The comments made by Nigel Farage on Twitter on 26 July 2023.
Dame Alison Rose has gone. Others must follow.
I hope that this serves as a warning to the banking industry.
We need both cultural and legal changes to a system that has unfairly shut down many thousands of innocent people.
I will do my best to be their voice.
The statement made by Alison Rose following her resignation as the Chief Executive of the Natwest Group on 26 July 2023.
I remain immensely proud of the progress the bank has made in supporting people, families and business across the UK, and building the foundations for sustainable growth. My NatWest colleagues are central to that success, and so I would like to personally thank them for all that they have done.
STORY
Alison Rose, the Chief Executive of the Natwest Group, has resigned following the revelation that she had privately told a BBC journalist that the bank account of Nigel Farage had been closed due to a lack of funds rather than for commercial reasons. Nigel Farage reacted to the news by saying “the first rule of banking is you have to respect the privacy of the customer”.
Howard Davies, Chairman of the Natwest Group Board, said in a statement:
“The Board and Alison Rose have agreed, by mutual consent, that she will step down as CEO of the NatWest Group. It is a sad moment. She has dedicated all her working life so far to NatWest and will leave many colleagues who respect and admire her.”
RESOURCES
Alison Rose – 2023 Statement on Standing Down as Natwest Group Chief Executive
STORY:
Charlotte Owen, a former advisor to Boris Johnson, has made history by becoming the youngest appointed member of the House of Lords at the age of 30. Her appointment as Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge was part of Boris Johnson’s outgoing honours list and has been controversial due to her limited work experience. Owen was introduced into the House of Lords yesterday and swore the oath of allegiance to King Charles III.
Sir James Duddridge, who worked in 10 Downing Street during the Johnson period of Government, said that she had been “vital” to the Prime Minister and that the honour was deserved. Other in Downing Street said off the record that she had been a junior figure and that the appointment was something of a surprise.
![PRESS RELEASE : UK – Türkiye Joint Statement [July 2023]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/deptbusinesstrade-150x147.png)
The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 18 July 2023.
The UK and the Republic of Türkiye confirm their intention to begin talks towards a revised and comprehensive Free Trade Agreement.
The United Kingdom and the Republic of Türkiye are significant and close trading partners. Both our countries are resolved to build upon this success and are today confirming their intention to begin talks towards a revised and comprehensive Free Trade Agreement.
The current trade agreement was signed in December 2020. It predominantly covers industrial goods and has provided continuity to businesses and safeguarding of supply chains following the UK’s departure from the European Union.
A review clause included in the current agreement committed the UK and Türkiye to reviewing the trade relationship. This work began last year with both partners concluding that there would be value in broadening and deepening the trade relationship. Officials have met as part of the UK-Türkiye Joint Committee to conclude this review and agreed to work towards an improved FTA.
Both countries acknowledge that it is more important than ever to support an open trading environment based on global trading rules that underpin mutual growth and prosperity. There is an opportunity to work towards a contemporary agreement that is fit for the 21st century and better suited to the modern economies of both the UK and Türkiye.
![PRESS RELEASE : Climate change and coal – UK statement to the OSCE [July 2023]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/fco-150x150.png)
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 18 July 2023.
Justin Addison (UK Delegation to the OSCE) tells the OSCE’s Asian Partners conference that to keep temperature rises below 1.5ºC we need to move away from unabated coal power.
COP28 comes at a crucial time, involving the first ever Global Stocktake of progress against the Paris Agreement. It must deliver an outcome that puts the world on track to keep temperature rises below 1.5ºC, halving global emissions by 2030. To do this, we need to move away from fossil fuels and unabated coal power.
Further development of coal as the most polluting energy source could render the 1.5ºC goal impossible. A policy of no new coal aligns with acting on the commitment in the Glasgow Climate Pact to accelerate the phase down of coal. Coal remains the largest source of global emissions and largest source of global electricity generation.
The battle for no new coal has largely been won. Almost every country in the world has stopped building new coal power stations. In the second half of 2022, the total amount of new coal power capacity under consideration dropped below 100 GW in the world outside China for the first time since data collection began. This shows the momentum behind no new coal.
