It is scarcely believable as we stand here today that just a month ago, the Ukrainian people were living ordinary, peaceful lives. Now, they are locked in an extraordinary battle for survival against an unprovoked onslaught from their neighbours.

Ukrainians have taken up the fight and taught the world the meaning of bravery. Against the odds, they have snarled up Russia’s invading army, inflicting defeat after defeat. The heroism of Ukraine has changed the geopolitics of Europe.

Vladimir Putin has badly miscalculated in Ukraine, and I believe he knows it. But now that Putin’s Plan A has foundered, he is already escalating by intensifying his attacks on civilians.

Maternity wards, schools and homes and have been bombed without any regard for civilian life. Families are being starved out in freezing basement shelters, and targeted as they flee.

The United Kingdom – and our allies in NATO and the G7 here today – are clear: we will not stand by while Putin vents his fury on Ukraine.

I have rarely seen our nations more united in recent years than we are now. Putin’s failure in Ukraine is vital for the peace and prosperity of all of us, and his barbaric invasion has galvanised the international community into collective action.

We will work with likeminded allies to ramp up lethal aid to Ukraine at scale, providing kit to President Zelenskyy in the quantity and with the quality and quantity that he needs to defend his country from its bullying neighbour.

Today, I have announced we in the UK will send an additional 6,000 missiles and provide £25 million in unrestricted funding for Ukraine’s armed forces, more than doubling the lethal aid we have provided to date.

We are bolstering our support for the NATO countries on the frontline, sending a new deployment of UK troops to Bulgaria on top of the doubling our troops both in Poland and in Estonia.

This is just the beginning. We must support a free and democratic Ukraine in the long term. This is a fellow European democracy fighting a war of national defence.

NATO and G7 leaders were also united today in our determination to continue turning the screws on the Kremlin’s war machine, including by weaning ourselves off Russian oil and gas and reshaping global energy security.

The UK has already hit over 1,000 Russian individuals and entities in our toughest-ever sanctions, and the Foreign Secretary has announced 65 new sanctions against Russian banks, weapons manufacturers and oligarchs just this morning.

I also discussed the humanitarian response with our allies and partners today, as we continue to see huge numbers of Ukrainians flee their homes.

And the message that President Putin can take from today’s extraordinary meeting of NATO and the G7 is this: Ukraine is not alone.

We stand with the people of Kyiv, of Mairupol, of Lviv and Donetsk. And as President Zelenskyy has said himself – the people of Ukraine will prevail and Putin must fail and he will fail.

Lord Grade has had a long career in broadcasting, encompassing London Weekend Television, the BBC, ITV, as well as over nine years as Chief Executive of Channel Four Television.

In May 2004 he was appointed Chairman of the BBC, succeeding Gavyn Davies, resigning in November 2006 when his appointment as Executive Chairman of ITV was announced, a post he relinquished in 2009.

Lord Grade was non-executive Chairman of Pinewood and Shepperton Film Studios for 16 years. He is non-executive Chairman of Talent Bank and of the production company StoryFirst. He is also on the advisory board of Miroma SET (formerly R4E Plc), a media and entertainment marketing company.

Lord Grade is co-founder of the GradeLinnit company, a theatrical production company, having also been Chairman of Ocado, First Leisure Corporation, Camelot, the Charity Fundraising Regulator and Bradford’s Media Museum as well as being a member of the former Press Complaints Commission and a trustee of the Science Museum.

In January 2011 he became the Conservative Peer, Lord Grade of Yarmouth. However if he is appointed as Ofcom chair he will move to the cross-benches at the earliest opportunity. Lord Grade would also give up any non-executive roles that could cause a conflict of interest in him becoming Ofcom chair.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said:

I am delighted to announce that Lord Grade is the Government’s preferred candidate to be the new chair of Ofcom. Lord Grade’s experience at the highest level of a number of broadcasters and his expert knowledge of the British media landscape makes him an ideal candidate for this role.

Going forward, Ofcom has an even more important role to play as the UK’s communications regulator. The introduction of the Online Safety Bill will give it new responsibilities and resources to ensure digital platforms tackle illegal and abusive material online. I am confident that under Lord Grade’s leadership Ofcom will rise to the challenge with great success.

Lord Grade said:

Ofcom is respected across the globe as a first rate communications regulator so I am privileged to be asked to become its chair. The role of Ofcom in British life has never been more important with new responsibilities on the horizon regulating online safety, on top of the ever changing broadcasting landscape. I look forward to my appearance in front of the DCMS Select Committee to outline what I can bring to this role and how I can help ensure Ofcom is fit for the future.

