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PRESS RELEASE : West Midlands to become Government centre for Transport and Infrastructure with new Campus to accelerate regional growth and delivery [February 2026]
The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 3 February 2026.

Communities across the West Midlands will benefit from new high-skilled career opportunities after the government announced a new Transport and Infrastructure Campus, harnessing local expertise to deliver better public investment and services.
- New government campus in the West Midlands to bring together expertise in transport, property, and housing and deliver regional economic growth.
- The hub will support the Government’s commitment to invest at least £725 billion in public infrastructure over the next decade.
- The move brings senior decision-making closer to local communities, creating high-quality career pathways for civil servants in the region.
Communities across the West Midlands will benefit from new high-skilled career opportunities after the government announced a new Transport and Infrastructure Campus, harnessing local expertise to deliver better public investment and services.

The campus will bring together transport, property and housing infrastructure expertise from across multiple departments throughout the West Midlands, a region home to over 35,000 civil servants. This builds on the success of established Government campuses, such as the Darlington Economic Campus, which has led to around 1,000 new high-skilled jobs.

Cabinet Office Minister Anna Turley will announce the campus during a keynote speech at the launch of non-profit initiative The Forward Institute in Birmingham on Monday 2nd February.

Cabinet Office Minister, Anna Turley, said:

The West Midlands is Britain’s transport heartland, and this new campus will harness that regional strength to accelerate the infrastructure projects that communities need.

I am a firm believer that the best ideas often come from those on the frontline. By moving decision-making out of Whitehall and into the West Midlands, we are ensuring decisions are informed by local expertise and deliver real, tangible benefits for every part of the UK.

Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, said:

The West Midlands is a fantastic home for this new Transport and Infrastructure Campus, with a real strength in delivering major projects like the Midland Metro, the expanding SPRINT bus network, and the opening of five new rail stations later this year.

By basing the campus here, we’re backing local expertise and bringing decision‑making closer to communities, helping deliver the infrastructure needed to drive growth across the country.

Housing Secretary Steve Reed said:

We’ve promised to build 1.5 million homes this Parliament, and that means doing things differently. This campus brings together the people and expertise we need to cut through the barriers and help us get Britain building.

Local knowledge, local talent. That’s what I mean when I said build, baby, build.

The campus will bring together expertise from across the region from the Department for Transport, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and Cabinet Office to accelerate infrastructure projects, and support the investment of at least £725 billion in public infrastructure over the next decade under the National Infrastructure Strategy.

The National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) will support the development of the Campus. They will nominate a senior leader, based in Birmingham, where they will work with the local area and government departments to grow the campus and spread opportunity throughout the West Midlands.

By uniting departments around shared priorities and working alongside frontline workers and local government, the campus will drive national renewal, supporting the building of 1.5 million new homes and fast-tracking 150 major infrastructure projects.

Alongside the recent launch of a new management apprenticeship scheme based in Birmingham – it will allow people to move up through a civil service career right to the most senior levels, without ever having to move away from the West Midlands.

The West Midlands is already one of the largest hubs of civil servants outside of London, with over 35,000 professionals working across the region. Since March 2020, more than 3,200 roles have been relocated to the West Midlands through Places for Growth, including nearly 1,800 to Birmingham.

This announcement builds on the success of existing thematic campuses, such as the recently launched Digital and AI Innovation Campus in Manchester and the Energy Campus in Aberdeen.

The Places for Growth programme is about bringing the civil service closer to the communities it serves, with 34% of UK-based Senior Civil Servants now based outside of London, with the goal for 50% of UK-based Senior Civil Service and Fast Stream roles to be located outside of London by 2030.
February 6, 2026
PRESS RELEASE : £1 billion resilience fund and next step towards removal of two-child limit provide safety net for families [February 2026]
The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 3 February 2026.

Historic legislation to end the two-child limit and lift hundreds and thousands of children out of poverty has moved a step closer to reality today.
- Legislation to end the two-child limit which would deliver the biggest reduction in child poverty in a single parliament on record, has second reading today.
- Comes as Local Authorities receive £1 billion Crisis and Resilience funds which will prevent families from falling into poverty and crisis.
- All part of the landmark Child Poverty Strategy set to tackle the root causes of poverty and deliver security, opportunity, and respect for families across the UK.
Historic legislation to end the two-child limit and lift hundreds and thousands of children out of poverty has moved a step closer to reality today.

As the bill to scrap the two-child limit reaches second reading stage in Parliament, Local Authorities are preparing to deliver the new £1 billion Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) – the most significant investment in local crisis support in a generation, giving families a genuine safety net to help families with the cost of living.

