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Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, travelled to Kyiv in secret and joined President Volodymyr Zelensky for the cameras in his office and in empty streets. He was given a pottery cock by local people. He said: ‘We are stepping up our own military and economic support.’ Mr Zelensky said: ‘It is time to impose a complete embargo on Russian energy resources.’ Britain would send 120 armoured vehicles, Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles, 800 anti-tank missiles and anti-ship missile systems. Supporters of Extinction Rebellion sat down in the road at Oxford Circus in London. The tyres of 100 SUVs were let down in Edinburgh by campaigners who left notes saying ‘Your gas-guzzler kills’.
A vigorous game of hunt-the-issue developed after reports that Akshata Murthy, the wife of Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, held non-domicile status, meaning that she would pay tax in Britain on income enjoyed there, but foreign income would be subject to foreign rules. It was universally acknowledged that she had done nothing wrong. Then she announced that, while retaining non-dom status, she would pay tax on overseas income, such as the £11.6 million in dividends last year from the company her father founded. It was asked who published her private tax affairs; 10 Downing Street was suspected, by way of a plot to scupper Mr Sunak’s chance of becoming the next prime minister. Mr Sunak, ‘confident’ that he had declared all his interests, referred himself to Lord Geidt, the Prime Minister’s independent adviser on ministerial interests. The economy grew by 0.1 per cent in February; unemployment shrank a touch to 3.8 per cent.
In the seven days up to 11 April, 1,613 people had died with coronavirus, bringing total deaths (within 28 days of testing positive) to 170,107.
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