6 MAY 1923
The Belgian Government confirmed that they were in agreement with the French Government and were rejecting the proposals made by the German Government on the matter of war reparations.
The directors of Krupps said at a court martial arranged by the French Government that they had taken no part in any plot against the French.
The King and Queen set sail for Rome on board the SS Biarritz.
5 MAY 1923
The court martial began in the town of Werden, near Essen, of the directors of Krupp.
Herbert Asquith, the former Prime Minister, said at a speech in Bournemouth that he would take no part in the formation of a centre party against extremists and indicated the ideals which he shared with the Labour Party.
Speaking at the Aldwych Club in London, Winston Churchill spoke about the dangers of a socialist Government.
The Second Reading of the Labour Party’s Workmen’s Compensation Bill was read in the House of Commons without any opposition.
4 MAY 1923
The French Cabinet unanimously rejected the German’s amended war reparations offer.
The Report stage of the Rent Restrictions Bill was read in the House of Commons.
It was confirmed that Hilton Philipson had lost his Berwick seat for election irregularities.
A State visit took place to the city of Londonderry by the Duke of Abercorn, the Governor of Northern Ireland.
![PRESS RELEASE : People urged to get Covid jab before offer ends [May 2023]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/healthsocialcare-150x140.png)
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 5 May 2023.
The offer of a first or second dose of Covid vaccine will end on 30 June 2023 for most people.
People who have not yet come forward for their first and/ or second dose of the Covid vaccine are being encouraged to get their jabs before the offer ends on Friday 30 June.
The NHS’s world-leading vaccination programme has so far delivered over 146 million Covid jabs, helping to save tens of thousands of lives, protect the most vulnerable from serious illness and allowed us to resume our normal lives without restrictions.
For people aged 18 and over, there is an 8-week interval requirement between receiving a first and second dose of Covid vaccine. Appointments can be booked easily online, by calling 119, or people can visit one of the hundreds of walk-in vaccination sites open across the country.
Building on the success of autumn and spring booster programmes, a seasonal, targeted vaccination offer will remain open for those most at risk, in line with advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). This will help to focus efforts and ensure the most efficient use of NHS resources as we work to cut the backlogs and reduce waiting times.
Health Minister Maria Caulfield said:
As we live with Covid without restrictions on our freedoms, it is right that we move towards a more targeted vaccination offer that prioritises those most at risk, so we can focus our efforts on cutting waiting lists for NHS treatment – one of the Prime Minister’s top five priorities.
As the offer for any adult to get a Covid vaccine comes to an end on 30 June, I would urge those who have not yet come forward to choose to have the first and second Covid vaccine. It takes minutes to get your jab and thousands of sites are open across England.
Vaccines are our best line of defence against the virus. I’ve stayed up to date with mine – it’s quick and easy so I would urge you to do the same before the offer closes.
This year’s spring booster programme continues to gather pace, with over two million eligible people receiving their vital top-up dose. Roving NHS vaccination teams have been visiting care homes across the country since 3 April, with eligible people living in the community accessing the jab since 17 April. The spring campaign will end on 30 June – the same day the offer of a first or second jab ends.
The JCVI advised the risk of serious illness with Covid continues to be disproportionately greater in those from older age groups, residents in care homes for older adults, and persons with certain underlying health conditions.
NHS Director of Vaccinations and Screening Steve Russell said:
The fastest and largest vaccination programme in NHS history has delivered more than 146 million Covid jabs since it began, including more than 45 million first doses, but now it is right as we learn to live with covid, that we move to targeted seasonal campaigns to protect the most vulnerable.
With the existing offer of a first and second dose for everyone set to end alongside the current spring campaign, everyone aged 18 and over who is unvaccinated must come forward for their primary course by the end of June to receive protection.
The vaccines are safe, effective, and the best way to boost your protection from serious illness caused by covid – so please do come forward for your dose of protection.
Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at the UK Health Security Agency, said:
The Covid vaccines have enabled us to live with the virus thanks to the protection they have given the millions >of people who have come forward to date.
Getting the vaccine remains the best way to avoid severe illness and it can increase your protection even if you have previously had the virus. It only takes a few minutes and I encourage anyone who has not yet done so to come forward before the offer ends.
Should a person move into an at-risk group, the offer of a first or second dose will re-open with the seasonal booster programmes.
![PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak meeting with the Amir of Qatar [May 2023]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/downingstreet-150x122.png)
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 5 May 2023.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak welcomed the Amir of Qatar, His Highness Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, to Downing Street this morning.
The Prime Minister thanked the Amir for travelling to London for the Coronation of His Majesty the King, noting that it reflected the enduring friendship between the United Kingdom and Qatar.
The leaders discussed the exciting opportunities to deepen cooperation between our two countries, including through greater investment in strategic industries such the partnership between Qatar and Rolls Royce to invest in ground-breaking green engineering projects. They highlighted the unique joint RAF squadrons operating in Qatar and committed to further develop our defence cooperation.
Turning to international affairs, the leaders shared their deep concern at the unfolding conflict in Sudan. They stressed the importance of diplomatic efforts to facilitate talks between the parties, to end the violence and transition to a civilian-led democratic government.
The Prime Minister also welcomed Qatar’s principled support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s invasion and they agreed our governments would continue to work together to support Ukraine’s defence and recovery.
The comments made by James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, in London on 5 May 2023.
Welcome, your Royal Highnesses, your excellencies, my lords, ladies and gentlemen.
It is a privilege to meet you all this morning at the start of a historic weekend for our country as well as for observers across the world. Tomorrow marks a new era for the United Kingdom.
This chapter of world history will be defined by our efforts to survive and thrive in spite of the immense and unique threats we currently face.
As such, His Majesty the King has asked that sustainability be a central theme of the Coronation. Concern for the state of our planet characterised his work as Prince of Wales and no doubt will distinguish his reign as King.
His Majesty’s government shares his passionate engagement with this pressing issue and has so far set the international standard for climate action.
We have committed £11.6 billion for climate finance, have pledged to reach net zero by 2050 and are tirelessly working to realise the epic potential of the Glasgow Climate Pact. The time for complacency is long gone. The need for action has never been more urgent.
This is true first and foremost for Small Island Developing States. Our friends and partners in SIDS are on the frontline of climate change, suffering from natural disasters, facing catastrophic sea level rises and daunting adaptation challenges.
This is compounded by extraordinary economic challenges. Island economies experienced some of the harshest economic downturns globally as a result of COVID-19.
These unique structural vulnerabilities mean that you deserve all the support and provisions required to protect your people and safeguard your economies.
I recently saw for myself in the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea the challenges governments and communities face when it comes to climate change. It touched me deeply. Exposure to extreme elements is a burden whose brunt should be borne by as many powers as possible.
That is why we’ve proposed the expansion of disaster risk finance. We must ensure that the right resources are readily available so that you can respond rapidly to shocks like hurricanes and the loss of critical infrastructures like water and health when they are needed most.
SIDS leadership is unmatched in calling for ambitious climate action. You also have a special role as large ocean states in protecting rich biodiversity and nature.
We want to support your vital leadership. In that spirit we have set out an ambitious vision for SIDS in our development strategy. It is a vision that focuses on climate and economic resilience.
But the UK cannot do this alone – others in the international system must strive to meet this challenge. Our most revered poet, William Shakespeare, once wrote ‘a touch of nature makes the whole world kin’. The dangers of our rapidly transforming environment ought to do the same; ought to alert us all to the perilous prospect of an inhospitable habitat.
The 2024 SIDS Summit is perhaps our last best chance to agree collectively on how to make this happen.
In my view, an international system that is fit for purpose for SIDS is one that is:
We are not there yet. The international community has squandered too much time bickering over the direction our lifeboat should take, rather than attending to its maintenance and plugging potentially lethal leaks.
Reforming international finance is a good starting point for action. Indeed, the international financial system desperately needs reform. The Bridgetown Initiative has been a clarion call for change across the IMF, World Bank and regional development banks.
The UK is prioritising international finance reform to better address developing countries’ needs. And we believe that the 2024 UN SIDS Summit is our opportunity to get priorities right for you.
I will visit Jamaica later this month for the biennial UK-Caribbean Forum and the UK-Jamaica Strategic Dialogue. And beyond the SIDS Summit many of us will gather in Samoa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. I look forward to further discussions at those events including our shared values, our commitment to democracy and our people-to-people links.
We are a proud and vocal partner of SIDS in international forums and will continue to be so. As Prime Minister Mottley said “How many more surges must there be before the world takes action? None are safe until all are safe.”
