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PRESS RELEASE : Second anniversary of fraudulent presidential election in Belarus: Minister Chishti statement

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 August 2022.

On the second anniversary of the fraudulent Presidential election in Belarus, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Rehman Chishti said:

“Over the last two years, Lukashenko has led a campaign of repression against his own people. There are now almost 1,300 political prisoners in Belarus. The authorities have tried to silence independent media and civil society.

We support the democratic aspirations and human rights of the people of Belarus. We urge the authorities to abide by international law, release all political prisoners immediately and unconditionally, and permit those in exile to return home without fear of arrest or repression. We also condemn Lukashenko’s support for, and complicity in, Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. We will hold Belarusian authorities accountable for their actions.

This includes through sanctions. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we have designated over 50 Belarusian individuals and organisations who are aiding Russia’s reckless aggression towards Ukraine. Furthermore, the legislation we laid in Parliament on 4 July extends recent Russia sanctions to Belarus by introducing new financial, trade and transport measures. These are in addition to the 117 designations we had already made in response to the fraudulent election and subsequent human rights violations.

There must be free and fair elections; the people of Belarus should be able to enjoy the democratic right to decide their future.”

10/08/2022
PRESS RELEASE : Continuing our support to the fight against Daesh as it expands to new theatres

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 August 2022.

Statement by Alice Jacobs, UK Deputy Political Coordinator at the UN, at the Security Council briefing on counter-terrorism.

President,

I would like to thank Under-Secretary-General Voronkov, Acting Executive Director Chen and Martin Ewi for their informative briefings.

We remain indebted to the UN Sanctions Monitoring Team, UNOCT and CTED for their important work in analysing the ever-changing terrorist threat.

We heard today how Daesh continues to pose a significant threat to global stability. Counter-terrorism pressure has constrained the group over the last few years, but gains are vulnerable and uneven, with the group still able to expand in sub-Saharan Africa in particular, as Mr Ewi has outlined today.

Recent events in Afghanistan have demonstrated the very real security challenges we face. Daesh Khorasan continue to target innocent Afghans, particularly minority communities, while Al Qaeda has caused the suffering of thousands. We all have a shared interest in using every lever at our disposal to counter Al Qa’eda, Daesh and other terrorist groups in Afghanistan.

Despite its territorial defeat and recent successful operations against its leadership, Daesh remain a serious threat in Iraq and Syria, its strategic heartland. This demonstrates the continuing importance of the Global Coalition to Counter Daesh, and the need to work together to ensure Daesh’s lasting, global defeat. The UK hosts the Global Coalition’s Counter Daesh Communications Cell that is tackling Daesh’s propaganda and its destructive and hateful messages.

In the month we commemorated the 8th anniversary of Daesh’s crimes against the Yazidi community, the UK also underlines its support for UNITAD and international efforts to bring to justice the perpetrators of Daesh violence.

President, we continue to support the fight against Daesh as it expands to new theatres.

As we heard today, Daesh’s African affiliates continue to grow and account for an ever-increasing proportion of Daesh-claimed violence. Interconnectivity between branches also represents a worrying trend and amplifies the threat they pose, including to neighbouring countries. Daesh is opportunistic and will continue to take advantage of pre-existing grievances, and target those most susceptible to joining their cause: the young, the marginalised, the disenfranchised.

Hard security interventions will therefore only take us so far. We must work to build resilience within communities, in partnership with civil society, against terrorist propaganda and other influencing efforts.

And finally, when countering terrorism, we must all ensure that we protect and promote human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law through a gender sensitive approach if our collective efforts are to be truly effective.

Thank you.

10/08/2022
PRESS RELEASE : PM call with President Macron: 9 August 2022

The press release issued by Downing Street on 9 August 2022.

The Prime Minister spoke to French President Macron this afternoon.