Launching in April and split across Local Authorities throughout England, the Crisis and Resilience Fund is the first time a multi-year settlement will be in place for crisis support, replacing the annual cliff-edge funding cycle with the long-term certainty councils need to plan ahead and deliver lasting change.

The £1 billion Crisis and Resilience Fund will replace the Household Support Fund and brings together Discretionary Housing Payments into a single, streamlined grant. This simplified approach will reduce administrative burden on councils while ensuring families can access the support they need when they need it.

This will allow the fund to act as a genuine safety net to prevent families from falling into poverty by giving Local Authorities the certainty they need to run long-lasting initiatives targeted at the needs of their local area.

Both measures form part of the government’s Child Poverty Strategy, the most ambitious plan to tackle child poverty in a generation. The two-child limit is the biggest single driver of growth in child poverty levels, removing it is the quickest and most cost-effective way to lift 450,000 children out of poverty in the final year of this parliament.

Including measures such as expanded free school meals and free childcare hours, the strategy aims to break the cycle of children growing up in poverty facing worse outcomes in health, education and employment, in turn building a stronger Britain for the future.

Minister for Employment Dame Diana Johnson, said:

“Families deserve support before a crisis hits, not after. By scrapping the two-child limit and launching a £1 billion Crisis and Resilience Fund, we’re giving councils the tools to help families build real financial security.

“Growing up in poverty has a significant impact on health, education and employment and lifting 550,000 children out of these circumstances isn’t just about fairness today, it’s about building a stronger Britain for the future.”

Co-designed with Councils and charities, the Government has released guidance on how the funding could be spent including initiatives to join up local services like debt advice and help to access financial support, helping those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs and programmes to ensure children do not go hungry during school holidays.

The Minister for Employment will today (3 February) visit Hope4All in Sunderland, where a community-led food club and advice service has cut local food bank reliance by 40% – demonstrating the importance of local initiatives, run by those who understand the needs of their communities.

Sabine Goodwin, Director of the Independent Food Aid Network, said:

“The eagerly awaited Crisis and Resilience Fund is set to be groundbreaking for households living on low incomes in English local authorities. Its newly published guidance outlines the delivery of effective crisis support via prioritised cash payments enabling choice and dignity as well as the need to help residents build financial resilience through bolstered community support.

“Taking a cash-first approach to poverty, this multi-year funding pot has the capacity to reduce the number of people having to turn to charitable food providers and to help fulfil the Government’s commitment to end mass dependence on emergency food parcels.”

Funding for the CRF has been confirmed until 31 March 2029, a significant shift from short-term emergency pots that limited Councils ability to plan ahead and build joined-up services that that would have a meaningful impact on their local community and result in genuine poverty prevention. The £1 billion package replaces the Household Support Fund and incorporates Discretionary Housing Payments, streamlining support into a single grant. Alongside the guidance, provisional allocations have already been shared with all councils.

Emma Revie, co-chief executive at Trussell, said:

We are delighted to see the Crisis and Resilience Fund launched this year, and to have been able to work with the government and our partners to ensure it is designed to provide effective support for people at risk of needing a food bank. Every day, food banks see how people living on the lowest incomes can be quickly tipped into crisis by an unexpected cost or financial shock such as illness or a job loss. Effective crisis support is crucial to prevent people from falling into severe hardship, so they can still afford the essentials we all need.

The new Crisis and Resilience Fund is a vital step towards ensuring no-one is forced to turn to a food bank to get by, and represents important progress on the government’s manifesto commitment to ending the need for emergency food. We welcome its development, which is based on the evidence and insights from our community of food banks and other experts in the Crisis Support Working Group and we look forward to continuing this work in partnership to help end the need for food banks for good.

The government is also taking wider action to help families by driving down the cost of living with measures including increasing the National Living Wage, cutting an average £150 from household energy bills and freezing rail and prescription charges.
February 6, 2026
PRESS RELEASE : Major international science meeting begins in Manchester [February 2026]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 3 February 2026.

Environment Secretary opens international meeting on business and biodiversity.

A thousand of the world’s leading scientists and policymakers from nearly 150 countries are gathering in Manchester this week for a vitally important summit, supported by the UN and hosted by the UK government.

The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) are meeting to discuss action on tackling one of the defining challenges of our time – halting the loss of nature.

Often described as the ‘IPCC for biodiversity’, IPBES provides policymakers with objective scientific assessments about the state of the planet’s biodiversity, ecosystems and the contributions they make to people, as well as providing the tools to help us better protect the natural world.

