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PRESS RELEASE : £5 million of government funding for 26 innovative rail projects to boost passenger experience [September 2025]
The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 2 September 2025.

Winning projects focus on improving safety on rail platforms and enhancing passenger safety across the UK.
- First-of-a-Kind competition winners will deliver innovative projects aimed at increasing safety, reducing bridge strikes and incorporating AI technology
- previous winners’ projects are already being used across the railways, improving efficiency, safety and reliability
- £5 million government funding demonstrates commitment to boosting passenger experience, encouraging more people to choose rail and driving economic growth
Twenty-six cutting-edge projects aimed at improving passenger experience on the railway have launched, supported by a multi-million pound funding package by the Department for Transport (DfT).

In partnership with Innovate UK, working closely with Network Rail and train operators, the First-of-a-Kind (FOAK) competition offers grant funding for innovative projects to be tested on the railway, to give them a better chance at being bought by train operators, freight companies and Network Rail.

Given the Transport Secretary’s clear direction to put passengers at the heart of every journey, this year’s winning projects focus on improving safety at the platforms, passenger safety and reducing incidents of vehicles hitting railway bridges. Through working closely with Network Rail and train operators, these innovations will help to improve rail services and infrastructure where it’s needed most.

Among the winning projects is IntelliPan Network, which will reduce delays for passengers by using AI to detect faults on overhead lines, eliminating dangerous, service-disrupting dewirements.

Another successful project, SafeRide 5G, will empower passengers to report incidents using their own devices safely and privately via onboard wifi, boosting response times and removing key barriers to reporting, improving passenger safety.

Twenty-six successful projects will be supported with £5 million in funding from DfT, demonstrating the government’s commitment to trialling innovative technology to modernise our railway and boost the passenger experience. These projects will help to deliver better services for passengers, encouraging more people to take the train and supporting growth as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

Rail Minister, Lord Peter Hendy, said:

The winners of this competition are taking cutting-edge technology to address some of the biggest challenges facing the rail industry, making a railway that works better for the people and goods using it.

These innovations are putting safety, reliability and passenger experience first, like IntelliPan Network using AI to detect faults on overhead lines, reducing disruption caused by dangerous dewirements.

Through this funding, we are building a platform on which innovation can thrive, giving new technologies a chance to succeed and driving economic growth as part of the Plan for Change.

Previous competition winners are already being used widely across the railways, like the Portable Track Geometry Measurement System, which provides immediate track information to engineers to speed up the lifting of speed restrictions or line closures, getting passengers to their destinations quicker.

Mike Biddle, Executive Director for Net Zero at Innovate UK, said:

The innovations receiving support through this competition will contribute to a more accessible, safer, and efficient railway system throughout the UK. The competition highlights the importance of collaboration with industry partners and focuses on delivering high-maturity demonstrations, ensuring seamless integration into the existing railway infrastructure.

Delivered by Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, on behalf of the Department for Transport, the FOAK rail programme seeks to identify and support outstanding, innovative solutions. Funded organisations will showcase the creativity and impact of their ideas through live demonstrations.

The 26 successful projects have today (2 September 2025) started work on the new technologies, with testing to take place over the coming months. See the full list of winners.
September 2, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Secretary of State announces the appointment of new Civil Service Commissioners for Northern Ireland [September 2025]
The press release issued by the Northern Ireland Office on 2 September 2025.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Right Honourable Hilary Benn MP, has announced the appointment of Mr David MacAnulty and Mr Donald Leeson as Civil Service Commissioners for Northern Ireland with effect from 1 October 2025.

Background

Civil Service Commissioners are appointed under the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973 by the King, on recommendation from the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Their function is to regulate appointments to the Northern Ireland Civil Service and under the terms of the Civil Service Commissioners (Northern Ireland) Order 1999, the Commissioners also have the power to consider, and determine, appeals to them by civil servants under the Northern Ireland Civil Service Code of Ethics.

Further information on the work of the Commissioners is available at:

https://www.nicscommissioners.org/

Terms of appointment
- These positions are part-time for a period of five years ending on 30 September 2030.
- The positions receive a daily fee of £300.
- The positions are not pensionable.
Biographies

Mr MacAnulty is an Inspector of Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland. He formerly held the role of Prosecutor within the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland.

