Category: Criminal Justice

  • Shabana Mahmood – 2026 Speech to Labour Party Conference

    Shabana Mahmood – 2026 Speech to Labour Party Conference

    The speech made by Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, in Liverpool on 28 September 2026.

    Thank you. Thank you, Conference.

    Before I begin, let me address the events of yesterday morning outside RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.

    I would like to thank the police. For their swift response to the situation. We must allow them to continue their work and not fuel any speculation. Particularly as this could prejudice investigations.

    But I can say this: The nationalities of those responsible are now known. And they are all British citizens.

    I can also say that thanks to the excellent work of the Army’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal team the scene is now safe. And the residents of Whelford will shortly be returning home. I thank them for their cooperation. And, more than that, for their spirit of resilience. They represent the very best of our country.

    Now, while I will not comment further on the specific incident. It is a reminder that at a time of heightened threat we must all remain vigilant.

    And to all those who mean us harm and plot violence on our soil. Let this be a reminder: You will never defeat us.

    Conference, a year ago I became Home Secretary. On this stage last year, I told you it was the honour of my life. And I meant it. This year, I stand before you to report back on a first year in office.

    As I do so, I could stand here and list the facts.

    Knife crime: down.

    Serious violence: down.

    Net migration: down.

    Small boat crossings: down.

    I could point out that no Home Secretary in recent history has been able to say any of that. And that is a tribute to the work of this Government and my ministerial team. It is also a tribute to my predecessor, Yvette Cooper, who laid the foundations we have built upon.

    But I don’t only want to talk about what this Government is doing. Nor even what we are achieving. Instead, I want to talk to you about why we are doing it.

    Why must a Labour Home Secretary restore control at our border? Why must a Labour Home Secretary cut crime? Why must a Labour Home Secretary keep our communities and our homeland safe?

    The answer goes back to why this party exists. The thing that brought us all into politics: Fairness.

    The job of a Labour Home Secretary, just as the job of every Labour Government, is to make this country fairer.

    Let me tell you why this matters to me.

    My parents came to this country from rural Kashmir because they knew they would get a fair shot at a better life here. A fairer shot than they could ever expect back home. Where past was precedent. And where your birth dictated your future.

    They were, largely, welcomed to this country. Because most Brits thought it was right to welcome people who came here legally, built a new life, and contribute to our nation.

    There were exceptions to that welcome, of course. This was the 1970s. But they were exceptions, not the rule.

    Fairness is what unites us in this country. And a fair society unlocks the very best of us. Because when people think this country is fair. They are more open and generous to others.

    When we are secure in ourselves, we are more tolerant too. Because the existence of one group does not threaten another. And so, a proud Muslim like me can be a proud Brit and a Brummie too.

    When fairness isn’t present, the opposite is true. When this country feels unfair. People turn inwards. A Britain that is unfair is one that is smaller and colder for those who look like me.

    So my job is to create that fairness. In our immigration system. And on our streets. And, in doing so, to hold this country together. At a time when others seek to divide us.

    Conference, there is nothing fair about a lack of control at our borders. It is not fair that criminal gangs determine who comes to this country.

    It is not fair that they put dangerous boats into the water with no regard for human life. Shown once again today, with three more tragic deaths in the Channel.

    It is not fair that those with a genuine need of protection cannot find a safe and legal way to claim asylum.

    It is also not fair that communities across this country have been asked to bear so great a burden, with around 90,000 people living in asylum accommodation.

    For that reason, to restore fairness, we must restore control.

    That work has begun and is bearing fruit. We are turning the tables on the criminal gangs. We have stopped over 48,000 attempted crossings. And small boat arrivals are down significantly with this summer recording the lowest number since 2021.

    Fairness isn’t only about control. Fairness is also about offering sanctuary to those who are truly fleeing war and persecution.

    So as we tackle the gangs and reduce the incentives that draw people here illegally. We are also opening new, capped safe and legal routes.

