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  • PRESS RELEASE : Co-chairs statement – Coalition of the Willing call [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Co-chairs statement – Coalition of the Willing call [February 2026]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 24 February 2026.

    Marking four years since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the leaders of the Coalition of the Willing met to express their solidarity with President Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine. The leaders offered their full and sustained support as Ukraine fights for its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to defend Europe’s freedom.

    At the invitation of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Friedrich Merz, over thirty leaders joined the virtual meeting. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was joined in person by leaders of Nordic Baltic countries, the EU, and Croatia in Kyiv.

    The leaders reiterated their unwavering commitment to working together to achieve a just and lasting peace, in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter. They reaffirmed that international borders must not be changed by force.

    The leaders welcomed US ongoing efforts on peace negotiations, which must involve all relevant parties, when their interests are at stake.

    They urged Russia to engage in the discussions in a meaningful way, and to agree to a full, unconditional ceasefire. They reaffirmed the role that the Coalition of the Willing would play in providing multi-layered security guarantees – as agreed at their meeting in Paris in January 2026 – including through the Multi National Force for Ukraine, with the support of the United States.

    They reaffirmed their commitment to ramp up economic pressure on Russia including through additional sanctions and by targeting the Russian Shadow Fleet and oil trading networks, the Russian Military Industrial Complex and disrupting Russia’s financial networks.

    The leaders condemned Russia’s relentless appalling assault on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure, and the dire humanitarian consequences during the bitter winter months. They committed to provide further assistance to Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, including through the ongoing provision of air defence. They welcomed recent mobilisation by partners of critical energy infrastructure equipment for Ukraine, including more than half a billion euros of new pledges made to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund so far this year.

    The leaders noted the grim toll that Russia has paid for minimal gains on the battlefield, suffering almost half a million casualties last year alone. They welcomed recent successful Ukrainian counter-attacks to reclaim territory, and committed to continue to sustain military as well as fiscal support, including through the EU’s €90 billion loan and bilateral contributions.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh visits Somalia [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh visits Somalia [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 February 2026.

    The Duchess makes two-day visit to Mogadishu, meets women and girls organisations and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

    Ahead of International Women’s Day (8 March), The Duchess made a two-day visit to Somalia 23 to 24 February. 

    In Mogadishu, The Duchess was hosted at Villa Somalia by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud for an introductory call during which they discussed the crucial role women play in peacebuilding, strengthening community resilience and ensuring accountability for sexual and gender-based violence. The Duchess welcomed the Federal Government of Somalia’s Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan and encouraged its sustained implementation to improve conditions on the ground.  

    During the visit, The Duchess met Somali women survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. In a meeting at Uganda House, Villa Somalia, The Duchess and first daughter Jihan Hassan Sheikh Mohamud heard from victims of gender and sexual based violence perpetrated by al-Shabaab, reinforcing the importance of the UK-Somalia security partnership.  

    The Duchess also visited a Somali village in Lower Shabelle where the wives of Somali soldiers explained the dangers posed by al-Shabaab and the challenges they face while their husbands fight for a more secure and stable Somalia.

    Somali organisations and partners of the British Embassy, including Ifrah Foundation, ALIGHT Somali Women’s Leadership Initiative and the Somali Women Study Centre, told the The Duchess about the challenging operating environment they face, with conflict, drought and scarcity of resources exacerbating the prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence. UK support to Somali organisations working with survivors of GBV reached almost 130,000 women and girls between 2024 and 2025. Somali survivors received clinical support for health complications associated with GBV, hygiene and dignity commodities, and psychosocial support.

    Visiting a hospital in the centre of Mogadishu, The Duchess saw the impact of a UK-funded sexual and reproductive health service programme operating across 39 health facilities in five regions—Banadir, Bay, Mudug, Lower Shabelle, and Galgaduud. These areas are significantly affected by insecurity, displacement, and weak services. UK support helps to strengthen service delivery, which reduces the stigma and fear associated with seeking care after sexual violence. In an emotional conversation with victims of sexual and gender-based violence, supported by this programme run by International Rescue Committee, The Duchess heard the terrible impact of female genital mutilation, rape and sexual assault on Somali women.

    The Duchess departed Somalia on 24 February, to continue her regional tour.