Lord Grade will now appear before MPs on the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee for pre-appointment scrutiny (date to be confirmed).

Under the terms of the legislation, the appointment is made by the Secretary of State. The appointment process for this role was conducted in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments with due process followed at all times.

Ministers were assisted in their decision-making by an Advisory Assessment Panel which included a departmental official and a senior independent panel member approved by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

Notes to editors

• The appointment is for a term of four years. The role is for 3 days per week, remunerated at £142,500 per annum.
• This appointment is made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code for Public Appointments.
• The regulation of public appointments against the requirements of this code is carried out by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
• In accordance with the Code, it should be publicly disclosed if a successful candidate, has, in the last five years, been employed by a political party, held a significant office in a party, has stood as a candidate for a party in an election, has publicly spoken on behalf of a political party, or has made significant donations or loans to a party.
• Lord Grade is a Conservative peer in the House of Lords, however he will move to the cross benches if the appointment is confirmed. Lord Grade has not declared any further political activity in line with these requirements.

• 1 in 2 shopping online at night drink and click
• CMA warns about sneaky sales tactics as cost of living rises
• Digitally native Gen Z first to admit they’re susceptible to online rip-offs

As the cost of living continues to increase, and with almost one-third of all retail purchases now taking place online, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has become increasingly concerned about the impact of “sneaky” sales practices on consumers.

The survey comes as part of the CMA’s new campaign The Online Rip-Off Tip-Off to help shoppers spot and avoid misleading online tactics, which could result in them being ripped off.

This latest phase of the campaign warns shoppers that such sales ploys can be even more effective at manipulating them if they shop at certain times of the day, or when they are in certain states of mind. And it advises all shoppers to be careful before they drink and click.

Initial research highlighted that misleading tactics are designed to play on behavioural biases, often without people realising that they are being manipulated. This means they can be even more effective when shoppers are distracted, hungry, or tired for example.

With 8 in 10 people who shop online late at night saying they do so, or have done so, while watching TV, and around three quarters saying the same about listening to the radio/music (69%) or scrolling on social media (70%), this latest poll highlights how easy it is to be unwittingly misled.

The CMA also warns that no one is immune. Its survey revealed that more than a third of Gen Z, dubbed the ‘digitally native’ generation, admit to being susceptible to online rip-offs. And they are the biggest night-time online shopping spenders, splurging £290 on average last month.

George Lusty, Senior Director for Consumer Protection, explained:

As the cost of living continues to rise, every penny we spend must count.

We’re increasingly concerned about online businesses using sales tactics to push people into parting with their cash.

And the time of day or mindset you’re in when shopping can make you more vulnerable to being unwittingly misled.

Check out the CMA’s Online Rip-Off Tip-Off, which has been launched to help shoppers spot and avoid potential online rip-offs.

4 common misleading online tactics are:

• Subscription traps – misleading a customer into signing up to, and paying for, an unwanted subscription that can be difficult to cancel
• Hidden charges – unexpected compulsory fees, charges or taxes being added when someone tries to make an online purchase
• Pressure selling – a tactic used to give a false impression of availability or popularity of a product or service
• Fake reviews – reviews that do not reflect an actual customer’s genuine opinion or experience of a product or service

Fronted by TV presenter and consumer champion Angellica Bell, the Online Rip-off Tip-Off campaign launched with a film depicting misleading online tactics in a real-life market, with the key message “you wouldn’t put up with it offline, so don’t do so online”. The aim of the campaign is to make consumers aware of misleading online practices, understand the negative impact they can have and provide tips on how to avoid them. Find out more at www.gov.uk/ripoff-tipoff

If people in England and Wales want further advice or wish to report a concern they should contact Citizens Advice. Consumers in Scotland should contact Advice Direct Scotland, and shoppers in Northern Ireland should contact The Consumer Council.

Notes to Editors

1. For more information or to request an interview please contact CMA@23red.com or call 07455 518530.
2. Link to Rip Off Road video: https://youtu.be/c6hcM6Jn90c
3. ONS survey: How the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift to online spending

About the Censuswide research

1. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from Censuswide Plc.
2. This survey was conducted using an online interview (administered between 11-14 March 2022).
3. The total sample size was 2048 adults. The figures have been weighted to reflect the profile of the UK adult population.
4. Censuswide plc make every effort to provide representative information.