    I know that the British people have not given up on their belief that we should be compassionate, live up to our international obligations, and save the lives of those fleeing war and persecution.

    But I also know this process must be capped and controlled, with communities ready and able to welcome those who come here.

    For that reason, I can announce today that from next month, we will begin accepting applications from charities and nonprofits to sponsor refugees through our new safe and legal routes.

    This will start with a community sponsorship route allowing local communities to host refugees. And a student sponsorship route which will allow universities to do the same.

    Applications will open in October. With the first arrivals in autumn of next year.

    Applications for sponsors for a further work route will open in the Spring of next year.

    And that is not all, Conference.

    I can also announce that this Government will reopen the UK Resettlement Route in partnership with the United Nations.

    We will take vulnerable refugees from across the world and give them the chance of a new and better life here in Britain with the first arrivals this year.

    I am proud to say that around a quarter will be Afghan women and girls fleeing persecution under the Taliban.

    And Palestinians who have fled the horrors of Gaza.

    Conference, conference, that is what we can do, this is who we can be, as we restore control to our borders. Bear down on small boat crossings. And unlock the inherent generosity of this country.

    As we restore control and fairness to our asylum system. We must do the same for legal migration too: Fair to those who seek a new and better life here, like my parents did. And fair to those already here, including British workers, and especially the young.

    That same principle underpins my reforms to the right to live here indefinitely. Ensuring settled status is earned by those who have shown a consistent commitment to this country.

    I know that, throughout our consultation process some have said elements of these reforms are not fair.

    And to that, let me say this: we will come to a position that balances fairness for those who came here legally and fairness to British citizens across this country.

    Fairness cannot end at our borders. It must extend to every street in this country.

    While you might not believe it, from all the false talk of a broken Britain. Some of the most serious crimes that we face in this country are falling, and falling fast.

    Murder is down by 9 percent.

    Serious violence by 11 percent.

    And knife robberies by 16 percent.

    These are extraordinary successes. And they are what happens when we have a Labour Government in power.

    But it is also true that our steps forward have not been true everywhere. If you are the victim of crime in one part of this country, you could be two and a half times more likely to see that crime solved than if you live elsewhere.

    Meanwhile, across the country, certain crimes, particularly those that tear at the fabric of a local community are still too high. Like shop theft, which though now falling, is still far too high.

    To achieve fairness in every community, we need to do some things we know work, like neighbourhood policing. Which was hollowed out under the Conservative government but which we know cuts crime and deters criminality.

    I am proud to say that this Government has put 3,800 more officers into neighbourhoods across the country.

    But if we are to police every community fairly, we must also police differently.

    I have long argued that the criminal justice system has failed to respond effectively to the scourge of violence against women and girls.

    In our landmark strategy, we seek to right that wrong. And I am proud to have recently announced that every police force in England and Wales will soon have specialist officers trained in the delicate and difficult work of investigating these heinous crimes.

    Better policing also demands new policing structures.

    And that is why this Government will launch the National Police Service focused entirely on national and international crime.

    We are also reviewing the structure of local forces to ensure every part of this country has excellent neighbourhood policing as well as access to the specialist policing that we know every community needs deserves.

    Since we took office. We have taken major steps forward.

    But it is still too often true that where you live determines what you get. We will only have a fair country when we have security in every home.

    That is not just a British value. It is a Labour value.

    When we are secure in our homes, we open our doors to others. When we feel unsafe, we bolt the door to outsiders and those who are different from us.

    Safety at home unlocks the generosity of spirit that this party knows is within us all.

    I know, personally, that this doesn’t always feel true today. I know the fear that some communities have felt in recent times. The sense that the forces of division in our country are growing stronger, while the unifying voices grow weaker.

    I have felt the same shiver of revulsion and fear at the sight of racists, masked up and dressed all in black. Whose actions are designed to threaten communities like mine.

    I know that other communities have felt the same fear. Like British Jews, facing the rising tide of antisemitism. And targeted by the hostile acts of foreign powers who plot violence against our fellow countrymen and women.