  • Keir Starmer – Statement on Fourth Anniversary of Invasion of Ukraine

    Keir Starmer – Statement on Fourth Anniversary of Invasion of Ukraine

    The statement made by Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 24 February 2026.

    Good morning, colleagues. And before we get into our usual business today, I just wanted to say a few words to mark the four years of the conflict in Ukraine. That’s four years of Putin aggression. Four long years and four long years of suffering in Ukraine. And, you will have your own images and memories of that suffering.

    I’ve got three etched in my mind. The first is in the early days when I went to Kyiv after conflict broke out, I went to Bucha, which is just outside Kyiv, and saw for myself the roads and the ditches in which Ukrainian civilians were handcuffed with their hands behind their back, blindfolded and shot in the head and the bodies left in the road.

    I’d seen the images on film, but I went to see for myself the actual place and talked to the communities there. It was their families. It was their brothers and sisters. It was their communities. And they were left, as they described to me, to pick up the bodies, put them in shopping trolleys and take them to the local church where they put them in a mass grave.

    The second etched in my memory was last year when I went to one of the busiest hospitals in Kyiv and saw for myself the incredibly awful burns on some of those who had returned from the frontline, the like of which I’d never seen in my life before. And at the same time, I went to a primary school to meet children who were five, six, seven years old, and had lost both their parents to the conflict.

    There will be many examples, including the recent attacks on the energy system, when was -18 degrees and left people freezing in their homes. But that is the suffering inflicted by the aggression of Putin. My message to you, the Cabinet, and to the country today, as we mark this four years, is that we stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.

    I wanted also to pay tribute to the incredible resilience of the Ukrainians. And it is incredible resilience. When this conflict broke out four years ago, it was assumed it would be a matter of weeks before Putin took the whole of Ukraine. That’s what everybody believed to be the case. Four years later, the Ukrainians are holding out against that aggression. Holding out on the front line where the circumstances are extremely challenging, but also holding out in the civilian life, where every day Ukrainians get up and go to work as a sign of resilience and defiance of the aggression.

    And, we must defeat the falsehood that Russia is winning. Because if you take the last year alone, Russia took 0.8%, of land in Ukraine at a terrible cost to themselves of half a million losses. So we pay tribute to the resilience of Ukrainians. We all want a just and lasting peace. And that is what we’re all working so hard for.

    It must be just. And it must be lasting. That’s why we set up a coalition of the willing a year ago, to do the work that was necessary on security guarantees. And I’m chairing a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, immediately after this Cabinet to try and take that work further forward. But let’s be clear in terms of getting to that just and lasting peace, it is Putin who is standing in the way.

    Zelenskyy has shown willing. He’s taken the lead. It is Putin who is standing in the way. And that’s why we must always double down on our support for Ukraine. That means capability. It means resource. It means more sanctions. And today, I’m pleased that we’re announcing the biggest package since 2022. In terms of sanctions package. That’s 300 Russian energy companies that are being targeted.

    And we’re doing a lot more work on the shadow fleet, which is essential in terms of weakening the ability of Russia to continue with this aggression.

    And then finally this, because this is not a remote conflict a long way away from the United Kingdom. It’s about us on so many levels. It’s about our values of freedom, democracy, and the right of a country to decide for itself what it does, which is democracy and sovereignty.

    It has already impacted us over and above the work we’ve done on capability, resource sanctions, etc., because it has hit every family with the cost of living. Energy prices doubled at the beginning of this conflict. They’re still 40% higher than they were before the conflict. And so every family is feeling this, and how and when this conflict ends is going to affect everybody in the United Kingdom, for a very long time, which is why it’s so important that we make sure that there’s a just and lasting peace.

    And Ukraine is very much the frontline of our freedom, but we need to bear that in mind as we lost four years since the outbreak of this conflict. Thank you, colleagues.

  • NEWS STORY : Green Party win in Gorton and Denton By-Election

    NEWS STORY : Green Party win in Gorton and Denton By-Election

    STORY

    The Green Party has won the parliamentary by-election in Gorton and Denton, held on 26 February 2026. Candidate Hannah Spencer, a 34-year-old plumber and local councillor, secured the seat with 14,980 votes, representing 40.7% of the total vote share. The result marks the Green Party’s first ever parliamentary by-election victory and increases their total number of MPs in Westminster to five.