The leaders thanked one another for their friendship and comradeship over the last few years. They agreed that UK-French cooperation on the world stage has made a difference on a huge range of global issues, as they had discussed at the recent G7. They were both convinced that the bilateral relationship would continue to grow stronger in the years ahead. The Prime Minister and President Macron discussed preparations for the upcoming UK-France Summit as clear evidence of that fact.

The Prime Minister thanked President Macron for his efforts to help resolve border disruption and tackle the scourge of illegal people trafficking. The leaders expressed their shared confidence that deeper cooperation between the UK and France will be central to further progress in this area, and help to dismantle more smuggling networks.

On Ukraine, the Prime Minister and President Macron both stressed the importance of the international community continuing to support the people of Ukraine in their struggle. They agreed that UK and French efforts to train and equip Ukrainian troops were making a significant difference in the war, and that western war fatigue cannot be allowed to set in. President Macron praised the Prime Minister’s leadership on Ukraine.

On Taiwan, the leaders shared their concerns at China’s actions and risk of unnecessary escalation. They welcomed clear G7 unity on this issue.

The Prime Minister expressed his firm belief that the great friendship between the UK and France will continue to be incarnated by the leaders of our countries.

10/08/2022
Boris Johnson – 2022 Speech at the Points of Light Downing Street Reception

The speech made by Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, in Downing Street on 9 August 2022.

In these difficult financial times people are feeling the squeeze across our country and they’re feeling the impact in particular of the energy price spikes that are being caused by Putin’s war in Ukraine, and of course it’s right that the Government is doing everything that we can to help, and we’re putting £1200 into the pockets of the 8 million most vulnerable households and £400 for everybody to help with the cost of energy – £300 for pensioners, £150 off council tax – and the money will keep coming in throughout the Autumn – more coming in September and October.

And of course as some of you may have picked up, this is going to be one of my last events in the garden in Downing Street and there will be a new Prime Minister very shortly, I can tell you for certain will be either a man or a woman. Whoever he or she may be, I’m absolutely certain they will be wanting to make some more announcements in September/ October about what we’re going to do further to help people in the next period in December/ January and I just want you to know that I’m absolutely confident that we will have the fiscal firepower and the headroom to continue to look after people as we’ve done throughout.

And it’s absolutely vital in tough times, that the Government should recognise that there are also people who are doing fantastic things to help the vulnerable across our country and who need proper recognition and respect.

And I want to pay tribute to all of you Points of Light. I want to pay tribute to centenarians, like Dabirul Choudhury, who’s walked round his communal garden 100 times and has raised prodigious sums. I want to pay tribute to artists like Lucy Kent whose works are on display also raising money. The Spitfires have been flying overhead and proclaiming our gratitude to the NHS.

I want to think about particularly somebody I’ve met before – Tony Hudgell. Tony is seven years old and thank you for coming. It’s fantastic to see you. Tony has already raised £1 million for the hospital that helped to save your life, and you’ve also instituted Tony’s Law to make sure that people do not suffer the kind of abuse that you suffered so tragically, and thank you Tony for coming.

I’m going to give an award shortly to Steven Carr. Steven is one of the many thousands and thousands of people across this country who have been helping to look after people who have fled Ukraine in the last few months and I want to thank you Steven for everything that you’ve done to find homes for Ukrainian children.

I can’t mention all of the wonderful things that you’ve done but I do want you to know that so far in Number 10, and I say this careering towards the climax of my time in No10, I’ve done 736 Points of Light letters. That’s more than any other previous Prime Minister.

And I think you do wonderful, wonderful things. And every time I sign those letters and I read the things that you have done, I have a lump in my throat because I think you embody the spirit of service to other people, the spirit of community and I think the spirit that will get our country through the tough times and beyond in ever better shape. And if you, the 736 Points of Light that I’ve done, were a constellation, which of course you are, I think that you would represent the spirit of hope. And I think that you are the very best of Britain.

Thank you very much for everything.

