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PRESS RELEASE : UK-US Strategic Dialogue – Joint statement [September 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 14 September 2024.

Joint statement by the governments of the United Kingdom and United States on the occasion of the UK-US Strategic Dialogue in London.

United Kingdom Foreign Secretary David Lammy and United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken met in London to open the UK-US Strategic Dialogue.

The Strategic Dialogue – led by the Secretaries of State of the United Kingdom and United States – celebrates and deepens the long-standing and special relationship between the United Kingdom and United States.

The dialogue, held 10 to 11 September 2024, covered the key elements of the UK-US partnership, including unwavering support for Ukraine, the promotion of peace and security in the Middle East including through a ceasefire in Gaza, cooperation towards a free and open Indo-Pacific, and alignment on secure, resilient and sustainable growth.

At the dialogue, the United Kingdom and United States emphasised the interconnectedness of the security and economies of the Euro-Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific.

Foreign Secretary Lammy and Secretary Blinken reaffirmed the enduring support of the United Kingdom and United States for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

They discussed next steps to mobilise military and financial resources for Ukraine, restrict Russian revenues, put pressure on the Kremlin’s war machine, and restore Ukraine’s energy networks. They condemned strongly Russia’s recent air strikes that devastated Ukrainian civilians.

They decided to work together to support the European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine, Moldova, and the Western Balkans, highlighting Ukraine’s irreversible path to NATO membership. The dialogue expressed particular concern about China’s support to Russia’s defence industrial base.

Both leaders noted the importance of addressing security and stability in Europe; addressing threats from foreign disinformation, malicious cyber actors, and organised crime; and encouraging stable, inclusive, and prosperous societies.

Secretary Blinken confirmed intelligence findings that Russia has received ballistic missiles from Iran. Both Foreign Secretary Lammy and Secretary Blinken recognised the significance of this escalation and the concerning trend of Iran’s ever closer military support to Russia.

They condemned the transfer and made clear that, alongside international partners, they would take coordinated action to respond with new and significant measures for Iran and Russia.

The United Kingdom and United States also noted that Iran continued to bring instability to the region through its proliferation of advanced weaponry, alongside providing financial and political support to its partners, including Lebanese Hizballah, Hamas, the Houthis, and other groups in Iraq and Syria.

Both agreed that Iran’s nuclear programme had never been more advanced and posed a clear threat to regional and global peace and security.

Foreign Secretary Lammy expressed the United Kingdom’s clear support for the ongoing mediation efforts by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar to conclude the agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages.

Both the United Kingdom and United States underlined their support for Israel’s security and the importance of avoiding any escalatory action in the region which would undermine the prospect for peace and progress towards a two-state solution.

In that regard, they affirmed their shared commitment to securing a political agreement for a lasting security solution along the Blue Line that will allow Israeli and Lebanese civilians on both sides to return to their homes with safety and security.

They discussed the humanitarian situation in Gaza and reiterated calls for all parties to the conflict to protect civilians and for Israel to facilitate the flow of aid, including ensuring the UN and humanitarian partners can deliver their operations safely.

They welcomed the ongoing polio vaccination campaign and underlined the importance of cooperation from all parties with the WHO and health agencies to ensure that all children who need to be are vaccinated.

The United Kingdom and United States reaffirmed their commitment to continue their Indo-Pacific Dialogue and pledged to explore new opportunities to coordinate approaches, work with others to support a free and open region, and oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion.

Both nations recognised that their partnership with Australia, through AUKUS, is a demonstration of that continued collective commitment to the region. They welcomed last month’s publication of the United Kingdom’s AUKUS Nations Open General Licence, alongside an International Traffic in Arms Regulations exemption granted by the United States and looked forward to implementation.

These changes will enable enhanced collaboration and the rapid development of some of the most advanced capabilities in the world – revolutionising AUKUS partners’ defence trade sectors and unlocking growth and export opportunities for all of our industries.

The United Kingdom and United States affirmed the importance of close coordination to advance shared objectives and common values and interests with respect to the Indo-Pacific.

On China, the two sides confirmed our shared commitment to upholding international law and the rules based international system and noted with concern dangerous and destabilising actions in the South China Sea by Chinese vessels towards Philippines vessels.