Mr Leeson currently holds the position of Non-Executive Director at the NI Transport Holding Company (Translink) and Chair of the Board of Trustees. HR Consultant and Accreditation Assessor with Diversity Mark. He formerly held the position of Chief Executive of the Labour Relations Agency NI and also held the position of Director of Corporate Services.

Political Activity

All appointments are made on merit and with regards to the statutory requirements. Political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity in defined categories to be made public.

Both individuals have declared that they have not been politically active in the last five years.

Regulation

Appointments to the Civil Service Commissioners for Northern Ireland are not regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

Statutory Requirements

Appointments to the Civil Service Commissioners for Northern Ireland are made under the provisions of section 36 (1) of the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973.
September 2, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : UK’s flagship public markets programme receives Norwegian support [September 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 September 2025.

The UK’s MOBILIST programme will receive NOK40 million (£2,9 million) of additional funding from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) over the next 3 years to help it unlock greater private capital investment in emerging markets through products publicly listed on stock exchanges.

The extension of support was marked at a signing ceremony at Norad’s headquarters, where the countries highlighted their longstanding partnership to use public markets to mobilise private capital for development. Public markets represent a powerful but untapped opportunity for mobilising development finance to emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) at the scale needed to address urgent challenges.

Created by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), MOBILIST is the only development finance programme that focuses on public markets. The programme provides catalytic equity investment toward initial public offerings (IPOs) and the development of new listed products, as well as research to drive policy reform. Norway has been supporting MOBILIST since 2022, previously providing NOK34 million in technical assistance funding.

Norad will also represent the Government of Norway as a co-implementor of the ‘EMDE Public Markets Coalition’ launched by the UK and its partners at the UN’s Fourth Financing for Development Conference (FFD4) in July this year. The Coalition will develop a Toolkit for MDBs, DFIs, and investors to support them in facilitating greater investment in EMDEs through public markets.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Jan Thompson CMG OBE, His Majesty’s Ambassador to Norway, said: “The UK welcomes the extension of Norway’s support to the MOBILIST programme. This partnership has been invaluable for increasing the impact MOBILIST has on emerging market businesses tackling climate and other development challenges. This collaboration demonstrates UK and Norway’s continued strategic partnership and shared ambition for innovative approaches to development finance.”

Gunn Jorid Roset, Director General of Norad, said: “By extending our support to MOBILIST, Norway is underlining its belief in the power of capital markets to deliver development impact, and as a key component in solving development challenges. In strategic partnership with the UK, and through MOBILIST, we are bridging development finance and global capital markets — enabling more investors to become active partners in addressing the urgent needs of our time.”

Since its inception, MOBILIST has committed $141.5 million to eight investees and mobilised $349.8 million in private finance. The programme’s investments include participating in the IPO of Citicore Renewable Energy Corporation, the second-largest solar energy producer in the Philippines and investing alongside Norway in the Green Guarantee Company (GGC), the world’s first dedicated climate-focused guarantee company.

The funding from Norway enables MOBILIST to provide technical assistance to companies on their listing journey or to develop products offering insights or guidance to the wider market. This support is crucial in capital markets that are not fully developed and where companies have limited access to the technical support and advice needed to list.

MOBILIST’s technical assistance projects have included providing support to develop a handbook to guide Mexican SMEs on raising funding through listed corporate debt, a framework for investing in gender bonds in emerging markets, and the first green bond to list on the Pakistan Stock Exchange.

More about the EMDE Coalition:

More than $250 trillion in capital is channelled through listed stock and bond markets every year. This is roughly 20 times the value of all assets held in private markets and 100 times the total capital on the balance sheets of multilateral development banks (MDBs). However, only a fraction of capital invested through public markets is allocated to emerging markets, where development finance is most urgently needed. The EMDE Coalition, launched under the Sevilla Platform for Action (SPA) Initiative ‘Public Markets Mobilisation for Development’, aims to turbocharge private capital mobilised through public markets to tackle key climate and development challenges.

Alongside the UK and Norway, the Coalition will be co-implemented by the African Development Bank and has received endorsement from the Governments of the Philippines, Switzerland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), British International Investment (BII) and the Centre for Development Finance Studies (CDFS).

