Category: News Story

STORY

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy has begun a two-day visit to Washington DC, travelling at the invitation of US Vice President JD Vance as the UK steps up its involvement in ‘America 250’, the programme marking 250 years since the signing of the US Declaration of Independence.

The Ministry of Justice said Lammy will use the trip to underline the UK-US ‘special relationship’, with discussions expected to cover economic growth and Europe’s role in securing “sustainable, long-term peace” in Ukraine. He is also due to speak at an America 250 event at Mount Vernon, reflecting on his own experiences studying and working in the United States and looking ahead to future UK-US cooperation.

A central moment of the visit will be the UK’s contribution to a time capsule that is due to be buried under the Washington Monument. The government said the exchange follows the burial of a ‘sister’ time capsule in Trafalgar Square last year. The capsule, designed by architect Lord Norman Foster, is intended to be reopened on 4 July 2276.

STORY

Madeleine Campbell has been appointed as a board member of the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) for a four-year term, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has announced. Campbell’s appointment runs from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2029.

Campbell is Professor of Veterinary Ethics at the University of Nottingham and is recognised as a specialist in animal welfare science, ethics and law. DCMS said she holds a number of senior welfare and ethics roles across equestrian and racing bodies, including chairing the British Equestrian Federation’s Ethics and Welfare Advisory Group and the Greyhound Board of Great Britain’s Welfare and Veterinary Standing Committee, as well as serving on the British Horseracing Authority’s Ethics Panel.

The HBLB is responsible for collecting the statutory Horserace Betting Levy from bookmakers and distributing the proceeds to support and improve British horseracing, horse breeding and veterinary science and education.

STORY

The UK and France have signed a “declaration of intent” on deploying forces to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal, after Prime Minister Keir Starmer met European and American allies alongside President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris. Starmer said the Coalition of the Willing is focused on helping to deliver “a peace that can last” and working with the United States to guarantee Ukraine’s long-term security.

Downing Street said the declaration would pave the way for a legal framework under which British, French and partner forces could operate on Ukrainian soil, including securing Ukraine’s skies and seas and supporting the future regeneration of Ukraine’s armed forces. Starmer said that following a ceasefire the UK and France would establish “military hubs” across Ukraine and build protected facilities for weapons and equipment to support Ukraine’s defensive needs.

Starmer also said coalition partners had agreed further steps including participating in US-led monitoring and verification of any ceasefire, supporting the long-term provision of armaments for Ukraine’s defence and working towards binding commitments to support Ukraine in the event of a future armed attack by Russia. He said a peace deal would require compromises from Vladimir Putin, arguing Russia was “not showing that he is ready for peace”, and pledged further support for Ukraine’s defence in 2026 alongside additional measures targeting oil traders and “shadow fleet” operators that the UK says help fund Russia’s war effort.

STORY

Axel Heitmueller has been appointed as the new Head of the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit and will also serve as an Expert Adviser on Delivery, Downing Street has announced. The role is a full-time Direct Ministerial appointment and will be paid.

The Prime Minister’s Office said Heitmueller will advise ministers and “drive forward the Government’s vision for national renewal”, with a focus on ensuring people “get help with the cost of living” and see changes in bills, communities and the health service.

Heitmueller previously worked as the Prime Minister’s Expert Adviser on Health and has held senior NHS-related roles, including Chief Executive of Imperial College Health Partners and Executive Director of Strategy at Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust.

STORY

Sir Keir Starmer has spoken to Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre ahead of a meeting of the so-called ‘Coalition of the Willing’ in Paris, Downing Street said.

According to the UK readout, the Prime Minister said the Paris meeting would provide a further chance to integrate US planning with the coalition’s work on the “cessation of hostilities”, with both leaders agreeing it was vital to keep up momentum towards what they described as a just and lasting peace.

The two leaders also discussed maritime security in the High North, building on what the statement called already close UK–Norway cooperation, and said they looked forward to speaking again in Paris.

STORY

The UK has called for a “safe and peaceful transition” to a legitimate government in Venezuela, telling the UN Security Council that Venezuelans “have suffered for years” under Nicolás Maduro’s rule and deserve a government that reflects their vote at the ballot box.

Speaking in New York, Ambassador James Kariuki said Maduro’s actions had fuelled poverty, violent repression and failing basic services, while also driving a displacement crisis across the region. He repeated the UK’s longstanding position that Maduro’s claim to power was fraudulent and pointed to the fact that Venezuela’s National Electoral Council has still not published full results from the July 2024 presidential election, alongside reports citing irregularities and a lack of transparency.

The remarks came as the Security Council met at what the UK described as a “pivotal moment” for Venezuela’s future, amid heightened international scrutiny of events in the country and wider debate over how external powers are responding to the crisis.

STORY

Sir Patrick Duffy, believed to be the UK’s oldest former Member of Parliament, has died aged 105 after a short illness, tributes have said. A family friend said he died on 2 January 2026 at Doncaster Royal Infirmary and would be remembered for his kindness and humour.

Born in Wigan in 1920, the son of a miner, Duffy’s family moved to Doncaster for work in the South Yorkshire coalfield. He served with the Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War and later pursued an academic career, studying at the London School of Economics and completing a doctorate at Columbia University before lecturing in economics.

After first standing for Parliament in 1950, he entered the Commons at a 1963 by-election in Colne Valley, later becoming Labour MP for Sheffield Attercliffe from 1970 until his retirement in 1992. In government he served as a defence minister under James Callaghan in the late 1970s, and in the 1980s he went on to become president of the NATO Assembly, a role that took him into the heart of Cold War era diplomacy.

STORY

The Prime Minister spoke to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday, with the two leaders welcoming what Downing Street called the US push for a just and lasting peace and agreeing that no country wanted that more than Ukraine.

Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute to the resilience of Ukrainians amid ongoing Russian missile and drone attacks, saying strikes were hitting cities and critical national infrastructure and leaving families and older people facing cold and darkness.

Downing Street said the Prime Minister welcomed national security adviser level talks taking place in Kyiv and expected further progress when leaders meet in Paris on Tuesday. The call also covered work on a multinational force that could deploy in Ukraine in the days after any ceasefire, and Starmer welcomed the appointment of Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov as head of the Office of the President.