The United Kingdom and United States emphasised the need to respect the law of the sea as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. They restated the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as indispensable to the security and prosperity of the international community and called for the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues.

The dialogue discussed the United Kingdom and United States’ shared priorities in Africa. This includes efforts to end the conflict and promote expanded humanitarian access in Sudan and supporting Somalia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and long-term stability, including through the transition to a new African Union led security mission.

In the dialogue, the United Kingdom and United States reaffirmed a shared commitment to strengthening the resilience of democracies around the world. Both noted longstanding US-UK collaboration on anti-corruption issues, and the United States welcomed increased UK focus on countering corruption – specifically kleptocracy – including by addressing illicit finance, beneficial ownership transparency, and enablers of corruption.

The United States and United Kingdom look forward to building on our cooperation in these areas, including through measures such as sanctions, multilateral and bilateral diplomacy, law enforcement, and foreign assistance.

Recognising the threat foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) poses to democracies, the United Kingdom and United States decided to increase the pace and scale of our joint efforts to disrupt Kremlin and other state-sponsored FIMI and to advance joint capabilities among our closest partners.

This effort was bolstered by a commitment from the United Kingdom and United States to take joint action to expose and disrupt covert foreign information operations around the world, which seek to spread lies and discord to undermine free and open societies.

The United Kingdom and United States affirm our ambition to deliver through the G7 Collective Response Framework in 2025. These efforts will include as special focus joint assistance to Ukraine to counter Kremlin disinformation and propaganda seeking to justify an unjustifiable invasion.

This work will build on and support both the United Kingdom and United States’ intention to continue bilateral cooperation on the five key action areas in the US Department of State’s Framework to Counter Foreign State Information Manipulation.

Drawing on Prime Minister Starmer and President Biden’s recent commitment to aligned ambitions for greater economic growth, Foreign Secretary Lammy and Secretary Blinken noted how the UK-US security partnership underpinned the prosperity that allows both economies to grow, while working on a suite of tools to protect our critical technologies at the same time.

They highlighted the centrality of the clean energy transition to economic security and growth and the criticality of strong climate leadership, as well as key domestic policies, such as the UK Clean Energy Superpower Mission and the US Inflation Reduction Act, and noted the considerable existing bilateral energy co-operation, including through the United Kingdom-United States Energy Dialogue.

The United Kingdom and United States committed to work together ahead of COP29 in Azerbaijan, including on global climate finance goals and driving progress on the effort to triple renewable energy capacity globally by 2030. They also committed to continue working through the G7 and other multilateral fora to enhance economic security and resilience.

Foreign Secretary Lammy and Secretary Blinken expressed their enthusiasm for continuing to build on the steadfast relationship between the United Kingdom and United States. They affirmed the importance of Prime Minister Starmer’s September 13 meeting with President Biden in Washington DC and decided to continue discussions across the full range of foreign and security policy priorities.

September 17, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Statement on RT [September 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 13 September 2024.

A FCDO spokesperson said:

The UK supports the US in their assessment that RT is not only a state-funded propaganda house, but deliberately working to undermine our collective security on behalf of the Kremlin.

Already a mouthpiece for Russian disinformation, RT has mutated into an altogether more harmful organisation.

US information shows that RT is engaged in information operations and covert influence across the world. These activities strike at the democratic foundations of other countries, using intelligence operations and shadowy networks to incite political violence, and spread dissent across the world. Working in direct cooperation with the Kremlin, RT has sought to influence democratic processes in Moldova and to spread damaging lies designed to inflame tensions.

As part of this cooperation the Russian Government had embedded an entity with cyber operational capabilities and ties to Russian intelligence within RT with the full knowledge of RTs senior leadership.

Alongside its public lies and disinformation RT has also used proxy outlets under the guise of independent media to disseminate false pro-Kremlin narratives.

Together with our international partners we have already taken strong measures to prevent RT from achieving its pernicious objectives, sanctioning its parent company TV Novosti and working to restrict its influence. We will continue to bear down on those who would threaten our collective security and democratic values.

In its control of RT, we see the extent of the Russian state’s duplicity: weaponising the media in order to spread lies, threaten global security and further its illegal invasion of Ukraine. We have seen these shoddy attempts to obscure the truth and they have failed.

