UKPOL.CO.UK

Category: Speeches

  • Robert Jenrick – 2026 Extracts of Speech (Alleged)

    Robert Jenrick – 2026 Extracts of Speech (Alleged)

    The text of the comments that were allegedly part of the speech Robert Jenrick, the former Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, was to make defecting to Reform on 15 January 2026. This text was released by the Conservative Party.

    The Tories and Labour have forfeited the right to govern the United Kingdom. And the mantle now passes to Reform.

    Nigel has stood for the real change we need for over a decade. If one puts party allegiance – personal ambition – to one side, he is obviously the right person to lead the movement for it – and delivery of it. And I am convinced Nigel will deliver the real change needed.

    Thanks to Zia & Richard, Reform’s policies already meet the moment more than any other party’s. But they and Nigel know the extraordinary challenges Britain faces requires [ sic ] a comprehensive plan to turn things around. Developing the best one possible will be a major priority this year. As will [ sic ], as Nigel has said many times, building and recruiting the team to execute it.

    For all these reasons, today, I am proud to become Reform’s 281,000th member. To back Nigel. And join this movement. I know in my heart it’s what’s right by our country.

    If like me, you’ve backed another party but know it’s lost its way, don’t stay. Don’t stay in a party that hasn’t been loyal to you. When your country needs you.

    And, perhaps more importantly, if you’ve never been near politics before, but think you have the energy and ideas and experience to turn Britain around. Come join.

    I agree Britain is broken. In major decline. On the brink. In need of real change. And know neither Conservatives nor Labour will deliver it. Come join Reform.

  • Kemi Badenoch – 2026 Comments on Sacking Robert Jenrick

    Kemi Badenoch – 2026 Comments on Sacking Robert Jenrick

    The comments made by Kemi Badenoch, the Leader of the Opposition, on 15 January 2026.

    I have sacked Robert Jenrick from the Shadow Cabinet, removed the whip and suspended his party membership with immediate effect.

    I was presented with clear, irrefutable evidence that he was plotting in secret to defect in a way designed to be as damaging as possible to his Shadow Cabinet colleagues and the wider Conservative Party.

    The British public are tired of political psychodrama and so am I. They saw too much of it in the last government, they’re seeing too much of it in THIS government.

    I will not repeat those mistakes.

  • Shabana Mahmood – 2026 Statement on the Chair of West Midlands Police

    Shabana Mahmood – 2026 Statement on the Chair of West Midlands Police

    The statement made by Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, in the House of Commons on 14 January 2026.

    With permission, I will make a statement on the decision to ban the travelling fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv from attending a game at Villa Park in November last year. The decision was taken by Birmingham city council, following the advice of the safety advisory group, which acted on a recommendation by West Midlands police.

    The House will be familiar with much of the detail, not least as the Home Affairs Committee has applied itself to the matter with its customary forensic focus, but it is important to begin this statement by laying out the facts. On 8 October, at a meeting with a number of chief constables from across the country, I was informed that West Midlands police force was considering its options to ensure the game could be conducted safely. As the minutes of the meeting show, a ban on fans was one of the options under consideration.

    Such policing decisions are subject to operational independence. Politicians cannot dictate how the police choose to manage risk, so although my Department sought information thereafter on what decision was to be taken, I did not seek to influence it. I did not because I could not while a range of options were still under consideration. All options remained on the table until a decision was eventually taken by the safety advisory group on 16 October. The decision taken that day to ban the travelling fans was clearly of considerable national and even international importance. Maccabi Tel Aviv fans who sought to travel to this country to enjoy a football match were told that they could not, because the game’s safety could not be guaranteed. This came, lest we ever forget, just two weeks after the most horrific antisemitic terrorist attack this country has ever known. On 16 October, the day the decision was taken, the Prime Minister and I both voiced our considerable concern, setting out our belief that the game should go ahead with all fans present.

    The Government sought further information from West Midlands police and offered the resources required to ensure that the game could go ahead. A subsequent meeting of the safety advisory group was then arranged, on 24 October. At that moment, its chair requested

    “a wholly fresh consideration of the issue”,

    at which point the intelligence provided by West Midlands police hardened, and the recommendation to ban fans was upheld.