This year’s meeting, running until 8 February, focuses on the crucial link between business and biodiversity, with the goal of approving a groundbreaking Business & Biodiversity Assessment. This intergovernmental report, if approved, will help businesses understand their relationship with nature and practical steps they can take to protect it.

Hosting this landmark intergovernmental meeting in Manchester is expected to deliver a £3.1 million boost to the local economy, bringing delegates from around the world to the city and securing Manchester’s status as hub for nature-positive business and innovation.

In a speech at the opening plenary session this morning, the Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds relayed a message to delegates on behalf of His Majesty The King, which described the “unprecedented triple crisis” of biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution. His Majesty’s message reminded delegates they “possess the knowledge to reverse this crisis and transition towards an economy that prospers in harmony with nature” and expressed his wish that the outcome of this week’s meeting “will help shape concrete action for years to come”.

Speaking at the opening plenary, Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said:

Around the world, momentum is building. Countries are restoring wetlands and forests. Communities are reviving degraded landscapes. Businesses are increasingly investing in nature as they have realised it delivers real returns. The tide for nature is beginning to turn.

But we cannot afford to slow down. The window to halt biodiversity loss by 2030 is narrowing. We need to build on that momentum – and we need to do it now. That is why organisations like IPBES matter more than ever. At a time when some are stepping back from international cooperation, the rest of us must step forward. Together we will demonstrate that protecting and restoring nature isn’t just an environmental necessity, it’s essential for our security, our economy, and our future.

The UK’s commitment to multilateralism remains steadfast. We believe that by working together – sharing knowledge, aligning policies, and holding one another accountable – we can halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. This week, we come together to approve the Business and Biodiversity Assessment. This is multilateralism in action. This is what global cooperation looks like.”

The Environment Secretary went on to address the urgency of multilateral action, the critical role of science, and the opportunities for businesses – noting that nature-positive investments can build resilience into supply chains and drive innovation in biotechnology, sustainable agriculture, and green finance.

Louise Heathwaite, Executive Chair of the Natural Environment Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation, said:

This meeting marks an important milestone for business and biodiversity. Organisations that understand and manage their impacts on nature are better equipped to secure resilient supply chains, minimise risk, and unlock new opportunities for sustainable economic growth. UK researchers have been central to developing the evidence base that enables businesses to assess and respond to nature‑related risks. UKRI is proud to have supported the UK science that has made this assessment possible.

Gemma Harper, Chief Executive of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) said:

IPBES-12 represents a crucial moment for strengthening the science-policy interface on biodiversity. JNCC is proud to contribute our expertise to these important discussions, helping to ensure that the most robust evidence informs decision-making at the highest levels.

The business case for nature has never been clearer. All businesses depend on nature and the services it provides: from pollination and clean water to climate regulation and fertile soils. Companies that act on their nature-related dependencies and impacts will be better positioned to manage risk, build resilience and seize opportunities in the transition to a nature-positive economy. We look forward to productive discussions that will help translate scientific understanding into practical action for governments, businesses and communities worldwide.

The UK is committed to taking a leading role on the world stage to tackle the twin threats of climate change and nature loss. We appointed two UK Special Representatives for Climate Change and Nature who work to boost our diplomatic engagement and strengthen our international partnerships.

The UK Special Representative for Nature Ruth Davis and Nature Minister Mary Creagh will also be attending IPBES this week to support the work of the panel, drive business investment in nature and encourage business to be transparent with full nature related financial disclosures.

February 5, 2026
PRESS RELEASE : Tech giants meet disability sector to break down barriers at work [February 2026]
The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 3 February 2026.

Disabled people are set to benefit from the expertise of some of the world’s tech giants to help make the workplace more accessible to them.
- Government brings together tech giants and disability charities to improve workplace accessibility.
- Discussions explored how emerging technologies can create new job opportunities for disabled people.
- Initiative supports the government’s mission to help people into good jobs.
Disabled people are set to benefit from the expertise of some of the world’s tech giants to help make the workplace more accessible to them.

The Department for Work and Pensions hosted a meeting with big tech companies Google, Meta, Microsoft and Amazon, alongside leading UK disability charities to identify practical ways that cutting-edge technology can remove barriers preventing disabled people from finding and keeping jobs.

Technologies such as screen readers, real-time captioning, and AI-powered visual description tools are already helping disabled employees perform tasks.

It marked the first step in a larger conversation the government wants to see take place around assistive technology breaking down barriers to work and complements wider action to help disabled people into work.