September 17, 2024
Stephanie Peacock – 2024 Speech at ParalympicsGB Homecoming

The speech made by Stephanie Peacock, the Sports Minister, on 12 September 2024 at the Birmingham Town Hall in Birmingham.

Thank you Andria, David and the whole National Lottery family for inviting me to speak today.

It is an absolute privilege to be here in Birmingham to welcome home ParalympicsGB and get the chance to celebrate your remarkable achievements in Paris.

I cannot imagine how the last few weeks must have been for all of you. The build up… the excitement… the adrenaline.

What you achieved out there was absolutely phenomenal.

Second place in the medal table – for the third consecutive Paralympic Games.

Unbelievable displays of stamina, skill and strength.

You built on the record-breaking performances of Rio and Tokyo, and you made the whole country very proud.

Whether you brought home a medal or not, your performances were testament to what can be achieved through focus and commitment.

You withstood pain and overcame everything in front of you, pushing yourselves to the absolute limit.

I hope you’ve all had a chance to relax and really soak in everything you accomplished.

I was delighted to be in Paris to cheer you on as I know people up and down the country were doing the same.

This Government wants to support the next generation of athletes to make their dreams a reality, and that is exactly what we are going to do.

We are reviewing the ways we can put sport back at the centre of the curriculum.

We want to make sure that every child, wherever they live, can access first class grassroots facilities.

I will continue to work with our Arm’s Length Body Sport England, who do great work in making sure each of their programmes directly impacts disabled people and those with long term health conditions.

This includes initiatives such as the We Are Undefeatable campaign, and partnerships with disability sports organisations.

We are fully committed to enabling you to excel on the world stage and will continue to support you in the run up to LA 2028.

None of that would have been possible without the infrastructure that UK Sport and ParalympicGB support, and of course the enduring support of the National Lottery.

The National Lottery has been instrumental to our continued success at the last few Paralympic Games.

Thanks to the funding generated by National Lottery players, ParalympicsGB has continued to excel, cementing its remarkable position of second place on the all-time Games medal table.

I know that many of you, straight after you finished your event, spoke about how important the National Lottery has been to your journey, and how it has been the bedrock of your success.

So I would like to thank everyone at the National Lottery, and all the people who play, for helping to do their bit and backing successive generations of GB Paralympians.

All of you here today have helped to inspire and paved the road for the next generation, so I hope you enjoy the celebrations tonight.

I hope to see as many of you as possible in the coming months, encouraging others to follow in your footsteps.

September 17, 2024
Chris Bryant – 2024 Speech at Connected Britain 2024

The speech made by Chris Bryant, the Minister for Data Protection and Telecoms, at ExCel in London on 12 September 2024.

I’m here to make you an offer. An offer I hope you won’t want to refuse.

We all know this country has great potential, but we have struggled in recent years. Too many things just don’t seem to work. Economic growth has been anaemic at best GDP growth per head of population has fallen. The cost of-living crisis has hit family budgets and businesses.

People are desperate to turn the corner.

Which is why we as a government are keen to fix the foundations – the foundations of our society and our economy. And no foundations are more important than our digital telecoms infrastructure.

And the phrase that keeps on coming back to me is from E M Forster’s novel, Howard’s End. He wrote ‘Only connect! Only connect the prose and the passion and both will be exalted. Live in fragments no longer.’

So my offer to you, my ask, is simple: help us fix the foundations, help us achieve that ambition of ‘only connect’, so that our society and our economy can stop living in fragments. If we can do that together, UK productivity could improve, your customers would have more fruitful lives economically and socially, government could be more efficient, the economy could grow and the financial return to your companies would be more secure.

This is a two way street. We know that investment needs to be driven by competition and we recognise the challenging investment climate against an international background, so we want to support industry to invest – through a stable fiscal framework and the right regulatory framework, light touch where it can be, but timely where enforced standards can facilitate secure decisions and investments.

I would also add that we as ministers want to make timely and evidence-based decisions.

Let me be specific about what that looks like.

First, the basics of infrastructure rollout.

Nobody seriously doubts that digital infrastructure underpins the modern digital economy, is a key driver of productivity and growth and is as essential as water and electricity.