Committing to end new coal globally represents a critical step to transitioning to a clean and sustainable energy future, as well as an opportunity for all countries to unite around global net-zero goals and highlight their individual leadership in ensuring a just transition that leaves no one behind.
![PRESS RELEASE : Welsh Secretary visits refurbished park tennis courts [July 2023]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/walesoffice-150x150.jpg)
The press release issued by the Secretary of State for Wales on 18 July 2023.
Secretary of State for Wales, David TC Davies MP visited fully refurbished courts at Six Bells Park in Abertillery.
The Secretary of State for Wales David TC Davies MP has visited newly refurbished public tennis courts at Six Bells Park, Abertillery, just one of the parks across Wales that is benefitting from a £30m investment from the UK Government and LTA Tennis Foundation, delivered by the LTA, into park tennis courts across Britain.
The revitalised courts at Six Bells Park have undergone a full resurfacing and repainting, to bring them back to life for use by the local community, thanks to over £35,000 of funding from the UK Government and LTA Tennis Foundation.
The newly refurbished courts received 285 hours of bookings in the six weeks since they reopened in May, highlighting local appetite for tennis.
Secretary of State for Wales David TC Davies MP said:
The UK Government is continuing to invest significantly in grassroots facilities, helping communities to deliver the huge health and social benefits that sport brings.
I was delighted to see, so close the end of the Wimbledon Championships, the new facilities at Six Bells Park which will allow people from across the area to try tennis and for future generations of players to develop their skills.
The Parks Tennis Project is delivering vital improvements to the condition of over 3,000 park tennis courts across England, Scotland and Wales, resurfacing and repainting those parks in the worst condition, with a particular focus on targeting inequalities in participation. It is the most significant investment in park tennis courts for a generation.
Over 1,000 park court refurbishments have now been completed across Great Britain. Work on parks in Wales are now also complete in Vale of Glamorgan and Newport, with works ongoing on sites across Wrexham, Conwy, Caerphilly and Bridgend, and in the pipeline across a number of other local authorities.
LTA Head of Park Investment Delivery Paul Bennett said:
The upgraded courts in Six Bells Park are a prime example of how this transformational investment in park tennis courts by the UK Government and LTA Tennis Foundation is opening up tennis in Wales and across Britain.
Existing park courts like this have been identified for renovation not just because they will have the biggest impact on participation, but because they will address inequalities in participation by helping to engage traditionally under-represented communities in tennis.
With the courts having successfully reopened to the public, we’re really excited to capitalise on this momentum by working with Blaenau Gwent Council, Tennis Wales and Chris Hill to roll out Free Park Tennis over the coming months.
As part of its commitment to open tennis up to many more people, the LTA is supporting local authorities and providers to ensure that a range of activity is in place across park courts, including free weekly tennis sessions where equipment is provided. All courts will be bookable on the LTA online booking system with digital gate access systems installed across sites, to make finding, booking and getting onto court as easy and secure as possible for tennis players across the country.
The programme is designed to open up the sport to many more people, with the LTA aiming to attract 500,000 more players in parks every year.
It follows a surge in grassroots participation across Britain, including in Wales. Tennis Wales, the national governing body for tennis in Wales, recently announced that 176,000 adults picked up a racket and played tennis in the year to May 2023, an increase of 46,000 compared to 2019.
More children are also now playing tennis with 154,000 playing every year and Sport Wales’ School Sport Survey highlighted that around 50,000 children have a desire to try tennis.
Improved public facilities are helping to address this demand, whilst more young people are also having the opportunity to pick up a racket in schools through LTA Youth Schools. Through this programme, Tennis Wales and the LTA are removing barriers to participation by training more than 650 Welsh teachers in delivering the programme, providing a £250 voucher for each school that has completes this to be redeemed for 10 hours of LTA Accredited coaching or equipment.
The speech made by James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, in New York on 17 July 2023.
In 2015, 193 countries agreed the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. This was a landmark multilateral achievement, to chart our course towards a fairer, healthier and more prosperous world by 2030.
Yet today at the halfway point, we are on course to miss a staggering 88% of the targets that we set.