This includes the Connect to Work programme which will help 300,000 sick or disabled people into work by the end of this Parliament, and the government’s engagement with employers following Sir Charlie Mayfield’s Keep Britain Working Review.

Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said:

We must harness the power of technology to open more opportunities for disabled people to work.

By bringing together the biggest names in tech with those who understand the barriers disabled people face, we can identify the tools and approaches that will help build workplaces that truly support everyone.

This is part of our wider mission to Get Britain Working – investing in employment support and working with employers to create genuinely inclusive workplaces.

Vice President Accessibility and Engagement at Meta Maxine Williams said:

Technology has the power to unlock opportunities for everyone, and we’re committed to building tools that help people live, work, and connect on their own terms.

Our AI-powered wearables are transforming accessibility by providing real-time support that helps people with disabilities navigate work and public spaces independently, unlocking new possibilities for employment and connection.

Chief Executive at Scope Mark Hodgkinson said:

There are a million disabled people who want to work, but many face barriers such as inflexible workplaces, negative attitudes and outdated systems.

We need government, employers, and others to come together to tackle these barriers. To make it easier for disabled people to get in work and stay in work.

The current pace of technological development and growth in the availability of accessibility features is an opportunity which cannot be missed.

The Work and Pensions Secretary brought the groups together to explore how existing accessibility innovations can be more widely adopted in workplaces, and to encourage further collaboration on tools designed specifically for employment settings.

Many common workplace technologies now include effective assistive features, and new tools – such as AI-powered glasses that describe surroundings for visually impaired users – are coming onto the market. However, awareness of these tools varies, and many workplaces may not yet be fully set up to use them.

The discussion was about moving beyond tick boxes to explore practical integration of assistive technology in everyday work.

Director of Workforce Staffing at Amazon Jaqui Sampson said:

At Amazon, creating an accessible workplace goes far beyond simply doing the right thing. It’s about unlocking talent. When barriers are removed and technology is designed inclusively, people are better able to thrive at work.

By working with government and disability organisations, we’re helping to ensure innovations are meaningfully embedded in everyday workplaces. This approach strengthens our teams, broadens opportunity and helps build a more inclusive and resilient workforce across the UK.

Head of Accessibility, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Guide Dogs UK Alex Pepper said:

It’s encouraging to see major technology companies coming together to open opportunities in the workplace. Assistive technology can remove barriers at work, but it is not a solution on its own. Without accessible recruitment, the right training and affordability, it risks creating new exclusions. At Guide Dogs, we see technology, human expertise and guide dogs as a blended solution – and the same joined-up approach is essential if workplaces are serious about inclusion.

CEO at Lightyear Foundation Jeff Banks said:

Today’s roundtable was an incredibly valuable opportunity to move beyond broad commitments and focus on how AI and assistive and accessible technologies can be embedded into real working environments.

For deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people, the issue is not whether the technology exists, but whether employers understand it, adopt it well, and involve disabled people in shaping how it is used. Collaboration between government, tech companies and disabled-led organisations will be essential if we are serious about turning innovation into more inclusive employment opportunities in the future.

Director of Policy, Policy Connect, Robert McLaren said:

We know Assistive and Accessible Technology is vital to the success of disabled people – I certainly wouldn’t be able to do my job without these tools. That makes the adoption of this technology, in business and the public sector, one of the great challenges and opportunities for our economy.

CEO at Ability Net Amy Low said:

At AbilityNet we have seen tech advancements in the past 5 years alone blow the doors off the art of the possible when it comes to disability inclusion in the workplace.

This gathering was exciting as in the room we had all the right people – big tech, government departments and third sector representatives, many of us with lived experience of disability and neurodivergence – to mount a collaborative campaign to drive this awareness at every level in an organisation.

CEO at Business Disability Forum Diane Lightfoot said:

Technology is moving at pace. Disabled people need to be involved in the design of AI-powered tools from the very beginning to ensure they are designed inclusively.

Employers must also be at the heart of these conversations to make sure solutions are practical, scalable and meet wider business security and compatibility requirements. By coming together, we can harness the potential of technology to remove barriers in the workplace and beyond.