    The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Andrew Gwynne in January due to health reasons. Gwynne had held the seat for Labour with a majority of 13,413 in the 2024 general election, but he was sitting as an independent at the time of his departure following a suspension from the party. Turnout for the vote was 47.6%, which is nearly identical to the participation levels seen in the constituency during the general election two years ago.

    The final results saw a significant shift in the local political makeup, with Reform UK candidate Matt Goodwin finishing in second place with 10,578 votes (28.7%). Labour’s candidate, Angeliki Stogia, finished third with 9,364 votes (25.4%), while the Conservative candidate, Charlotte Cadden, received 706 votes (1.9%), resulting in a lost deposit. The Liberal Democrats finished in fifth place with 653 votes.

    In her victory speech delivered at the count in Manchester, Spencer thanked the voters of Gorton and Denton and focused on the economic pressures facing local residents. She highlighted issues surrounding the cost of living and criticised the use of divisive political rhetoric during the campaign. Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the result as very disappointing, acknowledging voter frustration while noting that mid-term by-election losses are not uncommon for incumbent governments.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Two board members reappointed to the Charity Commission for England and Wales [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Two board members reappointed to the Charity Commission for England and Wales [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 20 February 2026.

    The Secretary of State has reappointed Rory Brooks CBE and Shrenik Davda as board members to the Charity Commission for a second term of 3 years from 27 March 2026 to 26 March 2029.

    Rory Brooks CBE

    Rory Brooks CBE is a British private equity investor and philanthropist who co-founded MML Capital Partners, a European mid-market growth capital firm with offices in London, Paris, Dublin, and New York.​ He served as its Chair until stepping down in 2023​. Rory established the Rory and Elizabeth Brooks Foundation in 2005 with his wife Elizabeth, directing resources toward alleviating social disadvantage, advancing education, supporting poverty research, and promoting the arts.​ Rory has held trusteeships or chairmanships at organisations such as the Centre for Social Justice, IntoUniversity, and the Quintessentially Foundation.

    Shrenik Davda

    Shrenik has almost 40 years of banking experience in the CEEMEA (Central Eastern Europe Middle East Africa) region helping to build market-leading franchises for prominent global financial institutions such as JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank. He has also established and or run several regulated financial advisory boutiques and notably co-founded New Europe Capital Partners Ltd, which was acquired by Deutsche Bank. He started his career with Gulf International Bank in Bahrain and received his formal credit training at Citibank. He is currently an independent member of the Supervisory Board of Nova Ljubljanska Banka dd, a universal bank active in South Eastern Europe. In 2022 he was appointed as Lay Member of the Board of IPSO, the independent regulator of the newspaper and magazine industry in the UK.

    Remuneration and Governance Code

    Rory Brooks and Shrenik Davda have been reappointed for a second term of three years, commencing on 27 March 2026 to 26 March 2029.

    Board Members of the Charity Commission are remunerated £350 per day for approximately 24 days a year. 

    These appointments have been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election.

    Rory Brooks has declared financial donations to the Conservative and Unionist Party, as recorded by the Electoral Commission, with the last donation taking place in November 2021. Shrenik Davda has declared no political activity.

    Notes to Editors

    DCMS has around 400 regulated Public Appointment roles across 42 Public Bodies including Arts Council England, Theatres Trust, the National Gallery, UK Sport and the Gambling Commission. We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom.  To find out more about Public Appointments or to apply visit the HM Government Public Appointments Website.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Treasury launches recruitment campaign for Chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Treasury launches recruitment campaign for Chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility [February 2026]

    The press release issued by HM Treasury on 20 February 2026.

    HM Treasury has today launched a recruitment campaign for a new Chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).

    The OBR is the UK’s official independent economic and fiscal forecaster, responsible for examining and reporting on the sustainability of the public finances. The Budget Responsibility Committee (BRC), led by the Chair, has executive responsibility for the core functions of the OBR, including the judgements made in its economic and fiscal forecasts.   

    As with all appointments to the Budget Responsibility Committee, the Chancellor will make the appointment, subject to the consent of the Treasury Committee.

