Boris Johnson has been urged to sack Priti Patel over the Home Office’s handling of the Ukrainian refugee crisis.
Liberal Democrats leader, Sir Ed Davey, branded the Home Secretary’s response to the ‘humanitarian catastrophe’ as ‘utterly shameful’.
‘She answered desperation with delays. Crisis with confusion. Pain with paperwork,’ Sir Ed said.
He insisted the nation wants to welcome people fleeing Vladimir Putin’s invasion ‘with open arms.’
‘The British people want to offer them a home – but Priti Patel has slammed the door in their face,’ he added.
Sir Ed accused Ms Patel of showing ‘incompetence, indifference and sheer inhumanity’.
‘It couldn’t be clearer that Priti Patel is not up to the job,’ he said.
‘The buck stops with the Prime Minister. So Boris Johnson must sack her, now.’
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also took a swipe at the Home Office this morning, saying its actions amounted to an ‘embarrassment for the United Kingdom’.
The criticism comes as Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove blundered the number of people being granted visas to enter Britain.
He mistakenly said it was 300,000 – but when asked to clarify conceded it was just 3,000.
On Monday it was revealed that the UK had granted just 50 visas – equivalent to 1% of applications – while neighbouring Poland had taken 1million.
The Government has also faced fury from its own MPs over the speed and scale of the Home Office response.
Ministers were told to pull their fingers out and be more ‘open hearted’ in a scathing attack by one of Britain’s most senior former military officials, Lord Dannatt.
And French President Emmanuel Macron has also condemned Downing Street for failing to live up to its ‘grand statements’ on helping Ukrainian refugees.
Mr Gove appeared on Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme to talk about the Government’s new Homes for Ukraine scheme to help people fleeing the war, which will pay UK sponsors £350 per month.
Local councils will receive £10,000 per refugee with additional payments for school-age children, the Levelling Up secretary said.
Russia-Ukraine war: Everything you need to know
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, the country has suffered widespread damages and loss of life amid a major bombing campaign.
Millions of Ukrainian refugees have fled, as cities face shortages of food, water, heat, and medicine - with the British public set to be asked to open their homes to Ukrainian refugees.
Countries have retaliated by imposing sanctions on Russia and oligarchs such as Roman Abramovich, while large companies like Disney, Starbucks, McDonald's, and Coca-Cola have suspended business in the country.
However, despite these economic blows, Russian President Vladimir Putin hasn't shown any signs of calling off the attack anytime soon, with a convoy moving closer to the capital Kyiv.
- Kyiv gets set for all-out attack as military base near Poland bombed
- Russia wipes out entire city in Ukraine
- Brits offering homes to Ukrainian refugees will receive monthly £350 payment
- How to sponsor a Ukrainian refugee or family
- Map reveals where Ukraine’s 2,000,000 refugees have fled to
- Liz Truss compares Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine to 9/11 terror attacks
- What does Z mean for Russia?
The bloodshed continues to escalate in Ukraine – amid fears President Vladimir Putin is ‘crazy enough’ to deploy nuclear weapons – and could ‘destroy the world’.
Capital Kyiv is bracing itself for an ‘all-out attack’ after 35 perished in an airstrike by Kremlin forces near the Polish border.
In a previous statement the Government vowed to stand ‘shoulder to shoulder with Ukrainians’, adding: ‘We will keep our support under constant review.’
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