I won’t bore you with the statistics that you already know, but suffice it to say that we have made significant progress on superfast broadband, on gigabit capable broadband, on 4G and 5G non-standalone. Project Gigabit and the shared rural network have brought connectivity to many who would otherwise have missed out and I can assure you that our ambitions have not changed.

Second, opportunities for better government.

The Police and courts services are significant consumers of voice and data services. Standalone 5G could enable video transmission from body cameras and drones, in vehicle connectivity and support virtual court hearings in rural areas.

Standalone 5G can also transmit high resolution images from scans in hospitals, support autonomous medicine distribution – and enable more care in the community rather than in hospital beds. Future diagnostic imaging is likely to get greedier – and patients and local health services are going to need gigabit broadband to meet the challenge.

So help us build better, more productive public services.

Thirdly, opportunities for better lives.

If we get the legislation right on smart data, smarter gas and electricity metres could make it far easier for households to heat their homes and save on fuel bills. That would be good for personal finances and help us meet our net zero commitments.

There are economic advantages as well. Just think of the video games industry, one of our great success stories. It sits at the junction between tech and creativity. It needs strong connectivity, not just in offices in Leamington Spa, Dundee and Guildford, but in the countless flats and homes where designers work and in consumers’, customers’ and players’ homes. The circle of buffering doom is not the name of the latest game, but it is still a reality for too many.

Fourthly, we need to safely and responsibly retire obsolete legacy systems and future-poof our infrastructure.

The classic case here is Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), the old copper wires that provided our landlines for generations. They are failing at an increasing rate and need replacing. But that poses a real challenge for Telecare devices, 3 million of which are still operating on the old system. Government must and will do its part here. I have written to all the key local authorities to ensure that they work with operators to protect all vulnerable customers as they safely transition to fibre. And I have written to those who provide telecare devices to urge them to stop selling analogue-only kit that will very soon be unusable. In return, I’m delighted that all the operators are working on greater security during transition and greater battery resilience.

I could make very similar arguments about 2G. So, let’s work together.

Fifthly, I want us to connect everyone, but the truth is that far too many individuals and communities are excluded from the digital world.

Around 1.5 million people live in digital poverty with either no or limited access to connectivity. 2% of school children are only able to access the internet at home via a mobile phone and that figure rises substantially amongst the poorest families. 27% of adults on low incomes only access the internet by smartphone.

It is a shocking fact that the UK’s digital inclusion strategy is now more than ten years old – and ten years out of date. That cannot be right. Tackling digital inclusion is a key priority for this government. We want to take everyone with us – because if people are excluded by geography, age, financial status or lack of skills, that is a problem for the whole of society – and for you.

So we want to work with you to find creative solutions to digital inclusion.

I am grateful for the many social tariffs that are available, but only 8.3% (380,000) of over 4.6 million houses on Universal Credit take one up; only 45% of those eligible know that social tariffs exist, and 1.5 to 2 million are likely to struggle to afford even a social tariff.

I’m certain we can do better – but we need to work together, government and industry, to realise the full potential of every community.

Sixthly, we need to make the connection between two different aspects of my portfolio – telecoms and space.

The UK has a real competitive advantage in space and I want to exploit that to its full potential. I’m also conscious that Al working with telecoms data stands a real chance of driving far more efficient use of telecom connectivity. I hope to say more about this soon.

Seventh, I want us all to think about not-spots that have been a bit neglected.

Why, oh why, can’t we sort connectivity on trains? And in urban areas, many of which are falling behind rural areas for all sorts of complex reasons to do with wayleaves. And after live music events – or rugby matches in Cardiff – when you can’t call a friend, text them or WhatsApp them to arrange to meet up. My plea is simple – help!

Let me turn to what we are already doing as a government.

We want to support commercial investment, so we are ensuring we have the right policy and regulatory framework for the fixed and mobile (wireless) networks; we are undertaking a Mobile Market Review to understand the technological and structural changes taking place in the sector; and we are looking at how we can further reform planning regulations to remove barriers to infrastructure deployment.

In order to remove barriers to rollout, we will implement the remaining telecoms provisions of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 as soon as possible; we will support the deployment of full-fibre to multi-dwelling units, such as blocks of flats and social housing, whilst remaining mindful of the need to maintain wholesale competition.