    Further information  

    • As set out in the Budget Responsibility and National Audit Act 2011, appointments to the OBR’s BRC, including the Chair, requires the consent of the Treasury Committee. The candidate nominated by the Chancellor will therefore be subject to a pre-appointment hearing with the Treasury Committee.  
    • The Budget Responsibility and National Audit Act 2011 allows each term of a BRC member, including the Chair’s, to be up to 5 years and each member may serve a maximum of two terms.  
    • While the Chair’s post is currently vacant, the two current members of the BRC, Professor David Miles and Tom Josephs, will continue to lead the OBR.   

    About the OBR  

    The OBR was created in 2010 to provide independent analysis of the UK’s public finances. The OBR is led by the three members of the BRC who have executive responsibility for carrying out the core functions of the OBR, including any judgements made in the preparation of the economic and fiscal forecasts. They are supported in their work by the OBR’s permanent staff led by the OBR Chief of Staff. The current members of the BRC are:   

    • Chair (vacant)  
    • Professor David Miles  
    • Tom Josephs  

    About the recruitment process   

    HM Treasury will run an open and competitive recruitment campaign to find a new Chair. The successful candidate will be selected by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in line with the requirements set out in the Budget Responsibility and National Audit Act 2011 and in accordance with the principles of the Governance Code for Public Appointments. The appointment will then be finalised subject to the Treasury Committee’s consent.

  • PRESS RELEASE : New measures to help woodlands through improved deer management [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : New measures to help woodlands through improved deer management [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 20 February 2026.

    Landowners, foresters and farmers across England will benefit from new measures to reduce the damaging impacts of deer on woodlands, under a new 10-year government plan announced today (Friday 20 February).

    An estimated one-third of England’s woodlands are now affected by deer damage, with excessive browsing and trampling preventing young trees from establishing, degrading habitats, and damaging crops. Without urgent action, this damage risks undermining woodland creation, nature recovery and domestic timber production.

    Native deer are an iconic feature of the English countryside and play a role in maintaining healthy, wildlife-rich woodlands. However, growing deer impacts – including from non-native invasive species – are placing unsustainable pressure on trees, woodland habitats.

    Overgrazing reduces the diversity of ground flora and scrub, including flowering plants essential for pollinating insects and fruiting shrubs that support birds and mammals such as dormice. Reducing deer pressure has been identified as a key management activity to support the recovery of nightingale populations, which have declined by more than 90% since the 1960s, due to habitat loss and changes in woodland management. Deer damage also affects wetlands, with recent surveys of the Norfolk Broads showing more than 10% of rare fen habitat has been impacted.

    Three of the six deer species present in England are invasive non-native, further intensifying pressure on sensitive environments.

    Current management approaches have not kept pace with rising impacts. There is a need to reduce reliance on fencing and tree shelters and increase effective, active deer management at landscape scale.

    Nature Minister Mary Creagh said:

    “Our trees and native wildlife are under huge strain from deer damage, including from non-native deer species.

    “This government is helping landowners and farmers manage deer impacts more effectively so woodlands can flourish and crops are better protected.

    “These new measures will also help restore nature, boost our home grown timber industry and protect the millions of trees we are planting across the country”.

    The package of measures announced today will give land managers the tools and support they need to act quickly and effectively. This includes:

    • Dedicated deer officers to provide clearer, more accessible advice and coordination
    • Grant funding to support effective deer management activity
    • Streamlined licensing processes to cut red tape and enable faster action
    • This includes potential changes to night shooting and close season licensing, allowing land managers to better protect crops, timber and habitats where there is a clear need

    Forestry Commission Chief Executive Richard Stanford said:

    “Deer damage is one of the biggest negative impacts on our trees and woodlands. Action has been long-overdue and these welcome measures will give land managers the tools they need to reduce pressures from excessive deer browsing to protect trees and restore biodiversity in our woodlands.

    “This will help trees, and other plants to thrive, enable nature to recover and provide much needed habitat for woodland birds and other wildlife. We can all help in this endeavour by eating wild venison, the most climate-friendly red meat there is.”