Additional information:
- Attendees included representatives from Meta UK, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Lightyear Foundation, Business Disability Forum, AbilityNet, Disability Rights UK, Regional Stakeholder Network, Scope, Guide Dogs, RNID, Global Disability Innovation Hub, Atech Policy Lab.
- A £1 billion government investment has already been announced to help disabled people into employment by the end of the decade. This includes the Connect to Work programme which will help 300,000 sick or disabled people into work by the end of this Parliament.
- The Disability Confident scheme is being overhauled with tougher standards and tailored support for smaller businesses, with 19,000 employers have already signed up.
- A number of early employer adopters will address issues highlighted in the Keep Britain Working Review have also been launched, and the government announced the national expansion of WorkWell across England, which will support up to 250,000 more people with health conditions.
- Nine inactivity trailblazers backed by £125 million are also launching across England and Wales. These bring together health, skills and employment support to help people back into work.
February 5, 2026
PRESS RELEASE : UPR51 – UK Statement on Mauritania [February 2026]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 February 2026.

Delivered at Mauritania’s Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

We welcome Mauritania’s continued engagement with the UPR process, as well as: efforts to strengthen access to education (particularly for girls); measures to address slavery and human trafficking; and collaboration with humanitarian partners.

We recommend that Mauritania:
1. Continues advancing the rights of women and girls by implementing legislation on gender-based violence and ensuring access to justice and survivor-centred services. Legalisation on gender-based violence would reaffirm the Government’s commitment.
2. Increases efforts to eradicate slavery and discrimination, including hereditary and descent-based slavery, by strengthening investigations, prosecutions and accountability, ensuring fair and equal access to descendants and providing effective support for victims.
3. Strengthens judicial protection for migrants and asylum seekers by adhering to international frameworks, ensuring humane treatment, due process safeguards, access to asylum procedures and protection from refoulement.
Thank you.
February 5, 2026
PRESS RELEASE : UPR51 – UK Statement on Nauru [February 2026]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 February 2026.

Delivered at Nauru’s Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Thank you, Mr Vice President.

The UK values Nauru’s sustained commitment to the UPR process and welcomes its efforts to enact the last review’s recommendations, including legal and policy reforms to protect the rights of women and children and persons with disabilities. We also welcome Nauru’s commitment to protections against gender-based violence and improving its food security.

We urge Nauru to continue seeking support from international partners to address the financial, logistical, and climate-related challenges it faces as it advances its human rights.

We recommend that Nauru:
1. Adopts Cabinet resolutions and develops implementation plans for the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) by 2028.
2. Prioritises improving women’s access to safe water in the Nauru Sustainable and Resilient Urban Development Project by 2027.
3. Protects and upholds media freedom in Nauru, including by reviewing prohibitively high foreign journalist visa fees to enable foreign journalists to visit the country.
Thank you.
February 5, 2026
PRESS RELEASE : UPR51 – UK Statement on São Tomé and Príncipe [February 2026]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 February 2026.

Delivered at São Tomé and Príncipe’s Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Thank you, Madam Vice President.

The United Kingdom recognises São Tomé and Príncipe’s efforts to protect human rights through its accession of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its continued engagement with international human rights mechanisms.

The UK commends São Tomé and Príncipe for the delivery of peaceful and inclusive elections in 2022. We encourage a free and transparent electoral process, in accordance with international human rights standards, for their 2026 Presidential elections.

We recommend that São Tomé and Príncipe:
1. Accelerates efforts to eliminate all forms of child labour, in line with the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, and through the full implementation of the National Action Plan.
2. Establishes a fully independent National Human Rights Institution in line with the Paris Principles, including by adopting the necessary legislation and ensuring adequate resources to enable effective monitoring and protection of human rights.
3. Ratifies the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
Thank you.
February 5, 2026
Monica Harding – 2026 Speech on Sudan

The speech made by Monica Harding, the Liberal Democrat spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, in the House of Commons on 5 February 2026.

The situation in Sudan is the world’s biggest humanitarian crisis. I welcome the increased funding and the sanctions, which are long overdue, but why do the sanctions still fall short of the EU action? Why do they still fail to target the heads of the SAF and the RSF? Why has it taken this long? Will the Government now target those profiting from Sudan’s gold trade, which continues to bankroll the war economy?

Humanitarian aid must flow freely and independently. In its role as the United Nations Security Council penholder, what steps are the Government taking to secure a ceasefire so that humanitarian aid can get through, and to expand the arms embargo beyond Darfur to the whole country? Will the Government expand their aid provision and ensure that aid delivery, including from UK taxpayers in my constituency of Esher and Walton, is distributed through the UN and the international non-governmental organisations, or through localised efforts, such as the emergency response rooms, and that the UN system is not undermined?

I welcome the steps that the UK has taken to ensure that Sudanese pro-democracy actors are not sidelined by external powerbrokers. Will she reaffirm the UK’s commitment to a civilian, non-military end state in Sudan? What is being done to prevent parallel diplomatic tracks from undermining UN-led peace efforts? Will the Government suspend arms exports to the United Arab Emirates, given credible evidence of its role in fuelling the conflict?