10/08/2022
Andrea Jenkyns – 2022 Comments on Student Loan Interest Rates Cut

The comments made by Andrea Jenkyns, the Minister for Skills, on 10 August 2022.

We understand that many people are worried about the impact of rising prices and we want to reassure people that we are stepping up to provide support where we can.

Back in June, we used predicted market rates to bring forward the announcement of a cap on student loan interest rates down from an expected 12% and we are now reducing the interest rate on student loans further to 6.3%, the rate applying today, to align with the most recent data on market rates.

For those starting higher education in September 2023 and any students considering that next step at the moment, we have cut future interest rates so that no new graduate will ever again have to pay back more than they have borrowed in real terms.

10/08/2022
PRESS RELEASE : Student loan interest rates cut again due to market rates

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 10 August 2022.

Student loan interest rates to be capped at 6.3% from September 2022 due to market rates.

Student loan borrowers will be further protected from rising inflation rates with additional cuts to interest rates for those on Plan 2 and Plan 3 loans.

Student loan interest rates will now be capped at 6.3% from September 2022. The government intervened in June to protect borrowers in response to the rise in the rate of RPI due to global economic pressures which meant student loan borrowers faced a 12% interest rate in September.

To provide reassurance for student loan borrowers on Plan 2 (undergraduate) and Plan 3 (Postgraduate) loans, the Government used predicted market rates to bring forward a cap on interest rates to a maximum of 7.3%. The actual market rate is now 6.3%, so the cap has been reduced to this figure.

By setting an interest rate of 6.3% rather than the expected 12% this will bring down the student loan interest rates by the largest amount on record and will mean, for example, a borrower with a student loan balance of £45,000 would reduce their accumulating interest by around £210 per month compared to 12% interest rates. This is on the total value of the loan, as monthly repayments do not change.

The government is taking every opportunity to protect the public from the rising cost of living and global economic pressures.

Minister for Skills, Further and Higher Andrea Jenkyns said:

“We understand that many people are worried about the impact of rising prices and we want to reassure people that we are stepping up to provide support where we can.

Back in June, we used predicted market rates to bring forward the announcement of a cap on student loan interest rates down from an expected 12% and we are now reducing the interest rate on student loans further to 6.3%, the rate applying today, to align with the most recent data on market rates.

For those starting higher education in September 2023 and any students considering that next step at the moment, we have cut future interest rates so that no new graduate will ever again have to pay back more than they have borrowed in real terms.”

Monthly student loan repayments are calculated by income rather than interest rates or the amount borrowed. Unlike for commercials loans, repayments will stop for any borrowers who earn below the relevant repayment threshold.

A spokesperson for the Student Loans Company said:

“The change in interest rates is automatically applied so customers don’t need to take any action. We encourage customers to use SLC’s online repayment service to regularly check their loan balance and repayment information, as well as ensure their contact information is up-to-date.”

For new students from August 2023, student finance will be put on a more sustainable footing. Student loan interest rates will be reduced so that they will not, in real terms, repay more than they borrow.

In response to the rising inflation, the government is providing support for households to help those struggling to make their incomes stretch to cover the basics. This includes providing eight million of the most vulnerable households with £1,200 extra support this year, with all domestic electricity customers receiving at least £400. In early July, the National insurance contribution threshold was raised, giving the typical worker a tax cut of up to £330 per year, and millions of low-income households have now received the first instalment of their Cost of Living Payment.

10/08/2022
Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi – 2022 NEC Candidate Statement

The candidate statement from Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi.

Candidate Statement

My purpose on the NEC – to represent grassroots members

Let’s face it – the left in the Labour Party is under existential threat. The policy gains and the process of democratisation under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership are being jettisoned. The response has to be solidarity and unity.

If elected I will work with comrades to re-energise embattled grassroots members, advocating against militarism; for international solidarity with the oppressed; and for collective mobilisation in unions, CLPs and communities where resistance is building against racist threats, crumbling public services and attacks on working conditions.