    This country is only truly fair when we are all safe within it.

    So, I am proud of the work we have done to tackle extremism, in all its forms. And I am proud of the State Threats Act which we passed at pace to tackle hostile foreign powers seeking to operate and sow division in this country.

    I know there is more we must do to tackle the threats ranged against us.

    And I think particularly of the new and growing threat posed by young minds warped online and alone which we will begin to address in legislation announced in the King’s Speech later this year.

    Once again. And with particular resonance today. I must thank those who protect us, day and night, in policing and our intelligence services.

    Their successes are rarely seen. But – as I know all too well. We are all safer, each and every day, for their presence.

    They protect us all, without fear or favour, and we all thank them for it.

    Safety, security and control.

    Some say these aren’t Labour values.

    Conference, they are wrong.

    These are the preconditions for a society that is fair. And that drive towards fairness is what brought this party into being and every single one of us into this hall.

    So when the Tories in the Tory Party and the failed Tories in the Reform Party try to pretend otherwise. Let’s just remind them of their record:

    Losing control of our borders.

    Hollowing out policing on our streets.

    Fourteen years of making this country less safe. Less secure. Out of control. And unfair.

    By restoring safety, security and control. We are restoring fairness and creating space for compassion, tolerance, and generosity.

    And that is why the numbers I started with in this speech with matter:

    Knife crime: down.

    Serious violence: down.

    Net migration: down.

    Small boat crossings: down.

    That is how we make this country fairer. That is how we defeat the forces of division. That is how we hold this country together.

    Conference, it is what a Labour Government does.

    It is why a Labour Government exists.

    And it is why I remain so proud to be your Labour Home Secretary.

    Thank you, Conference.

  • Andy Burnham – 2026 Statement on Sarah Everard Murder

    Andy Burnham – 2026 Statement on Sarah Everard Murder

    The statement made by Andy Burnham, the Prime Minister, on 21 September 2026.

    The brutal abduction, rape and murder of Sarah Everard at the hands of a serving police officer changed everything. As the country recoiled in collective horror, we were forced to confront the reality women and girls face every day.

    For me, that happened when watching the details of Sarah’s death unfold on the news with my daughters. As they watched, they began to open up about some of the things they and their friends have to deal with.

    Sarah’s loss was at the most violent end of a scale of misogyny that women experience all around them. It begins with words designed to disrespect them, or catcalling to intimidate women on their own streets. It can grow into harassment, stalking and image-based abuse that seeks to humiliate and dehumanise. At its most extreme, it can lead to violence, abuse and murder. The outcomes may be different, but they have the same poisonous roots.

    This behaviour corrodes our whole society. Yet it is women who are expected to change their behaviour to accommodate it. Wearing trainers so they are ready to run. Changing their route home. Holding their keys between their fingers.

    Checking over their shoulder. And shamefully, it is women who must find the strength to speak out, an experience which too often becomes as traumatic as the original abuse. That has to change. And it has to change now.

    We must end the shame placed on victims and put the responsibility where it belongs: on the men who abuse them. Instead of asking women and girls: what are you doing to avoid this? We should be asking ourselves: what are we doing to change this?

    I am committed to tackling violence against women and girls and getting justice for victims. When I took office, I was presented with some good plans to roll out specialist rape and sexual abuse police offence teams. But these were not due to be introduced until 2029. I have now brought these reforms forward to next year.

    Prosecution rates for rape remain shamefully low. Victims wait years for justice. Cases drag on. And too many victims eventually withdraw, exhausted by a system that was supposed to deliver justice for them. It is not good enough.

    We will ensure court buildings have separate entrances and private rooms to support vulnerable victims. And we will create a new victim support role in courts that will mean women are not alone in this difficult period of their lives. In short, we will rebalance the scales of justice and put women and girls first.

    These changes are long overdue and will help, but directing our efforts on prosecution alone is not enough. We must do more to stop these crimes happening in the first place. To fix this problem, we require a culture shift in our society and a focus on how we prevent male violence against women and girls.

