Politics latest news: Zahawi warns Putin will face a ‘reckoning’ over Ukraine

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Nadhim Zahawi today warned Vladimir Putin "there will be a reckoning" for his invasion of Ukraine as the Education Secretary said he believes there is "no doubt" war crimes have been committed by Russian forces.

Mr Zahawi said Mr Putin has "no place" in Ukraine and demanded the Russian President halt his "illegal" incursion and withdraw from the country.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet minister distanced the UK from Joe Biden's apparent call for regime change in Russia as he said it is "up to the Russian people to decide who governs them".

Mr Biden sparked an international backlash from his own allies after the US President called Mr Putin a "butcher" and insisted the Russian leader "cannot remain in power".

Mr Zahawi refused to back Mr Biden's remarks but said he believed the "Russian people are pretty fed up" with Mr Putin's regime.

​​Follow the latest updates below.

07:31 AM

Education Secretary defends Covid catch-up funding

Sir Kevan Collins quit as the Government's Covid catch-up tsar in June last year after he reportedly asked for a package of support for schools worth £15billion but ministers brought forward only a fraction of that.

The Government has now pledged a total of approximately £5billion for catch-up.

Nadhim Zahawi, the Education Secretary, today insisted he is “not interested in announcing big numbers” but on “how we’re going to spend it” as he defended the Government's spending plans.

He told Sky News: “What I’m saying is I’ve got £7billion going in to investment in schools, I’ve got £5billion on recovery.

“Let me do this well and I can demonstrate to Kevan Collins and the rest of the country how well we’ve done on catch-up."

He added: "With respect to Kevan Collins, I’m not interested in announcing big numbers, I’m interested in how we’re going to spend it.”

07:25 AM

Education Secretary vows to 'complete the journey' on shift to academies

Nadhim Zahawi is today launching his new education white paper which sets out his plans for school reform.

One of the key proposals is to reintroduce a pledge for all schools to become academies by the end of the decade.

The Government will seek to achieve this by reversing its current ban on councils participating in the academies scheme.

Councils will be able to set up and run their own academy trusts, which it is hoped will encourage more primary schools to make the transition to academies.

Mr Zahawi said this morning that his aim is to "complete the journey" to academies which began two decades ago.

He told Sky News: “It means, I hope, we can complete the journey, which is what my white paper does, of a family of schools, all the evidence suggests that schools that work together in a family of schools that is tightly managed, really well supported by a strong, and I underline strong, high performing multi-academy trust, deliver better outcomes for the children.”

07:19 AM

Nadhim Zahawi: 'No doubt' war crimes committed in Ukraine

The Education Secretary has warned Vladimir Putin "there will be a reckoning" for his "illegal" invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Zahawi said Mr Putin "has no place" in Ukraine and Russia has to "make sure that they withdraw".

Asked if he agreed with Mr Biden's description of Mr Putin as a "butcher", Mr Zahawi told Sky News: “I think war crimes have been committed in Ukraine, no doubt in my mind.

"The evidence is clear on that. It is right to collect that evidence because it is also important, my family had experience with Saddam Hussein, it is important that despots and dictators understand that there will be a reckoning and that reckoning will come through the International Criminal Court in The Hague.”

07:16 AM

Nadhim Zahawi distances UK from Biden remarks

Joe Biden's speech in Poland on Saturday night continues to make headlines after he labelled Vladimir Putin a "butcher" and insisted the Russian President "cannot remain in power".

The apparent call for regime change prompted a backlash from Mr Biden's allies and Mr Zahawi today distanced the UK from the remarks.

Asked on Sky News if he believed Mr Biden had misspoke, the Education Secretary said: "Well, both the White House and the President have been clear on this. We are in lockstep with them that it is up to the Russian people to decide who governs them and the future of their country.”

Pushed specifically on Mr Biden saying Mr Putin "cannot remain in power", he said: “I hear you. What I would say is it is up to the Russian people.

"I think the Russian people are pretty fed up, not only because they are watching their friends and some of them have family in Ukraine who have been attacked by the Putin regime, clearly war crimes have been committed because they are targeting innocent civilians in civilian areas."

07:10 AM

Good morning

Good morning and welcome to today's politics live blog.

We have a busy Monday ahead, with Nadhim Zahawi launching his new education white paper this morning before Rishi Sunak faces a grilling on his Spring Statement in front of the Treasury Select Committee this afternoon.

I will guide you through the key developments.