    Supporting the wild venison market

    To complement these measures, the government will also support the domestic wild venison market, helping to offset the costs of managing deer impacts by lethal control, including supporting the British Quality Wild Venison Standard, to boost consumer confidence. This includes support for the British Quality Wild Venison Standard to boost consumer confidence and exploring the use of public procurement to increase consumption. Wild venison is a healthy, high‑protein food, rich in essential amino acids and lower in cholesterol and saturated fats than many other red meats.

    Research and innovation

    The government will also support research to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of managing deer impacts, including the use of drone surveying to identify national priority areas and target action at a landscape scale.

    Together, these measures will make it easier for foresters, farmers and land managers to reduce deer damage, allowing woodlands to recover and thrive. This will benefit woodland species like dormice and nightingales and support the government’s wider nature recovery goals.

    The Deer Impacts Policy Statement follows Defra’s Grey Squirrel Policy Statement, published on 29 January, which set out measures to tackle damage to trees and woodlands caused by invasive grey squirrels and support native red squirrel populations.

    Effectively managing the impacts of wild deer and grey squirrels will support the government’s ambitious plans to successfully plant millions of new trees and increase woodland cover to at least 16.5% of total land area in England by 2050, including three new national forests.

    Additional information:

    Chris Packham said:

    “We live in one of the most nature-depleted nations on earth, composed of modified landscapes which need progressive management to restore and recover our treasured wildlife. The good news is we know how to do it and we can do it.

    “But to ensure we establish the richest mosaic of habitats, we unfortunately have to make some hard choices and managing a burgeoning population of deer is one of them. And let’s be clear, this is not sports shooting or hunting, this is about culling, management.  

    “If we want to reforest, if we want sustainable populations of woodland birds and butterflies, we currently have no other options. A joined up national policy implemented and supported by science will make a difference for biodiversity.”

    Rebecca Chaney, Lead Policy Advocate (Tree Health and Invasive Species) at the Woodland Trust, said:

    “Our native deer species are a much-valued part of our biodiversity. Sadly, with no natural predators to keep numbers of both native and non-native species at sustainable levels, they are causing serious damage to woodland habitats and their associated wildlife, right across the country. These habitats are already under enormous pressure from disease, fragmentation, and climate change.

    “A strategic, joined-up approach to sustainable deer management is essential. The measures outlined in this plan recognise the need for coordination and incentives to support landowners to manage deer at a landscape scale. We particularly welcome commitments to deer management plans on publicly owned land, the identification of national priority areas, and the continuing provision of grants.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : Enhanced package of cutting-edge technology to combat waste crime [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Enhanced package of cutting-edge technology to combat waste crime [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 24 February 2026.

    New surveillance, detection and investigative capabilities rolled out by Environment Agency to tackle waste crime.

    Waste criminals will be detected and stopped before they even get started, thanks to a new package of surveillance and investigative measures announced by the Environment Agency (EA) today (Friday 20 February 2026).  

    As part of a major crackdown on waste crime, an enhanced 33-strong drone squad will now track down illegal dumps from the air. The drones, some of which are being upgraded to carry laser mapping technology, will capture evidence to help secure successful prosecutions.  

    The Environment Agency has also developed a new screening tool that enables EA officers to scan and cross-check lorry licence applications against waste permit records – with suspect operators flagged before they have a chance to move waste illegally. 

    The new capabilities are backed by a reinforced Joint Unit for Waste Crime – now a 20-strong group of specialists working closely with law enforcement partners to dismantle organised criminal networks. This builds on a record year for waste enforcement, with 751 illegal waste sites shut down.  

    Phil Davies, Head of the Joint Unit for Waste Crime Unit said: 

    Illegal waste dumping is appalling, and we are determined to turn the tide on this heinous crime.  

    With organised criminals becoming ever more sophisticated, we are adopting new technologies to find and, importantly, stop them. 

    Through the greater use of drones, stronger partnerships and more officers on the ground, we will build on our action so far and send a clear message to those committing waste crimes – we will stop you.

    Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said: 

    This Government is aggressively pursuing waste criminals and bringing offenders to justice. 

    By increasing the Environment Agency’s enforcement budget by over 50% to £15.6 million, we’re investing in cutting-edge technology that allows us to shut down illegal operators faster and more effectively. 

    From advanced laser-mapping to drone surveillance and new vehicle-scanning tools, this technology is helping us track, expose and stop waste crime, ensuring those who blight our communities are held to account. 