    This starts with education. Our new curriculum will teach young people about healthy relationships and guide them away from harmful misogynistic influences. We have made strangulation pornography illegal, so young men do not grow up thinking sexual violence is normal and young women do not feel pressured into dangerous acts. We will teach students to spot the signs of abuse as they head off to university. And the Minister for Women and Equalities will lead a new national taskforce to tackle and prevent misogyny.

    I know that too often people feel like politics does not work for them and that the government is unable to make a difference when it matters. I am determined to change that. I want to see every part of government and every part of society work together on this issue. And early next year, I will bring together experts from across the UK and around the world for a summit to find new solutions.

    My daughters challenged me that evening to do my bit so every woman can live their life free from fear. That is a responsibility I take very seriously both as a man and as Prime Minister. Together, we can change our culture, make our country safer and bring back hope.

  • Sarah Jones – 2026 Speech at the Police Superintendents’ Association Conference

    Sarah Jones – 2026 Speech at the Police Superintendents’ Association Conference

    The speech made by Sarah Jones, the Policing Minister, in Stratford on 15 September 2026.

    Last week, I stood with the policing family and the people of Cleveland to honour PC Blades and PC Clough at their funerals, just as I stood earlier in the year at the funeral of PC Jess Turnbull, who was only 19.

    Along with PC Corke, PC Najeeb, PC Chester. Six officers have died since this time last year, and I know the impact of that will still be raw for everybody, especially those who knew and worked alongside those officers who lost their lives.

    I realise too that the work doesn’t stop just because someone has lost their life and something dreadful has happened. You and your colleagues have to carry on serving your communities despite the shock and sadness, and I saw that in Cleveland on the two days that I was there.

    So let me say clearly, on behalf of the government, that we value you, we cherish you, and we stand by you today and always.

    In honouring the memory of those officers who have lost their lives, and all the officers and staff who have died in the line of duty, we have a responsibility to give thanks for their service and their sacrifice, and that of every man and woman who goes to work every day with a singular aim: keeping the rest of us safe.

    While recent events have brought that responsibility to the fore in the most painful way, it is something that has been at the forefront of my mind ever since I was appointed a year ago. And it’s why I was also so proud to have been reappointed to this post when Andy Burnham became Prime Minister, and to have the opportunity to carry on our work together.

    Looking back at my speech here last year, I observed that I was not a police officer and, much to the relief of the people you serve, that remains the case today.

    The point I was making then about not knowing everything and the need to work together, I can see even more clearly now. 

    Because the last 12 months have taught me so much.

    About the challenges of policing in an online age. About the split-second operational decisions in situations the rest of us can barely comprehend. About the painstaking investigations carried out over months and years to tackle the most dangerous threats.

    And the obstacles, the really frustrating obstacles, that stop the service performing to the levels it could reach. And, perhaps most of all, about the enduring courage that is the hallmark of British policing.

    So, my first message to you all – and please convey this to your teams – is one of heartfelt thanks. 

    Not just for the high-profile operations and feats of supreme bravery, but also for the work that often goes unseen but matters so much, from daily acts of local police work, to securing the entire country.

    There are few, if any, public services with such a broad and crucial role in our national life. No one understands that better than you.

    As operational leaders, you are uniquely placed within the system, helping to shape your forces’ long-term strategies in a range of critical areas, as well as overseeing the work of those grappling with the realities of fighting crime and protecting the public on the ground.

    Over the last year I have tried to talk to, go and see as many front-line teams as possible to build my understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the service. In doing so I have sought to strengthen the lines of communication between forces and the government. 

    In one way or another, you will have contributed to that. In fact, I would guess there is no item or issue that crosses my desk without some level of superintendent involvement, and I am grateful for that.

    One of the topics I spoke about last year was having a shared sense of mission and going on this journey together. I think we can all agree that has not always been the case. But it is something we have worked hard to get right.