What discussions had the UK held with partners to ensure that humanitarian assistance is not being used to mask responsibility? How will accountability for atrocities be safeguarded with any peace process supported by the UK, including support for international justice mechanisms, such as the International Criminal Court? The UK has a long legacy in Sudan, and with that comes responsibility. Sudan’s civilians cannot wait. I urge the Government to act with ever more urgency and focus.

Yvette Cooper

I thank the hon. Member for her commitment to reaching peace in Sudan and her comments on the horrendous nature of the crisis. The sanctions that we have now issued bring us broadly in line with the EU. The US has gone further, so we are continuing to look at the issues. We are seeking to link our sanctions to the evidence on atrocities, to the evidence on arms flows and, crucially, to the peace process and the peace discussions that we want to take place.

I agree with the hon. Member about the importance of the UN. A few weeks ago, I met the UN Secretary General and the UN emergency co-ordinator, Tom Fletcher, to discuss Sudan and the importance of the work that the UN is doing. The UN is in close touch with the Quad on these discussions and is pressing for much greater humanitarian access. We certainly need to move towards a civilian Government. We need a political transition and a process to get there, but that has to start with a humanitarian truce. We have to start by silencing the guns and, as part of that, we need an end to the arms flows. I have seen evidence of a whole series of countries being involved in the arms flows to different sides, and we need action against that.

February 5, 2026
Priti Patel – 2026 Speech on Sudan

The speech made by Priti Patel, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, in the House of Commons on 5 February 2026.

The situation in Sudan is serious and deadly, and Members across the Chamber want this awful, barbaric war to end. Millions are suffering, displaced and malnourished, and an estimated 150,000 people have been killed, including in massacres such as El Fasher. War crimes are being committed, and appalling acts of sexual violence are being perpetrated against women and girls. UK leadership is needed to make a difference to the humanitarian situation on the ground, and to support every international diplomatic effort to end this awful and deadly conflict.

I must ask the Foreign Secretary, however, how she can come to the House to talk about such barbaric sexual violence against women and girls, when the Prime Minister knowingly let his friend, Peter Mandelson, a friend of one of the world’s most notorious paedophiles, into the heart of Government and her Department. Is she not ashamed and concerned that our country’s credibility and record on this issue has been damaged because of the Government’s poor judgment, and the Prime Minister’s judgment in appointing Mandelson, knowing his links to Epstein? With Mandelson putting his interests first, has she assessed the damage that his actions have caused to the UK’s international and reputational interests, including our essential work to address the situation in Sudan? To her knowledge, did he at any stage mislead our US ally on national security and foreign affairs on key decisions such as Chagos, which impact our security partnership? This morning I am sure the Foreign Secretary will have seen reports that Secretary Rubio warned the Labour Government over the appointment of Lord Mandelson. Can she confirm whether she or her predecessor were aware of that? The UK’s credibility has been damaged by the Prime Minister and her Government’s appalling judgment. That is why answers are needed.

This week, the UK assumed the presidency of the UN Security Council. Will the Foreign Secretary tell the House how we will use that position rightly to advance efforts to negotiate to end this conflict? US-led peace efforts are reportedly building momentum, with a text being prepared of a plan to try to stop the fighting. Has she seen and inputted into that text, and what are her views on it? Has she set parameters to decide whether the proposals are the right ones, and has she spoken to other Sudan Quad countries about it? If acceptable, what pressures will be put on the warring parties to agree it? What is her assessment of any progress made since the statement at last April’s Sudan conference in London, and who will participate in the conference in Germany?

We welcome the new sanctions of the RSF and the SAF, but can we expect further action against the leaders of those barbaric groups, their key operators and enforcers, who were all responsible for administering vile brutality on innocent people in different parts of the country? We all back the sanctions announced in December, but we need stronger action with robust consequences that deter the entities, individuals and businesses whose support continues to sustain this awful war.

Will the Foreign Secretary update the House on how the UK is using international courts to pursue those responsible for these atrocities being committed, and to gather evidence? We note the £20 million of humanitarian funding announced by the Government for women and girls, so will she confirm whether that is drawn from money already pledged, or whether it is additional new funding? Which organisations are providing the programmes funded by that money, and what are the mechanisms for how the support service will work?

As well as supporting women and girls affected by sexual violence and the stigma attached to children born from rape, is the Foreign Secretary working to help male victims, where there is also stigma that prevents them coming forward? More broadly, can she update us on the volume of British aid that has managed to get over the border since the escalation of this awful conflict towards the end of last year? What information has she received about what aid is getting through, and whether it is getting into the right hands?