About Norad

Norad is the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation. Norad is an administrative and professional body for international aid, and shall assist in realizing the goals of Norwegian development policy. Norad manages grants for long-term aid in developing countries and for humanitarian aid, and provides aid and administrative advice to the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Climate and Environment. www.norad.no

About MOBILIST

A flagship UK government programme, MOBILIST supports investment solutions that help deliver the climate transition and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in developing economies. MOBILIST focuses on mobilising institutional capital to spur new, scalable, and replicable financial products. MOBILIST invests capital, delivers technical assistance, conducts research and builds partnerships to catalyse investment in new listed products. www.mobilistglobal.com

September 2, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : New Army accommodation completed at Kendrew Barracks [September 2025]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 2 September 2025.

Soldiers and officers at Kendrew Barracks will benefit from new accommodation.

New accommodation for service personnel at Kendrew Barracks has been completed under a major investment programme that is improving living conditions across the Army estate.

The new Single Living Accommodation (SLA) blocks provide 126 en suite single bedspaces for junior ranks, senior ranks and officers, with utility rooms, drying rooms, kitchens and furnished communal space. The project was funded under the Army’s SLA Programme and was delivered by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), contracting to Volumec.

The design of the modular SLA includes sustainable features such as solar harvesting, air source heat pumps and a SMART energy management system, which learns how the building is used through a multitude of sensor data to ensure it runs as efficiently as possible.

Brigadier Pete Quaite CBE, the Army’s Head of Infrastructure Plans, said:

Modular construction is enabling us to build more quickly, ensuring that more Army sites benefit from investment in new and improved infrastructure. These modern, energy efficient buildings demonstrate the high quality of accommodation being rolled out across our estate, to improve living conditions for our people while contributing to the Army’s efforts to operate more sustainably.

Warren Webster, DIO MPP Army Programme Director, said:

The handover of new single living accommodation at Kendrew Barracks is another milestone in our work to provide quality, sustainable infrastructure for the Army. We continue to learn from data gathered from these new buildings to improve their environmental credentials and the lived experience, while delivering better value for money.

Lt Col Jim Turner, Deputy Commander of Kendrew Barracks, said:

The new accommodation at Kendrew Barracks has been delivered to an impressive standard and will provide a modern, comfortable home for our soldiers and officers. The wellbeing of our people is a vital component of military capability, and we look forward to seeing the blocks fully occupied in the coming weeks.

Simon Rawson, Volumec Ltd Chief Executive Officer, said:

We see this project as a real testament to what can be achieved through genuine collaboration, along with shared vision, commitment, and trust. This has, without doubt, been one of the most rewarding projects to have been involved with. We are all so proud of the end product and to have played our part in delivering 126 much-needed modern living spaces.

DIO and Volumec are building another two SLA blocks for the Army at Wattisham and Weeton Barracks, with construction due to complete later this year.

September 2, 2025
NEWS STORY : UK sends £1m emergency aid to Afghanistan earthquake victims via UNFPA and Red Cross

STORY

The UK has announced £1 million in emergency funding for families hit by the earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, with the money split equally between the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Ministers said the support will fund mobile health teams, emergency medical kits, dignity kits and temporary shelters, alongside IFRC search-and-rescue efforts and ambulance deployments. All assistance will be routed through humanitarian partners to ensure it reaches people in need and not the Taliban authorities.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy called the situation in Kunar province “truly tragic” and said the package would help partners deliver “critical healthcare and emergency supplies to the most hard-hit,” praising aid workers operating in difficult conditions. The government added that mountainous terrain and recent flooding have hampered access to stricken communities, compounding a wider crisis in which more than 23 million Afghans already require assistance.

The government’s press release cited a death toll of more than 800 at the time of publication, but international agencies and media now report that fatalities have surpassed 1,400 with thousands injured, as rescuers reach remote districts and aftershocks and landslides complicate relief.

September 2, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : £104 million government investment to deliver faster, more reliable travel for millions [September 2025]
The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 2 September 2025.

Investment will help councils improve transport for local people, from cleaner buses to safer cycling routes for communities across England.
- towns and rural areas across the country will benefit from an additional £104 million to improve local transport
- funding is part of a £2.3 billion government investment to support local transport connections, driving growth and access to opportunity as part of the government’s Plan for Change
- investment will make journeys smoother and more reliable for people using public services, going to work, the shops and seeing family and friends
Millions of people across the country will have greater access to jobs, education and public services thanks to a £104 million government funding boost, which will be shared with communities outside England’s major cities.