    Greater drone surveillance and Lidar mapping  

    The Environment Agency has stepped up its use of drone surveillance, with a total of 33 trained pilots putting a greater focus on waste crime. Since July last year, the EA’s drones were in the air for 272 hours. 

    Drones will soon be equipped with Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) technology, which fires millions of laser points per second towards the ground below to create highly detailed maps of illegal waste sites. 

    Currently flown from a dedicated aircraft mainly to capture flood information, moving Lidar onto drones will allow even more precise mapping, pinpointing exactly where waste has been dumped. These maps can be used as evidence in court to and help bring waste criminals to justice.  

    New screening scans Office of the Traffic Commissioner data  

    Each week, the Office of the Traffic Commissioner publishes reports, listing all new applications for Heavy Goods Vehicle operator licences.  

    New software checks those applications against the EA’s public register, identifying which operators hold waste permits and waste carrier licences. This enables EA officers to identify and target potential offenders before they begin operating.  

    The new tool has already been trialled successfully in East Anglia, where it helped the agency uncover a waste company that had secretly relocated its HGV operations to evade enforcement. The software flagged the new operating centre within a week, allowing EA officers to intervene before a licence was approved.  

    Recruiting more officers to the Joint Unit for Waste Crime  

    The Environment Agency has also increased the size of the Joint Unit for Waste Crime from 13 to 20 specialists, including former police officers. 

    Alongside EA enforcement officers across the country, the Unit brings together multiple organisations, including police forces and the National Crime Agency, to disrupt serious and organised waste crime. 

    This builds on enforcement action taken by the EA up to March 2025, which included 221 prosecutions against waste criminals.

  • Monica Harding – 2026 Speech on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (former Prince Andrew)

    Monica Harding – 2026 Speech on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (former Prince Andrew)

    The speech made by Monica Harding, the Liberal Democrat MP for Esher and Walton, in the House of Commons on 24 February 2026.

    I want to speak about transparency and accountability in public life and how the system we find ourselves in has been maintained and got us to where we are.

    In the early noughties, I was working overseas with the British Council, as I have said. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor visited us as part of his role as a UK trade envoy. Before his arrival, senior staff in both the embassy and the British Council were rolling their eyes—his reputation preceded him. I was told that it was a “containment” exercise, that overseas missions feared putting him out there in case he said something inappropriate, that he was arrogant and that he was not on top of his brief. Rather than looking forward to his visits as an opportunity to promote Britain, it was instead thought that he would do damage.

    Moreover, there were rumours about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor—that he refused to stay in the ambassador’s residence, that he would only stay in the Four Seasons or similar top-end hotels, and that he took an ironing board with him when he went overseas. That was a euphemism for a massage table. That was all well known among many officials. It even inspired the BBC TV programme “Ambassadors” in 2013, a couple of years after Andrew was forced to relinquish his role as trade envoy.

    It seems that this was known about in the diplomatic circles that I experienced way back at the start of the noughties, and yet Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor enjoyed another 10 years as a trade envoy. Yet when I questioned why this was allowed to happen, I was met with a shrug. “Everyone knows,” they said. As I have said, Andrew came to an exhibition I had put on about Dolly the sheep. At the time, it was the pinnacle of British innovation, and we were rightly proud of it as an example of UK scientific excellence. One of my team was a young Japanese woman who worked for the British Government as a member of British Council staff. Her job—we paid her—was to promote the UK. She showed the then prince around with some Japanese dignitaries. “Dolly the sheep,” he sneered, “It’s rubbish. Frankenstein sheep”. My team member was deflated and did not understand why this representative of the British state diminished what she was rightly proud of.

    The talk of Andrew and what he was like came to my own dinner table. My late father-in-law, an air vice-marshal in the RAF, was at a dinner with Mountbatten-Windsor on an overseas trip in the 1990s. He said, in front of many foreign military and diplomatic seniors, “No need for a Royal Air Force”. My father-in-law said nothing, and that was the problem. People could not because of his privileged position. My father-in-law raised it with the Chief of the Air Staff and was told it would be raised with the Palace. What happened next? Who knows? Did diplomats raise the concern to their seniors and to the very top from early on? Did the Palace do its own internal investigation? If they did, was it shared with the Department for Business and Trade? Where did these concerns all go? In doing so, did they—the system—unwittingly or wittingly support protection or cover-up, because of “the way things were done” or because of deference? That is the point of this debate. Some officials knew, or the system seemed to know, but the system seemingly failed to do anything about it for 10 years because of privilege and deference.