I will stand firm against proscription of left groupings; defend those unjustly accused; oppose antidemocratic actions by the leadership; and commit to open communication with members.

My experience:

Trade union activist since the 1970s; workplace rep in the NUJ and then NUT; vice-chair of Chingford and Woodford Green CLP 2016-20; currently Waltham Forest NEU International Solidarity Officer; Jewish Voice for Labour Media Officer.

I have worked collaboratively with left organisations in the party and unions, defending socialist policies, democracy and members’ right to free speech.

I am standing to add my voice to those of current left NEC reps Mish Rahman, Gemma Bolton and Yasmine Dar.

10/08/2022
Jane Thomas – 2022 NEC Candidate Statement

The candidate statement from Jane Thomas.

Candidate Statement

Labour party activist and experienced campaigner in Sheffield with nearly 30 years experience at all levels – at various times Chair of my CLP, member of Labour’s Yorkshire Regional Board, National Policy Forum and parliamentary candidate in a key seat (Keighley). Former Head of England Team at Friends of the Earth where my team led the anti fracking movement – the largest sustained grassroots mobilisation for decades. Currently Yorkshire Bylines editorial board.

I have played an active role in fairness and equality in the city – helping to shape the Our Fair City campaign following Sheffield’s Fairness Commission, former Chair of South Yorkshire Women’s Development Trust, and more recently setting up and running a local mutual aid group when the pandemic first appeared.

I am a committed devolutionist (established and ran Campaign for Yorkshire), supporter of electoral reform and an active pro European (currently a member of Executive of the European Movement).

It is vital we face outwards – take the fight to the Tories; focus on winning elections at all levels and in ALL parts of the country; be ambitious in our plan to win the next general election. Our communities deserve no less.

I recommend also nominating Akehurst, Baxter, Duale, Singh Josan

10/08/2022
Sam Theodoridi – 2022 NEC Candidate Statement

The candidate statement from Sam Theodoridi.

Candidate Statement

As a care worker, working in the public sector, I’m well aware of the cost of a Conservative Government. I’ve seen cuts to funding decimate the care sector, leaving staff demoralised, underpaid and overworked.

We need a NEC whose sole focus is electing a Labour Government and Labour Councils up and down the Country. In Worthing, we are on the cusp of taking control of the local council for the first time. We have done that by putting aside factional concerns and working together to elect Labour Councillors who hail from across the Party politically.

I believe that the work we’ve done in Worthing can be replicated nationally, and my main focus as a member of the NEC would be to get the Party campaign ready.

This would mean:

Supporting CLPs across the country to elect hardworking Councillors, some for the first time in history, to build up trust in the Labour Party at a local level;

Recognising successful election campaigns and asking organisers for feedback on why they were successful, and how that can be replicated across the country;

Delivering a manifesto that we’re proud of, and that people can believe.

10/08/2022
Karen Self – 2022 NEC Candidate Statement

The candidate statement from Karen Self.

Candidate Statement

I joined the Labour Party in 1988 at the peak of Thatcherism, when attacks on worker’s rights and civil liberties were commonplace. I never thought I would see a worse Tory Government, but here we are in 2022 and the right wing extremists are in charge. The folly of Tory Party politics is now laid bare before us, with energy companies failing, a housing crisis, a cost of living crisis and NHS waiting lists at record levels. My Labour Party is one that is inclusive, diverse and representative of our society. I have no time for those who are just here to create division, those who are driven by the purity of their socialism. I am here to make a difference and we can only do that by winning. I believe under Keir Starmer the party has moved in the right direction. I am currently CLP secretary for Bristol North West. In this constituency we know how to win, we did it in 2017 and again in 2019. I will bring a winning mentality to the NEC. I believe in consensus decision making and won’t ‘throw my toys out of the pram’ if I don’t get my way.

10/08/2022