitan Police as part of their investigation into alleged lockdown-breaching parties in Downing Street and Whitehall. That's because the force is not interviewing those who have received questionnaires as part of the inquiries.
Boris Johnson has seemingly refused to recognise that parties in Whitehall and Downing street breached lockdown rules at the time. It comes after 20 fixed penalty notices were issued this morning, according to Scotland Yard.
Boris Johnson’s energy strategy that could lead to a new dash for gas and oil in the North Sea has been delayed again.
Protestors have called for a boycott of P&O Ferries during a demonstration at Cairnryan Port after hundreds of workers were 'shamefully' sacked on the spot without warning last week.
Boris Johnson has compared the Ukrainian people's fight for freedom to British people voting for Brexit.
SNP Finance Secretary Kate Forbes has accused Gordon Brown of “blatant mendacity” over his criticisms of her cost-of-living response.
Boris Johnson’s has met with oil giants to trash out new terms for North Sea exploration as he delayed the launch of the UK’s new “energy supply strategy”.
The Prime Minister is 'unable' to turn down a steep pay rise issued to all MPs, a Downing Street spokesperson has said.
It is “not impossible” that Russia will launch an attack which could hit Nato territory, a Cabinet minister admitted as fears rise about an escalation of the conflict in Ukraine.
The Prime Minister has said that the UK will “continue to pursue more options for bolstering Ukraine’s self-defence” as the ongoing invasion by Russia continues.
Boris Johnson should sack Priti Patel over her department's handling of the Ukrainian refugee crisis, the leader of the Liberal Democrats has said.
The Government will ask the British public to open their homes to Ukrainians fleeing the fighting in their country amid continuing criticism of its response to the refugee crisis.
The government will ask the British public to open their homes to Ukrainians fleeing the war with Russian in their country.
Boris Johnson will personally attend the Scottish Tory conference next week to burnish his “war leader” image in an attempt to bury the sleaze of partygate allegations against him.
Queen Elizabeth, 95, made her first in-person appearance on Monday, March 7 after recovering from COVID-19. The British monarch was pictured graciously shaking hands with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, 50, at her residence at Windsor Castle in England. The Queen looked healthy and had a big smile on her face. She was dressed in a stylish blue floral dress for the meeting.