    Mike Martin (Tunbridge Wells) (LD)

    On this point about which Departments had which papers, I note that the Humble Address uses the words

    “including but not confined to”.

    Surely papers in the royal household that relate to this matter should also come under the scope of the Humble Address. Does my hon. Friend agree?

    Monica Harding

    I agree. There is a systematic and joined-up failure that we need to unravel, and I will come back to that in my speech.

    When there was scrutiny after 2011, there was still a failure of oversight. What does that say about our society, how we protect privilege and what we are prepared to accept on behalf of the British state and our representatives? Can rules be broken by some people and not others? Do propriety and ethics belong to all those who represent the British state?

    We have a parliamentary monarchy. That means that if the Palace does not open itself to scrutiny and carry out its own inquiry, Parliament must. I have some questions. On what basis was Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor given the role of trade envoy? Who put him forward and was there resistance to it? While he was trade envoy, what concerns were raised and with whom, from what date and how were they actioned? Money was put up by the royal family to protect him. Does Parliament have a right to understand why that money was put up and that public funds were not used in the civil settlement with Virginia Giuffre? Can Parliament find out that not one penny of public money was used in that settlement?

    I know you will share with me, Madam Deputy Speaker, the concern about levels of public confidence in all our institutions and the people who represent them. Parliament must assert itself in this regard, and I, along with my colleagues, call for the full publication of all documents related to Mountbatten-Windsor’s appointment as a special envoy and for an end to negative privilege, so that MPs in this place can speak freely about their concerns and disclose information in the House of Commons, even if that individual is a member of the royal family.

    I will end, as I must, with thoughts for the victims of the Epstein scandal, which has triggered so much of this debate, and all those who are victims of power, privilege and deference. They are foremost in our minds as this furore continues. It is thanks to their bravery that we know the extent of Epstein’s crimes and the wider implications for our own establishment.

    Wendy Chamberlain

    I am grateful to my hon. Friend for giving way. I am conscious that she was close to concluding, but her words about the victims are powerful. I co-chair the all-party parliamentary group for the survivors of Fayed and Harrods. We have just started our work, but Members may have heard a powerful interview on the “World at One” a couple of weeks ago, which talked about the lack of acknowledgement of what had taken place and the fact that the police did not properly understand trafficking. The shadow Minister, the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Alex Burghart), described this as a global enterprise. Does my hon. Friend agree that we need to do much more work around this and that it is not just about the victims of Epstein, but other trafficking victims, too?

    Monica Harding

    My hon. Friend is quite right. This is about systemic failure, and we are at the very beginning of this, not the end. For the victims of Epstein, we must do everything we can to ensure that this investigation and inquiry continue. On behalf of those victims and those who are suffering right now from the same thing, we must ensure that the wider system cleans itself up, and we must facilitate that.

  • Rachael Maskell – 2026 Speech on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (former Prince Andrew)

    Rachael Maskell – 2026 Speech on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (former Prince Andrew)

    The speech made by Rachael Maskell, the Labour MP for York Central, in the House of Commons on 24 February 2026.

    Unaccountable power must not hide, privilege must not be protected, money must be accounted for and elite networks of men operating here and overseas must meet their reckoning for dehumanising, subjugating, exploiting and sexually assaulting women—women who must have justice. The web of abuse surrounding Mr Epstein and his associates must be brought to book, and Mr Mountbatten-Windsor, as a known associate, must also be held to account for his role as a special trade envoy and for his associations. We have all been revulsed by the stories that we have heard, and that is why today’s debate must also be about the victims and survivors.

    I first raised my concern because my constituency carries the name of York and the Duke of York’s ambassadorial associations with our city were causing much concern in my community. I therefore brought those concerns to the House on 21 February 2022, just days after the settlement of the lawsuit to Ms Giuffre, known to be in the region of £12 million. My city—a human rights city, no less—was clearly disturbed, and as a result of that I sought a separation between the title and the city. Later that year, after working closely with the Clerks, I brought forward a Bill to remove the title, but that still has not been done. I brought forward another Bill just last year on the removal of title, this time bringing in the option of removing the title from peerages as well, but I have still not had a positive response.