We must work together. Not just to survive, but to thrive, and to thrive indefinitely. Thank you and welcome to London.
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 5 May 2023.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hosted the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Chris Hipkins, at Downing Street today ahead of His Majesty The King’s Coronation tomorrow.
The leaders welcomed the announcement that New Zealand and the UK’s Free Trade Agreement would come into force this month, agreeing it would unlock huge trading potential for both countries.
Reflecting on strategic challenges in the Indo-Pacific, the leaders discussed the UK and New Zealand’s shared commitment to uphold stability in the region and how both countries could work closely with partners to improve economic resilience.
The Prime Minister thanked Prime Minister Hipkins for New Zealand’s strong commitment to Ukraine and the leaders discussed New Zealand’s contribution to Operation Interflex.
The tangible support offered by New Zealand through that programme was clearly making a difference on the battlefield in Ukraine, the Prime Minister said, welcoming Prime Minister Hipkin’s commitment to extend New Zealand’s training through to 2024.
The leaders also discussed the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which will be hosted in Samoa in 2024, and looked forward to working closely with Pacific partners to deliver a successful summit.
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 5 May 2023.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak welcomed Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to Downing Street this morning, ahead of His Majesty The King’s Coronation this weekend.
The leaders reflected on the strength of the UK-Australia relationship, across defence, security and trade, and agreed it was driving economic growth and creating jobs across both countries.
Both Prime Ministers welcomed the opportunities the Free Trade Agreement would also bring for young Australian and British workers through the new mobility scheme, which would extend visa lengths and lift age barriers.
The Prime Minister welcomed Australia’s new Defence Strategic Review and the leaders agreed on the importance of democracies working together to diversify supply chains and improve economic resilience.
The leaders looked forward to seeing each other at the G7 later this month and a summer of strong sporting rivalry between the UK and Australia during The Ashes and FIFA Women’s World Cup.
![PRESS RELEASE : UK Government Minister visits the Scottish Jewish Heritage Centre [May 2023]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/fco-150x150.png)
The press release issued by the Secretary of State for Scotland on 5 May 2023.
John Lamont was shown around the Synagogue and Heritage Centre by Manager Kerry Patterson and by two members of the Board, Liz Cameron and Deborah Haase.
Liz Cameron is Vice-Chair of the Board and former Lord Provost of Glasgow, in addition to being a volunteer guide on the weekday guiding service. Deborah Haase is Honorary Curator of the Scottish Jewish Archives Centre and trustee on the Heritage Centre Board.
Beginning in the historic synagogue, the group discussed the roots of Scotland’s Jewish communities before visiting the Scottish Holocaust-era Study Centre and displays.
Here, the Minister was shown one of the Learning Kits – about Dorrith Sim – used by school groups who visit to learn about the stories of Jewish refugees from Nazi-occupied Europe.
UK Government Minister for Scotland John Lamont said:
For the past 200 years the Jewish community has made a significant contribution to life in Scotland and it was a real privilege to hear more about this while exploring the Scottish Jewish Heritage Centre. Established in 2021, in part through funds from the UK Government-backed Community Security Trust, visitors to Glasgow’s wonderful Category A-listed Garnethill Synagogue can learn about the history and culture of Scottish Jewry, including how Scotland responded to events in Nazi Germany and took in a number of refugees.
The UK Government is committed to supporting Jewish communities so they can live and worship safely. I thank those involved in the only Jewish Heritage Centre in Scotland and urge as many people as possible to visit – and make a donation if able – to support this vital project.
For more information – https://sjhc.org.uk/
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 5 May 2023.
The UK’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Simon Manley, delivered a statement at Luxembourg’s UPR at the Human Rights Council.
Thank you, Mr President. Je voudrais souhaiter la bienvenu à la délégation luxembourgeoise et je voudrais la remercier pour les réponses à nos questions.
Tout d’abord, nous reconnaisons le travail formidable de Luxembourg en tant que member de ce Conseil.
We also commend Luxembourg’s progress in furthering women’s rights and empowerment, including its work to prevent sexual and gender-based violence and work to promote gender diversity in the financial sector.
We also welcome Luxembourg’s efforts to strengthen the maximum penalties for crimes of incitement to hatred and violence. However, we note that Luxembourg does not report hate crime statistics, so:
We recommend that Luxembourg:
Thank you et merci, Monsieur le President.