And we will put additional momentum into flexible permitting for street works and supporting their implementation as early as possible. That said, I do want to ensure far greater cooperation between operators to prevent unnecessary telegraph pole deployment or street excavation. I understand the economic realities, but the market was made for humanity, not humanity for the market. Today I met with representatives of the fixed-line industry, and I welcome the industry’s initiative to revise the Cabinet Siting and Pole Siting Code of Practice. I am hopeful that industry can deliver changes leading to better engagement and more considerate siting. But we reserve the right to take further action if this doesn’t deliver the goods for consumers.

In order to realise the full benefits of adopting advanced connectivity, we are delivering the £36 million 5G Innovation Regions programme which empowers 10 regions across the UK to develop stackable use cases and commercial models for investing 5G in key sectors; and we are delivering the UK Telecoms Innovation Network (UKTIN) 5G Adoption programme to promote the adoption of 5G by businesses and local authorities.

We also want to help shape the next generation of telecoms technologies and develop more UK-based and UK-generated innovation. To that end we have made a £70 million R&D investment in three university-led Future telecoms research hubs and provided funding for 16 innovative UK business consortia, developing the next generation of tech. And we are building alliances internationally including through joint R&D partnerships with India and Korea, through more UK participation in Horizon Europe and by establishing the Global Coalition on Telecoms with the US, Australia, Canada and Japan. I should also say a word about security and resilience.

We continue to work with communications providers and Ofcom to strengthen the security and resilience of UK networks and services.

On network resilience, I am keen that mobile consumers are able to have continued access to the network, even when power cuts disrupt local access. Climate change shows us we must be prepared for severe adverse weather and the disruption that can bring, often in rural and remote communities. Mobile operators have some power back up mitigations in place, but they vary significantly by site and by operator. Some sites have back up power lasting several hours or even days, but there is a lack of consistency nationwide.

Universal solutions may be difficult and expensive, but it’s important to look closely at what solutions might be appropriate. I know Ofcom are looking at this closely following a Call for Input earlier this year, and we will want to work with Ofcom — and the power and telecoms sectors — to explore the right approach that balances the relevant factors.

An important aspect of that resilience is maintaining diverse and healthy supply chains, without which the UK network is vulnerable to disruption. I am especially grateful to the Telecoms Supply Chain Diversification Advisory Council for their new report, released today (Thursday 12 September), setting out recommendations on telecoms diversification policy. Obviously we need to carefully review their recommendations, but we will provide an official government response as soon as possible and we are already acting in this area, delivering the £250 million ‘Open Networks’ R&D Fund focussed on development of interoperable Open RAN to increase the number of actors in the supply chain; building testing infrastructure — including UK Telecoms Lab, focused on security.

Let me end where I began, with E M Forster’s ‘Only Connect’. He wanted us to connect the heart and the brain. I want us to connect our artistic and our technical abilities; I want us to connect our finance, venture capitalist and tech industries; I want us to connect every part of the country, every community and every family. And above all I want us as a government to be plugged in to the solutions to connect us all. I hope you’ll work with us.

September 17, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : 8th UK-Japan Cyber Dialogue [September 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 13 September 2024.

The eighth UK-Japan Cyber Dialogue took place on 12 to 13 September 2024 in London.

The meeting was co-chaired by Will Middleton, Cyber Director at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Naoki Kumagai, Ambassador in charge of Cyber Policy and Deputy Director-General of the Foreign Policy Bureau at Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).

Representatives attended from the UK’s FCDO, Cabinet Office (CO), Department for Business and Trade (DBT), Department for Science, Information and Technology (DSIT), Home Office (HO) and National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), and from Japan’s MOFA, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Ministry of Defense (MOD), National center of Incident readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity (NISC), National Police Agency (NPA), and Japan Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Center (JPCERT/CC).

At this dialogue, the 2 sides exchanged views on a wide range of issues, such as on each country’s cybersecurity strategy and policy, cooperation in the international fora including the UN, and cybersecurity capacity building.

Both chairs agreed to strengthen cooperation under the May 2023 UK-Japan Cyber Partnership as a linchpin of the wider global strategic partnership. Both sides affirmed that the 2 countries will continue to meet under the Cyber Dialogue.

September 17, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Easement of import checks on medium-risk fruit and veg extended [September 2024]

The press release issued by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 13 September 2024.