    While there is undoubtedly much more to be done, we can reflect on some really significant achievements. 

    To start with an issue that matters a lot to me personally because of where I live and the people that I represent, we are making really good progress across the country in our mission to halve knife crime in a decade.  

    Overall knife crime has fallen by 11%. Knife homicides are down by 26%. Hospital admissions for stabbings are down 13%. Knife-enabled robberies are down by 16%. And we have taken more than 63,000 knives off our streets.

    And the impact of all this work can’t be overstated. Our communities are safer as a result.

    There is, of course, much more to do, and earlier this year we published a plan setting out how we want to go further in key areas including prevention and policing. 

    Neighbourhood policing has been a big focus for us. Through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, we delivered more than 3,800 officers and PCSOs into neighbourhood policing roles, which exceeded our target for the first year.

    This means more visible neighbourhood policing, and a greater focus on the issues that matter most to local communities. Building on that strong start, we need to keep going as we work towards the target of 13,000 additional neighbourhood policing personnel by the end of this Parliament.

    And that’s about more than just numbers. We are also restoring the link between policing and communities with named, contactable officers for every neighbourhood and guaranteed 72-hour response times for neighbourhood queries.  

    I’ve just come before here from a visit in Coventry, where I was talking to local police officers tackling antisocial behaviour, dodgy vape shops, the challenges that we know our communities care about so much, the value of neighbourhood policing, the intelligence and the wisdom that they have was there to see, and it is on every visit that I go on.

    Our use of technology also continues to grow. Take facial recognition for example. I have seen that in my own constituency, catching wanted rapists and robbers, taking them off the streets. 

    The benefits to public safety are clear, and we are tripling the number of live facial recognition units across the country.

    Knife crime, neighbourhood policing and technology – these are just some of the areas where we have taken really important strides forward together. 

    But none of us would suggest it’s plain sailing. We still face significant challenges. 

    I know the demand placed on policing is a source of constant concern for you.

    Nick and I have had this conversation many times, and I appreciate it and I understand it. Our task together is to find ways of reducing and effectively managing that demand.

    I spent the weekend on the phone with a constituent, who was a young girl who had mental health problems, who’d been in and out of mental health hospitals, and had been arrested by the police because of her behaviour on the street.

    And the police were having to look after her all weekend because there was nowhere else for her to go. That will be something that you all recognise, and is one of the challenges that we know we face. So together we have to find ways to reduce demand and head off the pressures that we can see.

    The Police Efficiency and Collaboration Programme is cutting unnecessary bureaucracy. Again, something that when I speak to rank and file officers, they always talk about and show me.

    We need to modernise those outdated processes while working to free forces from responding to incidents that would be best dealt with by other agencies, like mental health continues under the Right Care Right Person approach. 

    We are also investing in responsible AI, such as audio-visual redaction tooling.

    Previously, trained police officers, as you know, were spending hours, sometimes days, painstakingly drawing black boxes frame by frame around digital footage as part of case file preparation.

    Over the last two years, we have been supporting the majority of forces with AI software that does this in minutes, freeing up around 1 million hours a year for redeployment if adopted nationally.

    And last month, I announced a new AI-enabled 101 triage system, which will drastically reduce the 4 million calls policing gets a year that are actually for other organisations. 

    We all know there are processes and procedures that make policing more difficult. Often for good, and valid reasons. But sometimes because that is how it has always been done. 

    Where this is the case, we want to know about it and we want to help find the solution. We can, for example, better use the tools officers already have to reduce the time spent on briefing at the start of a shift. How can we help on that?

    We’re working with industry, and there will no doubt be many areas that are ripe for progress as technology continues to evolve.

    Technology offers many opportunities for good. But it also brings risk. 

    To say that criminals today are tech-savvy is an understatement.

    We see this across a range of threats from fraud to child sexual abuse, serious violence to drug-dealing, and the generation of deep fake sexual imagery without consent. 

