Isabel Hardman

When Angela Rayner faces Boris Johnson at Prime Minister's Questions, it is obvious that both sides rather enjoy the exchanges. When she's up against Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, as she was today, it feels like more of a grudge match. The session naturally centred around Ukraine, but as is Rayner's habit, it was more political than previous PMQs. Labour's deputy made her theme the government's failure to ensure Britain's oil security and links to Russian oligarchs. Much of her attack was about flaws in the absent Prime Minister's own character: the first question was whether Johnson's comments about Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe when he was Foreign Secretary had made the situation worse.

Michael Gove has a reputation as a minister for clearing up colleagues' messes – often the secretary of state he has replaced in a department – in a polite but very conspicuous fashion. Today it was Home Secretary Priti Patel's turn to see what it was like to get a visit from Gove and his dustpan and brush. As Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary, Gove is responsible for one of the routes by which Ukrainian refugees can come to Britain, and he announced the details of the 'Homes for Ukraine' scheme in the Commons this afternoon. This has largely been passed to him because the Home Office is in such chaos over visa applications (and other matters).

Today's Prime Minister's Questions clash between Sir Keir Starmer and Boris Johnson focused on the domestic implications of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Labour leader started by calling on Johnson to force Chancellor Rishi Sunak into a U-turn on his policy of a £200 loan to help with energy prices.  Starmer's argument was that this loan had been developed on the assumption that prices were going to fall, but Ukraine had changed that. Johnson argued that Starmer would be 'absolutely out of his mind' to be arguing that the Chancellor should U-turn on the help he was already offering.

Liz Truss gave a striking statement in the Commons this afternoon on the action the government was taking to respond to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It contrasted to the approach taken by some of her colleagues, because it contained a number of admissions about the impact of this action. For the first time, the Foreign Secretary stated that Britain would 'have to undergo some economic hardship as a result of our sanctions'. This has been implicit over the past few days, but Truss was the first to say it clearly. She added that 'our hardships are nothing compared to those endured by the people of Ukraine', and also warned that the war could last months or years.

Boris Johnson certainly managed to rally the troops on their first day back from recess this afternoon as he told the Commons that all remaining domestic Covid restrictions were coming to an end.  The most explosive moments of the past few months haven't been about the continuation of Covid restrictions From this Thursday, the legal requirement to self-isolate following a positive test will come to an end. Until 1 April, people who test positive will be advised to stay at home, but after that 'we will encourage people with Covid-19 symptoms to exercise personal responsibility, just as we encourage people who may have flu to be considerate to others'.

Sadiq Khan forced Cressida Dick out of her job as Metropolitan Police chief. Both made that very clear this evening, with Dick saying 'the mayor no longer has sufficient confidence in my leadership to continue', while Khan said he was 'not satisfied with the Commissioner's response' to his ultimatum for changing the Met's culture of misogyny, racism, homophobia and bullying. The Met is clearly an institutional basket case The Mayor of London has played a political blinder on this. Unlike Home Secretary Priti Patel, who has the ultimate authority on the appointment — and exit — of the Commissioner, he has been quick to respond to last week's report which revealed appalling messages exchanged by some officers at the Charing Cross station.