This is clearly unacceptable. We cannot continue with business as usual if we are to end poverty, improve health and education, increase prosperity, or slow climate change.
But if we act together, we can still get the SDGs back on track. So what do we need to do?
My top priority is reforming development finance – and targeting it to areas which will accelerate progress, like food security, health, renewable energy, and the empowerment of women and girls.
This is not my idea. It’s what my fellow foreign ministers from developing countries tell me that we need to do. That’s why the UK supports the ambitions of Mia Mottley’s Bridgetown Initiative.
We need Multilateral Development Banks to free up trillions more for developing countries by implementing the G20’s independent review on Capital Adequacy Frameworks.
We need more private sector investment, particularly in clean energy, water and sanitation, and climate-resilient infrastructure.
We need all creditors to offer Climate-Resilient Debt Clauses, to pause loan repayments when disasters strike – as the UK Export Finance is doing in 12 African and Caribbean countries.
And we must ensure developing countries have strong public finances through better tax collection and tackling of illicit financial flows.
Our international financial system needs to become more responsive to shocks – so we can help poorer and smaller countries – especially those at risk of natural disasters – to sustain development gains and to prevent roll backs.
We cannot stop floods, we cannot stop droughts, we cannot stop hurricanes. But we can stop the economic crises and debt spirals that they cause.
I recognise that the UK doesn’t have all the answers. But we are committed to working with all our partners to urgently accelerate progress towards the SDGs over the next 7 years.
All of us need to recommit to the Sustainable Development Goals at the upcoming Summit at UNGA in September. Because we will need political will and partnership to forge bigger, better, fairer international financial systems which meets today’s development needs.
And we can translate our joint political ambitions into concrete reforms through the G20, World Bank, IMF and at COP28.
It is time for us to go further and faster. Let us seize the opportunity.
Thank you.
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 18 July 2023.
New government campaign encourages British people travelling abroad to check their travel insurance cover.
As the big summer getaway ramps up with many schools breaking up, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is urging Brits travelling abroad to make sure they do not void their travel insurance and risk a big bill. A new campaign will guide British travellers on the steps they need to take to make sure their policies cover them on their summer holidays.
Travellers without adequate and appropriate insurance cover could face bills running to tens of thousands of pounds if things go wrong abroad. But a few simple checks can help save travellers unnecessary stress and expense.
The campaign will encourage Brits to:
Medical bills can be eye-wateringly expensive, if someone is injured or falls ill abroad without adequate insurance cover. The price of surgery for a broken leg in the Canary Islands can be over £10,000, for example, and an accident in Greece requiring surgery and flights back to the UK could result in a bill of £30,000. The FCDO can provide support and assistance for British people who are hospitalised abroad but cannot pay medical bills or for medical evacuation.
Jennifer Anderson, FCDO Director of Consular Services said:
Arranging appropriate travel insurance is a holiday essential for all Brits heading overseas this summer.
By taking a few simple steps, travellers can avoid invalidating their insurance and save themselves thousands of pounds in medical bills should things go wrong.
Having the travel insurance in place that meets your needs can make all the difference and allow you to relax and enjoy your holiday.
Mark Tanzer, ABTA Chief Executive said,
If you’re going away on holiday this summer, it’s really important to take out travel insurance and make sure it provides the right cover for your trip – including the activities you’re planning, and any health conditions you may have.
You can also insure for cancellation due to unforeseen circumstances, but not all insurance covers this, so it’s vital to check the exact terms of your policy.
Louise Clark, Association of British Insurers Policy Adviser, said:
Travel insurance can provide vital protection and peace of mind when holidaying abroad, especially against any costs involved with needing emergency medical treatment.
It’s important to answer all questions fully and honestly when buying insurance to ensure you have the right cover in place, especially on any pre-existing medical conditions.
Policies will vary, so understand what you will or won’t be covered for and buy the cover that most suits your needs, not just based on price.
If you’re unsure about your cover or have any questions, please contact your insurer.
Travellers are reminded that the UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or valid UK European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) gets them state healthcare in Europe at a reduced cost or sometimes for free.