The war in Sudan is a stain on the world’s conscience, and Britain must exert every ounce of its influence and leverage to get the warring parties to lay down their weapons immediately and to secure a lasting peace.

Yvette Cooper

I welcome the shadow Foreign Secretary’s words on Sudan. It is the worst humanitarian crisis in the 21st century, and the whole House should be united in wanting it to end. She asked about the work being done through the Quad, and the work led by the US. I am in close contact with the US special envoy, Massad Boulos, and I am keeping in close contact with Secretary Rubio on this issue. I have also been involved in discussions with the UAE, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. A lot of work is being pursued by the Quad, but, linked to that, the UK and Norway are also pursuing further work, particularly to build civilian capacity. We all want this to move towards a civilian political transition, but we need to build up the capacity of Sudanese civilians, who have faced the most horrendous devastation and had to flee their homes as a result of this conflict, and they need support as well.

As I said in my statement, we believe that this has to be an international effort, in the same way as in the run-up to the Gaza ceasefire, where there was work by the Arab League to say that Hamas should play no role, work by the UK, France and other countries to recognise the state of Palestine, and work by different countries to put forward potential reform plans during the summer, all of which was ultimately drawn upon in the 20-point plan put together by President Trump last year. We need the same intensity in relation to Sudan, with the same level of international engagement. That is what I want to see, and it is why I spoke to so many African Foreign Ministers in neighbouring countries this week. It is why I have been speaking to the African Union, and why I will be raising the issue not just at the UN Security Council when we hold the Chair this month, but at the Munich security conference, and as part of the Berlin conference. It is crucial that we keep that focus and energy in relation to Sudan. The £20 million announced this week is new money that will be used, in particular, for the survivors of sexual violence.

The right hon. Lady mentioned Peter Mandelson. As the House will know, I withdrew Peter Mandelson from his role as ambassador to the United States less than a week after I was appointed as Foreign Secretary. I am clear that his actions are completely unforgiveable. Given that at the heart of what Epstein did was the grave abuse and trafficking of women and girls, this is particularly disturbing. I will say something else: I was Chief Secretary to the Treasury at the height of the financial crisis, when everybody was busting a gut to rescue the savings and livelihoods of ordinary people across this country, so the idea that a senior and experienced Cabinet Minister, working alongside us, could instead be behaving the way we have seen is truly shocking. It is right that a police investigation is under way.

February 5, 2026
Yvette Cooper – 2026 Statement on Sudan

The statement made by Yvette Cooper, the Foreign Secretary, in the House of Commons on 5 February 2026.

I wish to update the House on the situation in

Sudan.

On Tuesday night, I returned from the border between Sudan and Chad, where I witnessed from the camp of 140,000 people in Adré—85% of them women and children who have fled the most horrendous violence and violations—the devastating human toll of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. In January, Sudan passed 1,000 days of conflict between the Sudanese armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces. This is a regionalised conflict of power, proxies and profit, defined by unimaginable atrocities, by millions pushed into famine, by the horrific use of rape as a weapon of war, and by suffering that should strike at the core of our shared humanity.

That should mobilise the world’s resources and resolve, yet too often the response is to hold back and look away—catastrophically failing the people of Sudan, and Sudan’s women and girls. I am determined that we do not look away, and that we put the spotlight firmly on Sudan. That is why this week I travelled to the region to see at first hand the extent of the crisis, to listen to the testimony of traumatised women and children whose lives will never be the same again, to see how UK support is making a difference, and to see what urgently needs to be done by the international community to help arrest the spiral of bloodshed and drive urgent momentum towards peace.

In Adré, I met families who had been torn apart, mothers who had survived appalling violence only to find their daughters missing, and frightened children who had travelled vast distances in search of some semblance of safety. I met teachers, nurses, students, market traders, small businesswomen and political activists—impressive women whose lives and livelihoods back home had been stolen from them.

I met a mother separated from her children who told me she still does not know where they are and whether they are alive; a young woman who told me that most of the women she knew had been through “bad violence” on their journey, but they would not talk about it “because of the shame”; and a Sudanese community worker who told me she thought more than half the women in the camp had directly experienced sexual assault or abuse. I have heard from others in recent weeks, including a Sudanese emergency response room worker who described three sisters arriving at the response room who had all been raped. The oldest was 13, and the youngest was eight. This is a war waged on the bodies of women and girls.