Thanks to the additional resource funding, local authorities can now decide how to improve public transport and drive forward schemes that boost growth and matter most to their communities. This could include new zero emission buses, improving accessibility, reducing congestion and making streets safer with improved lighting and crossings for pedestrians and cyclists.

The government has now confirmed how much funding each local authority across the country will be receiving under the Local Transport Grant (LTG). The funding boost will see significant uplifts for the North West, Yorkshire and Humber, East Midlands and West Midlands and will enable councils to develop detailed plans for local schemes that have the greatest impact in their areas.

Funding will also ensure councils can manage the delivery of projects that improve journeys to work, shops and essential services across towns and rural areas, helping grow local economies to deliver the Plan for Change.

Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said:

Good transport connections are the foundation of thriving communities, which is why we’re backing local authorities to transform journeys for millions of people across England.

This investment will help councils to improve transport for local people – from cleaner buses to safer cycling routes – connecting communities with jobs, education and essential services.

By putting resources directly into the hands of local leaders, we’re ensuring every part of the country benefits from better transport links that support economic growth and provide opportunity – all part of our Plan for Change.

Jane Gratton, Deputy Director of Public Policy, British Chambers of Commerce, said:

This is much needed funding to help people access jobs and services across England. It will also better connect businesses, customers, and suppliers. High-quality, reliable transport options, which reduce congestion, are key to boosting local economic growth.

Ben Plowden, Chief Executive, Campaign for Better Transport, said:

With 70% of trips under 5 miles, properly resourced local authorities are central to the task of improving sustainable travel choices. Confirmation of this investment to help them plan and deliver schemes will be very welcome in towns and rural areas, where difficult journeys can cut people off from jobs, services and connections with others.

Better transport makes a huge difference to people’s lives, unlocking opportunities and revitalising communities.

David Skaith, the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said:

An accessible, affordable and reliable transport network is critical to growth in our region – connecting people to jobs, education and vital services.

After decades of neglect, we won’t be able to realise our transport aspirations overnight. However, this funding is a welcome boost that will ensure we can continue laying the groundwork and bringing together the skills and expertise we need to deliver the transport improvements across York and North Yorkshire that our communities want and need to see.

The investment provides unprecedented support for local transport improvements that support the government’s Plan for Change, driving growth and access to opportunity.

Today’s £104 million resource allocation boost for local authorities follows the government’s commitment of £2.2 billion, providing them with multi-year funding certainty to improve transport in their communities.
September 2, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : UK provides emergency aid to Afghanistan earthquake victims [September 2025]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 September 2025.

The UK has announced emergency funding to support families affected by the devastating earthquake which hit Afghanistan.
- Afghan families to receive UK emergency funding following earthquake in eastern Afghanistan which has killed over 800 people
- funding will provide emergency assistance to affected people, including the provision of essential healthcare to women
- support demonstrates UK’s longstanding commitment to the Afghan people
The UK has, today, announced emergency funding to support families affected by the devastating earthquake which hit Afghanistan on Sunday. Victims of the earthquake, which killed over 800 people and injured thousands, will receive immediate humanitarian support.

These funds will be split equally between the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the International Red Cross (IFRC) to deliver critical healthcare and emergency supplies to Afghans in the most affected regions.

All UK assistance is channelled through experienced partners, ensuring aid reaches those in need and does not go to the Taliban.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:

News of the earthquake in the Kunar Province of Afghanistan is truly tragic. The UK remains committed to the people of Afghanistan, and this emergency funding will help our partners to deliver critical healthcare and emergency supplies to the most hard-hit.

The UK remains grateful to the aid workers on the ground, who help us to provide support to Afghanistan’s most vulnerable people.

The £1 million in emergency funding will contribute to UNFPA’s earthquake response, including mobile health teams, emergency medical kits, dignity kits and shelters for displaced families. UNFPA teams will also provide maternal healthcare and psychological support at existing facilities in Kunar – the worst-affected province.

Meanwhile funding to the IFRC will support their mobilisation of local volunteers for search and rescue operations, and deployment of ambulances to transport wounded Afghans to health centres.

Mountainous terrain and recent flooding have restricted access to many areas hit by the earthquake, adding to Afghanistan’s ongoing humanitarian crisis, where over 23 million people already require assistance.

This emergency response builds on the UK’s substantial humanitarian commitment to Afghanistan. The UK allocated £171 million in 2024 to 2025 to support Afghanistan’s most vulnerable people, particularly women and girls.