The products will not be subject to import checks at the GB border until next year.

The government has today (13 September) extended the easement of import checks on medium-risk fruit and vegetables imported from the EU from January 2025 to 1 July 2025.

Such products will not be subject to import checks at the GB border or charged the associated fees until this date.

This easement is a temporary measure to ensure that new ministers have a full and thorough opportunity to review the planned implementation of further border controls, and an opportunity to listen to businesses across import supply chains.

Defra has also changed the risk categorisation of certain plants and plant products, including deregulation of certain products, following further scientific review of commodities across all plant and plant product risk categories.

Seven commodity groups (including apples and pears) will be recategorised from medium risk to low risk, allowing these goods to move freely into GB from the EU, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

These changes will come into force on 30 January 2025.

Defra will continue the systematic, proactive screening of potential new and emerging biosecurity risks. This is alongside maintaining our responsive approach to changes in risk levels via surveillance, enhanced inspection, regulation, import controls, research and awareness raising.

September 17, 2024
Lisa Nandy – 2024 Statement at Bradford City of Culture’s Programme Launch

The statement made by Lisa Nandy, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on 12 September 2024.

I just wanted to say what an absolute pleasure it is to be here tonight.

In my first couple of weeks in the job, I held a reception for a lot of our biggest stakeholders in the culture world, and I met Shanaz at an event, who left me in absolutely no doubt about how amazing this was going to be, not just for Bradford, but for the whole country.

And standing here tonight, feeling the energy in this room, walking down the street earlier, feeling a city that is buzzing with its sense of self, it is just such an enormous privilege to be part of it.

It takes a bit of getting used to this, because I’m used to coming up here and saying things like: the government should get behind this.

What you’re doing here is really, really special. And I want other people to see what you’re doing here, not just what you’ve done already, but how you’ve gone about it, involving the whole city and every single community, with all people, especially young people, driving and shaping not just this coming year, but the legacy that it will leave for a very long time.

You know, a reflection on the last few months is that I’ve had two groups of people through my door. One set of people say, there’s a lot of problems, and there are, and you need to fix them. And the other group of people, people like Tracy and Susan, come through the door and say: we’re solving this country’s problems, and we need your help. And I can’t tell you how exciting it is when that happens.

To be here in this young, vibrant, diverse city with its proud, rich cultural inheritance, from the South Asian community to David Hockney, who proudly hangs on my wall as a symbol of what Bradford has always contributed to this country and to the world and will do again.

And that’s what’s so special about next year, is that for the first time, some people in our country are going to know what Bradford has to offer, having never known that before.

And more than that, it’s our ambition as a new government that for far too long, too many people in our country haven’t seen themselves reflected in our national story, and it’s our ambition and our determination that that is going to change. So that when we turn to face the country again in five years time, we face a country that is far more self-confident, knows that it isn’t just comfortable in its diversity, but knows that it is far, far richer for it.

A self-confident country at ease with itself, where people in every part of our country, no matter where you’re from or the background that you come from, knows that your contribution is seen and is valued and sees you reflected in the story that we tell ourselves about ourselves as a nation again.

And what you’re building here will really put rocket boosters under that. It will be a model for others to follow in the future. But it isn’t just that. Tracy talked about the economic legacy that this will lead. Susan talked about the economic investment that it’s already brought.

But the creative industries are amongst the fastest growing industries in the country, whether it’s film or TV, arts and culture, heritage, video games. These are the sorts of well-paid, good jobs in every part of the country.

And you know what? For far too long, the assets and the potential in places like Bradford and Wigan, where I live, have been scandalously ignored by too many decision makers.

But there’s a reason why the film industry wants to invest in Sunderland, because of those amazing backdrops that you see right up across our coastline. You only have to walk around this city to see the beautiful buildings and the open landscapes and how much potential there is here, if we could only see it.

And if you don’t think Bradford has that to offer, if you don’t think Sunderland has that to offer, if you don’t think the Welsh valleys have that to offer, then you’ve never been to them, and you have no business making decisions about where our funding is going.

I just want to say thank you particularly to Susan and Tracy, who I’ve known a long time, who are absolute powerhouses, forces to be reckoned with. They’re the most difficult people to deal with. They never take no for an answer, and they always do it with smiles on their faces.

