The Times - UK (2022-01-26)

Russia faces sanctions “heavier than
anything” seen before if it invades
Ukraine, Boris Johnson said yesterday
as its troops began new exercises close
to the country’s borders.
The prime minister said Britain was
preparing to deploy more soldiers in
Europe in the event of conflict, raising

Boris Johnson faces being interviewed
by police after Scotland Yard said
Downing Street parties crossed the
threshold for a “serious and flagrant”
breach of lockdown rules.
Sue Gray, a senior civil servant who is
overseeing an inquiry into the events,
triggered the formal investigation when
she handed evidence to detectives.
The prime minister now faces being
interviewed by the police, either under
caution or as a witness. Officers are said
to be investigating eight parties and
could issue fines.
Johnson is preparing to publish
Gray’s report as soon as today before
making a statement to the Commons.
Her investigation has examined a
series of events, among them a birthday
celebration for the prime minister in
Downing Street in June 2020 when
social gatherings indoors were banned.
A month earlier Johnson attended
“socially distanced drinks in the No 10
garden” after his private secretary invit-
ed 100 Downing Street staff by email.
The prime minister has been accused of
lying to parliament over the events.
Conservative MPs who are consider-
ing submitting letters expressing no
confidence in Johnson have said they
will wait until after the report has been
published before taking a decision.
Policing sources told The Times that

Fiona Hamilton Crime Editor
Steven Swinford Political Editor
Oliver Wright, Henry Zeffman

Wednesday January 26 2022 | thetimes.co.uk | No 73690 £2.20 £1.45 to subscribers(based on 7 Day Print Pack)

How to improve

nation’s schools

Necklines

Should

you go high

or low?

Times

Britain readies troops and warns Putin of tough sanctions

Larisa Brown Defence Editor troops on alert for possible deployment
to Europe, Russia said that it was
conducting new drills with 6,
troops near Ukraine and in Crimea,
which it annexed in 2014. American
officials confirmed that they were in
talks to re-route gas supplies to Europe
should Russia turn off the taps.
Search for new gas supplies, page 6
Hunt for “enemies within”, page 31

President Putin and his regime. The

network handles transactions worth

almost £100 trillion a week between

banks around the world. This would

effectively cut Russian banks off from

the West overnight and starve its

financial system of access to dollar

payments, as happened to Iran in 2018

and to North Korea the year before.

After the US said it was putting 8,

western leaders on Monday. After the

meeting, which lasted 80 minutes,

President Biden said the US and its

European allies were in “total unity”.

Johnson said western leaders were

“in discussions” about banning Russia

from Swift, the world’s dominant

international payments system, a move

seen as the “nuclear option” when it

comes to sanctions that could hit

the prospect of troops heading to

Hungary to bolster defences there.

In a statement to the Commons he

warned that an invasion would turn

Ukraine into a “wasteland” and risk the

worst bloodshed since 1945. The

resistance would be “dogged and tena-

cious” and “many Russian mothers’

sons will not be coming home”, he said.

Johnson held video talks with

Pullout inside

Johnson

faces police

interview

over parties

it “appears inevitable” Johnson would

have to speak to detectives during their

investigation, which could last for

months. Last night Sky News reported

that photographs of Downing Street

parties had been handed to Gray, in-

cluding images of the prime minister.

Johnson would be the first sitting

prime minister to be interviewed by

detectives since 2006 when Tony Blair

was questioned as a witness as part of

the cash-for-honours scandal. Blair is

believed to be the only serving prime

minister ever questioned by police

conducting a criminal investigation.

According to reports at the time, he was

clear that if he were interviewed under

caution he would have to resign.

Johnson is likely to be interviewed

under caution if police suspect him

personally of breaching lockdown rules.

Otherwise he could be interviewed as a

witness. Interviews under caution are a

formal process in which suspects are

read their rights, including to remain

silent and to have legal representation.

Breaches of Covid-19 restrictions are

among the least serious criminal offen-

ces that result in a fixed penalty notice

(FPN). Matters have reached court only

when suspects refused to pay. A FPN is

not a criminal conviction and so does

not result in a criminal record, but can

be recorded on the Police National

Computer. It would not appear on a

basic background check often carried

out by employers but could be disclosed

Continued on page 4, col 3

Clothes horse Charlotte Casiraghi, the Chanel ambassador and granddaughter

of Grace Kelly, opens the fashion house’s couture show in Paris in style. Page 13

Revamp of

education

would bring

£125bn boost

Rachel Sylvester, Nicola Woolcock

Reform of the education system would

give the British economy a £125 billion-

a-year boost to profits, according to a

study published by The Times Education

Commission.

Today the year-long commission

publishes its interim findings, which re-

veal support from business leaders for

an overhaul of schools and universities.

Almost three quarters of companies

believe their profitability and productiv-

ity would rise by at least 25 per cent if

new recruits were better prepared for

employment, a survey of businesses by

the Commercial Education Trust found.

The independent charity wants

much greater focus within the

education system on commercial skills

such as time-keeping, resilience and

self-motivation. Its analysis estimates

that this would generate an extra

£124.6 billion in profits, equivalent to

£1,860 for everyone in the UK.

Household names including Sir

James Dyson and Sir Richard Branson

are among many experts who have

given evidence to the commission,

which includes leading figures from

education, academia, policy-making

and related fields. Its final recommen-

dations will be published in the summer.

Dyson said that the country was ill

equipped to train engineers, partly

blaming the downgrading of design

technology lessons by Michael Gove as

education secretary. He said that Gove

“put it on to the same level as cookery,

which is a wonderful thing... but it

doesn’t create exports, technology or

manufacturing businesses”. Analysis

Continued on page 4, col 3

Sue Gray ‘has Downing Street photographs’

MOHAMMED BADRA/EPA

Education Commission

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