    It is not enough merely to keep pace with these evolving threats. We need to get ahead of them – and we are supporting you to find ways to do that, including through PoliceAI, the new national centre dedicated to the responsible development, testing and scaling of AI across all forces in England and Wales.

    We know, too, that you and your colleagues are operating in a complex and contested environment. Some of the most acute challenges facing our society play out in our streets, with implications for policing.   

    It wasn’t long after this conference last year that we had that appalling act of terrorism at Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester. 

    And this terrible trend of violence towards British Jews has continued this year, with a series of arson incidents in London, as well as the attack in Golders Green in April.

    In response, we have ramped up resources for policing and protective security, so that our Jewish communities can have the safety and the confidence they deserve. 

    Clearly, it’s going to be a major area of focus for us all in the days, weeks and months ahead, especially at the moment during the High Holy Days. 

    We know, too, that the escalation in hatred and hostility isn’t confined to antisemitism. The threat faced by British Muslims has also grown, demanding an equally robust response from us all.

    As recent events show, public order remains a complex and challenging issue. We had the incidents in Dover and Portsmouth just 10 days ago.

    And I would reiterate the point that the Home Secretary made to your chief constables last week, about the need to move quickly and effectively, making full use of available powers.

    While the right to protest is an essential part of our democracy and one we must and always will protect, I also recognise the pressure policing such events place on your forces.

    There is, undoubtedly, a strong appetite for greater clarity across the service. 

    And that’s why the Home Secretary asked Lord Macdonald to review the public order and hate crime framework. Lord Macdonald has submitted his findings and we will publish them, and our response, soon. 

    Let me turn to resources. This government remains committed to supporting the police mission and has increased police funding by £2 billion since being elected.

    As we change police force structures, the case for changing the funding formula is also well made. 

    We are committed to a proper review of the police funding formula to ensure that force funding is fair and keeps the public safe. A new approach to allocating funding will be brought in as part of our reforms to police structures. 

    Ultimately, we’re looking to ensure that more resources meet the frontline. 

    The successes we have had and the challenges we face are, in a sense, two sides of the same coin. Our achievements to date show what can be done when we work in tandem. 

    Driving down serious threats, becoming smarter and more modern in our approach and keeping a clear focus on the issues that matter most to our communities. When done to the world-class standards we know are possible, the potential of policing is enormous. 

    At the same time, that potential can only be realised if we set up the system for success, which brings me to police reform.

    We would all agree that policing is performing remarkably well given that much of the current system dates back to the 1960s. It is no longer well suited to the nature of modern crime or public expectations.  

    The fundamental issue is that policing is currently neither properly local enough nor properly national enough. Too often, officers and staff are having to work around existing structures rather than being supported by them.

    At present, there’s a heavy reliance on voluntary collaboration, part-time leadership arrangements and securing agreement across all 43 forces, which can make meaningful change really difficult to deliver.

    As a result, policing is not making the best possible use of data and technology, is not supporting and developing its workforce consistently, and it risks being outpaced by increasingly sophisticated criminal networks.

    Policing must evolve to meet modern crime and public expectations. At the local level, it needs to be organised closer to communities and more responsive to local priorities. At the national level, it must be better equipped to tackle increasing complex, cross-border threats. 

    The Police Reform White Paper set out our plans for the biggest structural changes in 200 years.

    At the heart of this programme is a commitment to strengthen local policing through the introduction of stronger and more empowered Local Policing Areas.  

    We’ll establish the National Police Service to tackle national threats, deliver national capabilities and support forces to provide a more consistent service to the public. 

    And we will introduce a force structure that reduces duplication, improves resilience and addresses the inefficiencies of maintaining 43 separate HR, finance and support functions, while ensuring forces have sufficient scale and capability to respond to major incidents.

    Reform isn’t just a structural exercise. 80% of the total police budget is spent on people. The officers and staff who invest heavily in their careers, who are the service’s most vital asset.  