But our government is determined not to come in and tell you what you need as a community, but to walk alongside you, to help you realise your own ambitions for your city, for your region, and for the whole of the north of England.

Finally, I just want to say to the young people that I’ve met tonight, who are the most incredible group of young people, there are moments in these jobs that stay with you forever, and those conversations I’ve just had over there will stay with me forever.

Whether you’re a member of a youth board, whether you’re on an apprenticeship, whether you’re here on a work placement, or whether you’ve come to volunteer because you just want to be part of something really special, I wanted to say to you all that Bradford holds a very special place in my heart, because it’s where my stepdad, who went on to become a leading investigative journalist, a working class lad from Bury, first in his family to go on to grammar school and then make it to university. It’s where he started his career on the Bradford Telegraph and Argus.

Until the day he died, he said to me: it would never have happened if that pipeline and those opportunities hadn’t been there. Well, what you’re doing as a generation is creating opportunities and richer, larger lives for children who you will never meet, who will never know your names, but their lives will be changed forever because of what you’ve done here and what you’ll continue to do over the coming year.

I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of it, I’m right behind you, the whole power of government is right behind you. What is it? Be brave. Be bold. Be Bradford.

September 17, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 57 – Interactive Dialogue with the UN Working Group on Mercenaries [September 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 13 September 2024.

UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the UN Working Group on Mercenaries.

Thank you, Mr President,

The UK would like to thank the Working Group for its report today which sheds light on the role of mercenaries and mercenary related actors in the trafficking and proliferation of arms.

The UK remains deeply concerned by the widespread human rights abuses carried out by mercenary related actors such as the Wagner Group, who have engaged in arms trafficking, while continuing to exacerbate conflict, inflict violence and undermine peace and security wherever they operate.

The UK condemns the killing of civilians, torture and sexual and gender-based violence carried out by the Wagner Group, which is now being replaced by new groups such as Africa Corps, PMC BEAR and no doubt others. These proxy actors profit from conflict while supporting Russia’s malign aims.

The UK will continue to use all tools necessary and appropriate to tackle these actors and to hold them to account.

Members of the Working Group,

Given the evolving nature of conflicts, coupled with the rising involvement of these malign actors carrying out mercenary-like activities, how can the Working Group assist States in enhancing their capacity to effectively address these challenges?

Thank you.

September 17, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 57 – Independent Expert on Older Persons [September 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 13 September 2024.

UK Statement for Independent Expert on Older Persons. Delivered at the 57th Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Thank you, Mr President,

The UK welcomes the recent consensus adoption by the General Assembly of the Open Ended Working Group on Ageing’s recommendations.

We agree with the Independent Expert that there is still a lot of work to be done.

Critical data gaps globally need to be addressed for comprehensive policy development. Without quality, disaggregated data, it will be challenging to understand the extent of exclusion that many older people currently face.

The UK is working on addressing this challenge. We have been supporting the Titchfield City Group to develop standardised tools and methods for producing both data disaggregated by age and ageing-related data. The Group will issue a final report of their findings in 2025.

We thank the Independent Expert for her work highlighting the key gaps facing older people. Are there any particular thematic areas where older persons are most neglected?

September 17, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 57 – UK Statement on forms of slavery [September 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 13 September 2024.

UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences.

Thank you, Mr President,

We thank the Special Rapporteur for his thorough report on how incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people are affected by slavery, and for bringing this important issue to the Council’s attention.

We are deeply concerned by the scale of sexual exploitation and abuse faced by incarcerated people. Women, children and ethnic minorities are particularly at risk. We must end discriminatory laws and practices that enable a culture of impunity for such exploitation. Victims must have access to justice, and perpetrators must be held to account.

Individuals who have been incarcerated are often stigmatised afterwards. This increases their risk of becoming victims of modern slavery. We therefore welcome your recommendations on the importance of reintegration measures to enable access to education, decent work, adequate housing and financial inclusion.

In 2022, the UK changed legislation so that, for the first time some people with sentences of four years and over will no longer have to disclose their criminal record.

Special Rapporteur,

We would welcome your recommendations on what more can be done to strengthen reintegration measures for incarcerated people during and after their detention.

Thank you.

September 17, 2024