The UK works with international partners to strengthen global safety and security, and safeguard human rights. Fostering stability overseas ensures our security in the UK too, helping us deliver our Plan for Change.

Background
- women and girls accounted for at least 50% of beneficiaries reached by FCDO’s support to Afghanistan in financial year 2024 to 2025
- in financial year 2024 to 2025, UK support to Afghanistan provided at least:
  - 2,715,000 people with humanitarian assistance, including water and sanitation, food, nutrition, health and cash/voucher, of which 1,782,000 were women and girls
  - 1,274,000 people with cash or voucher transfers, of which 615,000 were women & girls. This includes cash for food, health, shelter repair, agricultural support, essential household items (eg blankets) and winterisation
September 2, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Justice Secretary introduces democratic lock over Sentencing Council [September 2025]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 2 September 2025.
- New legal requirement for Sentencing Council guidelines to be agreed by the Justice Secretary before they are issued
- Lady Chief Justice will also need to explicitly approve any new guidelines
- Part of Government’s Plan for Change to build public confidence in the justice system
The Sentencing Council will be unable to issue new guidelines without the explicit approval of the Justice Secretary, strengthening democratic oversight of the body. The approval of the Lady Chief Justice will also be required before new guidelines are issued.

Today’s news follows a disagreement between the Justice Secretary and Sentencing Council earlier this year over planned new guidelines which the Justice Secretary argued would result in “a clear example of differential treatment” and risked “undermining public confidence in a justice system that is built on the idea of equality before the law”.

While a new law introduced in June blocked these sentencing guidelines, the Justice Secretary is clear the Council should not be allowed to stray into setting policy without the direction of Parliament and committed to “right the democratic deficit that has been uncovered”.

As part of the Sentencing Bill, introduced in the House of Commons today, both the Justice Secretary and the Lady Chief Justice will be given individual – and separate – powers requiring them to approve any future guidelines before they can be issued.

Enshrined in law, this means any new directive issued by the Sentencing Council will require the explicit approval of both. If the either oppose the guidance, it will not be issued.

The new powers will end a historic democratic deficit, ensuring Parliament’s legitimate role in setting the sentencing framework is recognised and upheld, while maintaining and strengthening judicial and democratic oversight.

Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Shabana Mahmood said:

Individual sentencing decisions will always be the responsibility of the independent judiciary – and this is something I will staunchly defend.

However, policy must be set by parliamentarians, who answer to the people.

Government and Parliament have a legitimate role in setting the sentencing framework. It is right that we now have greater democratic and judicial oversight of the direction of the Council’s work and the final guidelines they publish.

The move forms part of wider reforms to sentencing policy as set out in today’s Sentencing Bill. This landmark legislation also includes measures to ensure prisons never run out of space again, including Texas-style earned release sentences and bold new action to toughen up community punishment.

This comes alongside the Government’s prison building programme, the largest expansion in the estate since the Victorian era. The Government has already opened 2,500 new places since taking office, and has invested £7bn in construction, on track to deliver 14,000 places by 2031.

Tens of thousands more offenders will also be tagged and monitored thanks to a huge boost in investment for the Probation Service, with an increase of up to £700 million by 2028/29, up 45 percent from the current budget.

There will also be a requirement for the Council to seek approval from the Justice Secretary of its annual business plan. The reforms do not interfere with the independence of judges in making individual sentencing decisions.
September 2, 2025
Calum Miller – 2025 Speech on the Middle East

The speech made by Calum Miller, the Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs spokesperson, in the House of Commons on 1 September 2025.

I thank the Foreign Secretary for advance sight of his statement. I welcome the robust approach of the E3 in initiating the snapback mechanism in response to Iran’s nuclear ambitions and programme, which are in breach of its undertakings.

The Foreign Secretary’s statement on 21 July shocked this House, and we had a long debate about the situation in Gaza, yet the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the west bank has deteriorated even further since then, as he has acknowledged. We have seen hundreds more Palestinians killed while seeking aid; famine declared in the strip; a chronic lack of medical supplies, attested to by UK medics volunteering in Nasser hospital; the start of IDF operations in Gaza City; and the images of emaciated hostages still held in brutal captivity by Hamas terrorists.