    We are developing a new Police Workforce Strategy to ensure policing has the right people, with the right skills, in the right places, at the right time. 

    Strong, ethical and consistent leadership at every level is essential. Lord Blunkett and Lord Herbert’s report on that subject made a number of really important recommendations.

    We are actively going through all of those now with police leaders, and we will publish our full response to that in the autumn.

    I know people are hungry to get going on those changes, and that Lord Herbert, that I think you’ve already seen, is pushing us to go faster. And of course, you understand and recognise that.

    We are also committed to addressing longstanding concerns with accountability systems to drive up standards and improve both the public and police’s confidence.

    Yesterday, you heard from Jason Beer KC, who the Home Secretary and Lord Chancellor recently appointed alongside Dame Lynne Owens to lead an independent end-to-end review of the police accountability system. We really look forward to receiving their findings, and we absolutely recognise, as Nick said, how important that is for policing.

    To meet the challenges of today and tomorrow, policing cannot remain the same and that is clear. But what will never change is our commitment and the public’s commitment to supporting you and your families.

    The Police Covenant is central to that. And we are putting support for officers and staff at the heart of our police reform, with a package of measures backed by £2.4 million in additional funding this year.

    This is about doing right by those who put themselves under extraordinary pressure every day, facing situations that most people could barely imagine. And going to remarkable lengths to keep the rest of us safe.

    For what we ask of you and your colleagues, the least we can do, as a society, is make sure help is there when needed.

    That is the rationale behind the funding I mentioned. But we must go further. 

    I can therefore announce that I will ask His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services to provide an assessment of the current support landscape, and to consider what more needs to be done at force and national level to drive improvements in this area.

    And your role in this can’t be overstated. No one knows better than you what your teams need and how to manage them through a period of change. Put simply: this successful reform programme will live or die on you and on all of us working together.    

    Before I wrap up, a word of thanks and appreciation must go to Nick and his team for organising this conference. Thanks too, to the whole PSA membership for all that you do in the name of keeping people safe.

    Finally, I spoke at the beginning about the developments since we were last together a year ago, and I want to return to that theme in closing. 

    Perhaps the biggest change is that we have a new Prime Minister. He has spoken very clearly about his determination to lift up our country and restore hope.

    Everyone in this room and the teams they lead are integral to that effort. Because for people to realise their potential, they must be safe. And for communities to flourish, they must be secure.

    That is our mission. And if we build on the momentum we have generated over this past year, I know we can and will succeed.

    Thank you very much.

  • Ellie Reeves – 2026 Comments on James McClements

    Ellie Reeves – 2026 Comments on James McClements

    The comments made by Ellie Reeves, the Attorney General, on 29 July 2026.

    James McClements abused the trust placed in him as a police officer, pursuing an intimate relationship with a domestic abuse victim. Furthermore, he pressured the victim into secrecy, when what she needed and deserved was professional support and protection.  

    I welcome the Court of Appeal’s decision to increase his sentence, and I hope this sends a clear message that serious misconduct will be severely punished.

  • Robert Jenrick – 2026 Comments on Kiran Kaur

    Robert Jenrick – 2026 Comments on Kiran Kaur

    The comments made by Robert Jenrick on 17 July 2026.

    Kiran Kaur will serve less jail time than Lucy Conolly due to a shocking two-tier loophole.

    The mother of Henry Novak’s murderer got three years today for hiding the weapon her son used to repeatedly stab Henry Novak to death.

    She would normally serve just 40% of that sentence due to early release rules. But it gets worse…

    Buried in the judgment, the judge says Kaur may qualify for “Home Detention Curfew”. That means on top of her early release, she can be released on house arrest 180 days before the 40% point.

    Put simply, Kiran Kaur will serve just 8 months for her role in Henry’s murder.

    To put that into context, Lucy Conolly served over 10 months for one badly worded tweet. Unlike Kaur, she was told that her offence made her “presumed-unsuitable” for house arrest.

    I’m sorry. But this looks like another case of two-tier justice to me.

