Ongoing bureaucratic barriers to refugees fleeing Ukraine and the appalling UK Government attitude to them, the bravery of young political activists in Ukraine who are having to defend their country against invasion, the courage of young activists in Russia who are protesting Putin’s actions, the need to end our dependence on others for energy supply, the importance of standing up for the right of sovereign nations to be part of Europe, the chilling prospect of how we respond to escalating brutality from Putin’s army. These were just some of the points mentioned in an emotional and powerful debate on the situation in Ukraine this morning.

This afternoon at 5:40 pm, we’ll be hearing from Kira Rudyk, the leader of our Ukrainian sister party Holos from Kyiv. If you want to hear her, it’s not too late to register here.

The policy we passed today was the most ambitious to help Ukrainian refugees of any major UK political party.

We call on the government to enable refugees from Ukraine to come to the UK without having to apply for a visa, to work with allies to create accessible routes to safety for all refugees displaced from Ukraine, to provide economic, military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and to reverse the international development budget cut.

The party’s Foreign Affairs spokesperson Layla Moran said even the government’s latest sponsor scheme would still force Ukrainian refugees to “jump through bureaucratic hoops” to come to the UK.

Ukrainians have been let down by the UK government in their hour of need. Priti Patel is presiding over a chaotic shambles – and the result is that Ukrainians who we should be supporting are being turned away simply because they don’t have the right paperwork.

Even the government’s latest scheme will still leave refugees having to jump through bureaucratic hoops before coming to the UK.

The UK has a proud history of providing sanctuary to those forced to flee war and persecution. Yet Conservative Ministers’ actions these past three weeks have been shameful.

We must now stand with the people of Ukraine. The Home Secretary must urgently let Ukrainians come to the UK without having to apply for a visa.

During the debate, Layla attacked the Government for not doing enough to sanction Russian oligarchs, saying that we should be seizing the assets of many more and turning their mansions into homes for Ukrainian refugees. As Peter Banks, summating the motion said, we need to stop the flow of dirty Russian money to the Kremlin coffers.

At lunchtime, Ed will be calling on Boris Johnson to sack Priti Patel for her “utterly shameful” response to refugees:

Priti Patel’s response to this humanitarian catastrophe – the biggest in Europe since the Second World War – is utterly shameful. She has answered desperation with delays, crisis with confusion and pain with paperwork.

The incompetence and indifference we have seen from the Home Secretary does not befit our country, with its proud history of providing sanctuary to those in need. It does not befit the British people, with all their compassion and generosity.

It couldn’t be clearer that Priti Patel is not up to the job. The buck stops with the Prime Minister. So Boris Johnson must sack her now.”