The human suffering is indeed beyond comprehension, yet the extremists are indifferent. Hamas terrorists publish videos intended to torment the families of hostages. Cabinet members Ben-Gvir and Smotrich advocate for the forced displacement of Palestinians. In Israel, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum and Opposition parties call for an end to the violence. In the UK, our constituents are desperate for the same. The bloodshed can be stopped only by decisive actions—actions that I regret the Government have so far failed to take.

The Prime Minister was wrong in principle to condition the recognition of Palestine on the actions of the Netanyahu Government, and wrong in practice, as he has been ignored. Will the Foreign Secretary confirm today that the UK will recognise Palestine later this month at the UN? The Government must learn a lesson and now apply relentless pressure on the Netanyahu Government, so the Liberal Democrats call today on the Foreign Secretary to finally sanction Prime Minister Netanyahu for expanding his military campaign and pursuing the illegal expansion of the E1 settlements, and to take the steps necessary to ban the export of all UK arms to Israel, including F-35 components. Will he also make representations to the Qatari Government to demand that they exile Hamas from their political headquarters unless they agree to the release of all the hostages immediately and unconditionally?

The Foreign Secretary bemoans that words are not enough to alleviate the suffering. He acknowledges that the Government have failed to move the combatants, yet there is one man who could unlock progress. Donald Trump has the power to secure peace in Gaza, if he chose to, by picking up the phone to Netanyahu. Will the Foreign Secretary tell the House how he will use his special relationship with Vice President Vance to help secure that goal, and will the Government commit to making a ceasefire in Gaza a priority during President Trump’s state visit?

Mr Lammy

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his remarks, particularly on Iran. He is absolutely right to place at the centre the 15,000 people who have been injured in Gaza while simply seeking aid, and the more than 2,000 who have died seeking aid. It is totally unacceptable, and he is right to remind the House about the position of the hostage families, who are crystal clear that they do not want to see further military endeavour and operation in Gaza City. What they want is a ceasefire, and they fear that further military endeavour will actually harm their loved ones further, not succeed in bringing them home.

The hon. Gentleman criticises our position on recognition. I ask him to reflect on that, because it must be right that the Government continue to give diplomacy an opportunity as we head to the UN alongside other partners. Surely he would want us to be working with our French, Australian and Canadian partners as we head to that gathering at UNGA, and surely he would want to see the Israelis commit to a ceasefire, commit to a process and end the war. All of that is what we are seeking to do as we make an assessment of where we have got to in the coming weeks. I reassure him that of course I raise the issue of Gaza with all levels of the US Administration. I did raise the situation in Gaza with Vice President Vance earlier in the summer and with Secretary of State Rubio, and I have spoken to envoy Steve Witkoff in the last 24 hours to get an update on this fast-moving situation. Direct sales of F-35s to Israel are banned, and the hon. Gentleman knows that we ban arms that could go to the IDF for use in Gaza.

September 2, 2025
Emily Thornberry – 2025 Speech on the Middle East

The speech made by Emily Thornberry, the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, in the House of Commons on 1 September 2025.

I read with alarm yesterday’s report in The Washington Post detailing a plan for the future of Gaza that is circulating among the Trump Administration. They call it the “GREAT” plan. It proposes the total transformation of Gaza into a tourist region—a high-tech hub under temporary US administration. What is going to happen to the Gazans? Well, 2 million of them will be temporarily relocated to other countries, including Somaliland and South Sudan. Forced population transfer is contrary to, and a complete violation of, international humanitarian law.

Serious thought must be given to the day after for Gaza, and my Committee recommended as much in our report that was published in July, but this unserious, illegal and deeply dystopian plan cannot be the sum of that thinking. What are the Government doing to dissuade Donald Trump from following this path? What, alongside regional and European allies, are we doing to put forward a serious plan for a peaceful future in Israel, Gaza and the west bank that is ready for the day after this terrible war finally comes to an end?

Mr Lammy

I am very grateful to my right hon. Friend —my dear friend—for her remarks, and I commend the work of her Committee on the day after and the thoroughness of approach that is required. I have read the reports, but it is speculative stuff that I have seen in different news articles; it is not a comprehensive approach. In my discussions with the US system, I have seen nothing confirmed along the lines of what she said. The day after requires the removal of Hamas; it cannot be about the further displacement of the Gazan people. It is going to require a degree of finance and stability, which I think will require other states, particularly Arab partners. They would set themselves against the sorts of reports I have seen in the papers.

September 2, 2025