However, the GHIC and EHIC do not replace travel insurance and does not cover costs such as bringing the patient back to the UK or additional accommodation costs in-country. Travellers should also remember that the level of free public healthcare can vary between countries, so British nationals may not have access to the same specialist treatment that they would at home.
In addition to checking their travel insurance cover, the FCDO is encouraging travellers to prepare for their trip abroad. The FCDO’s foreign travel checklist sets out the practical steps that Brits need to think about before they head off on holiday, from passport validity to health prescriptions.
Holidaymakers are also encouraged to get all the latest information on their destination by checking travel advice on GOV.UK and signing up for email alerts. FCDO travel advice has all the latest information on entry requirements, local laws and customs and health care provision in over 200 countries and territories.
![PRESS RELEASE : Renewed counter-terrorism strategy to strengthen UK response [July 2023]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/homeoffice-150x150.png)
The press release issued by the Home Office on 18 July 2023.
The government has today (18 July) launched CONTEST 2023, a refreshed approach to the evolving and enduring threat from terrorism.
With nine declared terrorist attacks since 2018 and 39 late-stage attacks disrupted since 2017, terrorism remains a top national security risk and priority.
The UK’s primary domestic threat comes from Islamist terrorism, with the remainder predominantly driven by extreme right-wing terrorism.
For more than twenty years, the CONTEST strategy has sought to reduce the threat of terrorism in the UK and to its interests overseas.
CONTEST 2023 sets out the UK’s bolstered approach to a domestic terrorist risk that is once again rising and becoming increasingly less predictable. The updated strategy also addresses a persistent and evolving overseas threat from Islamist groups, and exploitation of technology by terrorists.
CONTEST 2023 will continue to counter the threat at every stage across Prevent, Pursue, Protect, and Prepare – from protecting against and mitigating the impact of terrorist attacks, to stopping people from becoming terrorists by curtailing radicalising influences.
Islamist terrorism is currently the largest terrorist threat faced by the UK in volume making up around three quarters of MI5’s caseload. Extreme right-wing terrorism almost exclusively represents the remaining threat.
Across ideologies, the threat is dominated by individuals or small groups acting outside of organised terrorist groups, making it harder to detect and investigate.
Building upon existing partnerships across government, policing and the intelligence agencies, as well as with the private sector, the public and international partners, CONTEST 2023 sets out a clear vision for an agile, integrated and aligned approach. A collective and coordinated response will ensure we have all levers at our disposal against modern threats.
Together, we are:
Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, said:
Any death or injury resulting from terrorism is a tragedy, and the impact on survivors, witnesses and wider society is immeasurable.
The terrorism risk we face today is rising and becoming harder to detect. This is why the transformational changes and vital partnerships set out in CONTEST 2023 will modernise our approach and make us all safer.
The safety and security of our people is the leading duty of government; terrorism will not prevail.
Head of Counter Terrorism Policing, Matt Jukes said:
The Counter Terrorism Operations Centre is a clear marker of the continued collective commitment to tackle the enduring terrorist threat.
Our mission to keep the public safe cannot be achieved by one organisation alone and we are pleased that CONTEST underlines the importance of collaboration.
Together with our partners, counter-terrorism policing will always strive to enhance our response, keeping the safety of the public at the very heart of our efforts.
Whilst sustained counter-terrorism pressure from the UK and its allies has suppressed the most serious terrorist threats, Islamist terrorist groups based abroad are persistent and evolving.
Their capabilities remain far below earlier peaks, but there are signs of resurgence by groups such as Daesh and al-Qa’ida, which continue to seek to plan and enable attacks in western countries, including the UK.
Our global relationships provide a foundation which can jointly address the risks we face from international terrorism.
Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, said:
Our approach to countering terrorist threats is having an impact. Alongside our allies, we have suppressed a great number of the most serious threats in the last five years.
We continue to adapt our approach to tackling the evolving and enduring threats.
The UK will continue to work in close collaboration with key allies to tackle these new threats and keep our people safe.
CONTEST 2023 has been developed by the Home Office, working with a range of government departments, police and the intelligence agencies.
Terrorism experts, academics, public organisations, the private sector and the public were consulted to provide insight and challenge, to ensure that CONTEST continues to robustly defend the public from the terrorist threat.