    The reasons I am speaking in this debate today are: first, that in looking into these issues, I realised that the Humble Address was narrow in its scope; and secondly, to ask what we should do with the information once it has been corroborated. Clearly the police investigation must take its course, and I am sure it will be deep and thorough because it runs so far, but ultimately, if we are just looking at the appointment, we must also ask about that period of time when Mr Mountbatten-Windsor carried out the role and the implications to wider networks. I do not want this to end up in the court of public opinion, or perhaps with the media digging deeper and deeper into more and more stories. But what does it do to this place? What does it do to change the way the systems work?

    Freddie van Mierlo (Henley and Thame) (LD)

    I recognise the work that the hon. Lady has done on titles and holding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to account. She makes a good point about making sure that we do not have a court of public opinion, but I would like to give my thanks to the many media outlets—it does not matter which one you read or what its political slant—that have done tremendous work, trawling through hundreds of thousands of documents. Does she agree that we owe them a debt of gratitude for bringing to light many of the awful things that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is alleged to have been associated with?

    Rachael Maskell

    I do agree with the hon. Gentleman, because I know that journalists have been up through the night poring over the Epstein files and digging deep to hold power to account. Our media have a vital role in this, and long may it continue. Their scrutiny is also important for this place and the work that we do here.

    We need a process of learning from this, and I believe that there should be a judge-led inquiry to ensure that the multiple strands of this global network of power are brought to account so that we can learn and hold to account in this place with regard to concerns about how these associations are formed and the depth to which they infiltrate places like this, the Government and international networks. As we have learned over the last few weeks, sensitive financial information has been shared, and this can impact on our constituencies, markets and trade. That in turn has an impact on the very people we are here to represent.

    No longer can these powerful men swan around the world having these conversations, gaining more power and exploiting whoever crosses their path without being held accountable. We therefore need to understand how to create even deeper transparency across all institutions, including all areas of Government, just as we try to do in this place each and every day. As the hon. Member for Oxford West and Abingdon (Layla Moran) says, this inquiry must be far-reaching and it must pursue all these issues.

    I recognise that many Departments have been missed out in the Humble Address. We need to understand, for instance, how transport has been used, and not just civil transport but military transport. We need to see the missing logs to find out who was on those planes, where they were going and where they had come from. We also need to understand the expenses system that ensued and to find out how signing off for massages became a duty of the taxpayer. Individuals questioned this, as we have heard, but the reality is that people did not feel empowered to blow the whistle and raise those concerns. We need to institute processes where people can raise concerns wherever they see them, but at the moment we do not have the confidence that that was undertaken within the systems. How are we going to institute that?

    There are also questions about visas—we know that 90 people came in and out of the country during the period that we are looking at today—and of course there must be rigour in appointment processes. Much has been heard about that over the last few months, and it lies at the heart of this Humble Address. We need to ensure that all these appointments are transparent. I heard what the Minister said today, but we have 32 trade envoys and I have never seen one post advertised. I am not aware of the expertise that those individuals have with regard to trade or to their relations with a particular country. What do they actually add? What value do they actually bring, and how can we assess that from this place? I therefore ask for a proper review of all these appointments to assess what they bring, because surely we should have better accountability.

    I also want to mention the intelligence services. I cannot believe that our intelligence services were not aware of some of the movements of Mr Mountbatten-Windsor. How do we bring that to account, to ensure that that information is also in the public domain? Where are the minutes of all those meetings? What do they say? How do we find out? There are so many questions in response to the Humble Address being put today, but we have to think about what we want to do from this point on as well. This must not be about just holding and examining the information and commenting in the tea rooms and the corridors; we must ensure that power is held to account, and that those with privilege know that they are answerable for the responsibilities that they hold.

    As the light is shone deeper into the darkest networks of the elite’s exploitations, and as the systems are overhauled and reviewed, may the police do their job well and extensively and may we in this place always focus on the women who were exploited, gaslit, traumatised and left broken as we seek justice and seek to hold that power to account.