But here is what I also saw: an incredible group of Sudanese women who have set up a makeshift support centre for women who have suffered sexual violence and for children with trauma. They have activities for children and support for mums. More survivors need that kind of help, so this week I announced that the UK will fund a new £20 million programme to support survivors of rape and sexual violence in Sudan, enabling them to access medical and psychological care, given the terrible stigma endured by survivors and children born of rape. That is part of our international action to tackle a global emergency of violence against women and girls.

What I did not see in Adré is just as disturbing: the fathers, husbands and brothers missing, either killed, drawn into the fighting or migrating further and leaving family behind. Reports from El Fasher after the RSF attacks were of atrocities so appalling that they could be seen from space—blood-soaked sand, multiple piles of bodies and mass graves—but aid agencies are still facing barriers to getting in. There are reports that the Sudanese Armed Forces are refusing to let desperately needed humanitarian aid through, even though right now some 30 million people need lifesaving assistance due to this war, and up to 7 million face famine. That is nearly equivalent to the entire population of London—every person across the entire city we stand in today.

In December, the UK provided an additional £21 million for food, shelter and health services, and we have committed £146 million to support over 800,000 people this year alone. Since the conflict began, we have reached over 2.5 million people, delivering water and medicine to hard-to-reach areas. We will continue to make Sudan a top priority for UK humanitarian support, and we will support reforms such as the steps advocated by UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher and the International Rescue Committee to strengthen prioritisation and closer work through local partners on the ground. But for aid to save more lives, the deliberate barriers to humanitarian access must be lifted.

Aid alone will not solve this crisis; we need an immediate and urgent ceasefire, we need those responsible for these atrocities to be held to account, and we need a pathway to peace. There is no military solution to the conflict—that only results in devastation for Sudan—yet the military men driving this conflict still refuse to agree a truce, and there is disturbing evidence that they are seeking and getting hold of ever more dangerous weapons.

This crisis is compounded by regional rivalries and vested interests, with the real risk of further escalation within Sudan and beyond as fighting spreads to the Kordofan regions. I am very fearful that the RSF advances on the city of El Obeid risk turning it into another El Fasher. Co-ordinated and determined international pressure are needed to halt this bloodshed and pursue an immediate truce, with a halt to the arms flows, tangible pressure from all those who have backed the RSF and SAF or who have influence upon them to deliver a ceasefire, and pressure from the entire international community too.

The US has been working intensively to secure a truce, drawing together other Quad countries—the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt—and discussing humanitarian support, military withdrawal, civilian transition and action to stop arms flows. I am in close contact with all members of the Quad, including Secretary Rubio and the President’s senior adviser on Africa, as we urgently push for a way forward. The UK is particularly involved in a process to support Sudanese civilians to build their capacity.

African partners in the region also have a critical role. In Addis Ababa earlier this week, I met Foreign Ministers from Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Chad, and the African Union’s chairperson and peace and security commissioner, to discuss what more can be done by border countries, and their assessment of the action needed to achieve a ceasefire. We need to build the same focus and momentum behind a peace process for Sudan as we had last year around Gaza, with countries from across the world coming together to back a ceasefire. That is why I am so determined that the UK will keep the international spotlight on Sudan. This month the UK holds the presidency of the United Nations Security Council, and we will use it to press for safe, unimpeded humanitarian access, accountability for atrocities, and international co-operation for a ceasefire. We will use it to ensure that the voices of Sudan’s women are heard in the Security Council Chamber.

As we look to the third anniversary of this devastating conflict in April, the UK and Germany will jointly convene a major international conference on Sudan in Berlin. In November, UK leadership at the UN Human Rights Council secured international agreement for an urgent UN inquiry into crimes in El Fasher, following its capture by the RSF. Later this month we will receive the report of that UN fact-finding mission, because as well as pursuing peace, we must also hold the perpetrators to account.

Today I can announce new action that the UK is taking to apply pressure deliberately on the belligerents, with fresh sanctions targeting senior figures in the SAF and RSF who have committed atrocities across Sudan. We are also targeting a network of individuals operating behind the scenes to procure weapons and recruit mercenary fighters. These designations send a clear message that the UK will hold accountable those suspected of perpetrating and profiteering from the most egregious violations of international humanitarian law.

To look away from crises such as Sudan is not just against our values but against our interests. Wars that rage unresolved do not just cause harm to civilians, because their destabilising effects ripple across borders and continents through migration and extremism. Let 2026 be the year that the world listens to the women of Sudan, not the military men who are perpetuating this conflict. Let 2026 be the year that the world comes together to drive urgent new momentum for peace. I commend this statement to the House.

February 5, 2026