Transport secretary will host Ukrainian refugees

The transport secretary has become the first government minister to pledge to host Ukrainian refugees. 

The new scheme, set to be explained by the levelling up secretary Michael Gove this afternoon, will allow British citizens to sponsor people fleeing the Russian invasion, and host them in their homes for at least six months.

Grant Shapps said he plans to partake in the scheme.

He said via Twitter earlier today: ” We’ve spent the past few weeks as a family discussing the devastating situation in Ukraine, and so we intend to apply today to join other UK households in offering our home to provide refuge to Ukrainians until it is safe for them to return to their country.”

This morning health secretary Sajid Javid suggested that he did not have the time to “properly” host a refugee.