    Kaur conspired with her son as he sought to smear Henry as racist he lay dying on the street.

    Frankly — as an Indian national — she should be deported to serve a very lengthy sentence in her country of origin.

    But to let her off with house arrest, when it was denied to others, would be an outrage.

  • Shabana Mahmood – 2026 Comments on Failed Terrorist Plot

    Shabana Mahmood – 2026 Comments on Failed Terrorist Plot

    The comments made by Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, on 15 July 2026.

    My thanks to Terrorism Police for their swift work in apprehending a boy who allegedly planned to target two mosques in south London. It is deeply unsettling to see someone so young charged with offences of this nature. I know how concerning this will be to the Muslim community just days after a foiled attack at an Islamic festival in Suffolk.

    The police have confirmed there is no wider threat and they are not seeking other suspects in connection with this investigation. They have stepped up patrols in the affected areas, and they have my full support. Everyone in this country should be able to worship free from fear, intimidation or hatred.

  • David Lammy – 2026 Comments on a Conditional Pardon for Ruth Ellis

    David Lammy – 2026 Comments on a Conditional Pardon for Ruth Ellis

    The comments made by David Lammy, the Secretary of State for Justice, on 8 July 2026.

    I have the honour to say that His Majesty the King has accepted our advice to grant Ruth Ellis a conditional pardon – the last woman to be hanged.

    While the pardon does not claim she was innocent of killing David Blakely, it replaces the death penalty with a sentence of life imprisonment to recognise a profound injust in this exceptional case.

  • Shabana Mahmood – 2026 Comments on Migration Appeals Tribunal

    Shabana Mahmood – 2026 Comments on Migration Appeals Tribunal

    The comments made by Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, on 30 June 2026.

    Today, our appeals tribunal is overwhelmed. As a result, people are gaming the system, lodging vexatious appeals to frustrate their removal.  

    Our new appeals body will ensure claims are heard swiftly and fairly. Those with a legitimate claim will get their hearing. Those who have no right to remain in this country, and are abusing the system, will be swiftly removed.

  • David Lammy – 2026 Comments on Domestic Killers Having Longer in Prison

    David Lammy – 2026 Comments on Domestic Killers Having Longer in Prison

    The comments made by David Lammy, the Deputy Prime Minister, on 29 June 2026.

    For centuries, the law failed to protect women from violence at the hands of their partner – whether from marital rape or from abuse behind closed doors. Whilst we’ve made significant progress, we need to continue righting these wrongs.

    This change closes a long overdue gap and will ensure those who murder their partner face sentences that better reflect the devastating harm they cause.

    I pay tribute to Carole Gould, Julie Devey and Elaine Newborough whose courageous campaign will help future mothers, daughters and wives get the justice they deserve.

  • Sarah Jones – 2026 Statement on UK Policing and the EU Vehicle Registration Tool

    Sarah Jones – 2026 Statement on UK Policing and the EU Vehicle Registration Tool

    The statement made by Sarah Jones, the Minister for Policing and Crime, in the House of Commons on 15 June 2026.

    From today, UK police will have access to an EU tool to check vehicle and keeper details to support criminal investigations. This reciprocal data sharing will provide an additional avenue of investigation in tackling cross-border crime as well as serious crimes committed in the UK.

    This capability will play a crucial role in assisting police in the UK and across Europe in cracking down on a multitude of crimes including trafficking of illicit substances, sexual offences and serious assaults (including murder). It will also assist the police in monitoring suspicious activity such as minor driving-related offences.

    A simple search on a secure web portal will return results in 10 seconds and, in the case of a match, will provide police with the name of the vehicle keeper and important information about the vehicle. The results will also include markers on cars flagged as stolen, which can be used by police forces in helping to tackle the issue of car theft in the UK.

    Vehicle registration data exchanges are provided for in the UK-EU trade and co-operation agreement and this step will contribute to our ongoing efforts to deepen the close co-operation between UK law enforcement and their European counterparts.