    In the days that followed, it was clear to me that an external review of the decision was required, as well as a review of wider questions around safety advisory groups. On 31 October, I commissioned a rapid review by His Majesty’s inspector of constabulary and fire and rescue services, Sir Andy Cooke, and on 27 November, as the intelligence that the force provided was called into doubt, I asked him to look specifically at that issue.

    Today, I have received Sir Andy’s interim report, and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House. Sir Andy’s findings are damning—there is no other way to describe them. The force, we now discover, conducted little engagement with the Jewish community, and none with the Jewish community in Birmingham, before a decision was taken. As Sir Andy says, it is no excuse to claim, as the force now does, that high holy days during the relevant time prevented engagement.

    Most concerningly, Sir Andy describes, in the approach taken by West Midlands police, what he characterises as “confirmation bias”. This means that rather than following the evidence, the force sought only evidence to support their desired position, which was to ban the fans. This saw West Midlands police speaking to Dutch police following a game in which there had been fan violence, while failing to speak to police in other countries—Greece, Ukraine and Denmark—where Maccabi Tel Aviv had played more recently, and where things had gone more peacefully.

    The West Midlands police engagement with the Dutch police is one of the most disquieting elements of Sir Andy’s report. The summary provided as evidence to the safety advisory group ahead of its crucial meeting on 24 October was inaccurate. Claims including those about the number of police officers deployed, the links between fans and the Israel Defence Forces, the targeting of Muslim communities, the mass tearing down of Palestinian flags, and attacks on police officers and taxi drivers were all either exaggerated or simply untrue.

    In his report, Sir Andy is clear that the force’s validation of intelligence was a cause for “significant concern”, and that record keeping within the force was “poor”. He was “especially concerned” about the handling of sensitive information that should never have been shared without redaction. Sir Andy also points to a series of public statements from West Midlands police that we now know to have been misleading. He shows that the police overstated the threat posed by the Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, while understating the risk posed to Israeli fans if they travelled to the area. The term “misleading communications” also extends to the words of the chief constable himself at his appearance in front of the Home Affairs Committee; he claimed that artificial intelligence tools were not used to prepare intelligence reports—a claim since refuted by one of his own officers, who blames incorrect evidence on “an AI hallucination”.

    I know better than most that West Midlands police officers do their duty bravely, day in and day out. Sir Andy’s report does not argue that the entire force is failing, but it is clear from the report that on an issue of huge significance to the Jewish community in this country, and to us all, we have witnessed a failure of leadership that has harmed the reputation of and eroded public confidence in West Midlands police, and policing more broadly.

    Faced with a game of such importance, the chief constable of the force, Craig Guildford, should have ensured that more professional and thorough work was done. As Sir Andy says, the shortcomings detailed in his report are

    “symptomatic of a force not applying the necessary strategic oversight and not paying enough attention to important matters of detail, including at the most senior levels.”

    The ultimate responsibility for the force’s failure to discharge its duties on a matter of such national importance rests with the chief constable. It is for that reason that I must declare today that the chief constable of West Midlands police no longer has my confidence. It has been, as I understand it, over 20 years since a Home Secretary last made such a statement, but on the evidence provided by Sir Andy Cooke, the chief inspector of policing, that is now the case.

    Until 2011, the Home Secretary had the authority to dismiss a chief constable, but the power was removed by the previous Conservative Government. Today, only police and crime commissioners hold that power, so the chief constable’s future rests with the local police and crime commissioner, and not with me. I am sure that Simon Foster will now follow all due process as he considers the question for himself. However, I believe that this case illustrates that Home Secretaries should, in future, have that power restored to them. When a chief constable is responsible for a damaging failure of leadership, the public rightly expect the Home Secretary to act, and I intend to restore their ability to do so. I can announce today that the Government will soon reintroduce the Home Secretary’s power to dismiss chief constables in the light of significant or persistent failings, and that this will be part of the Government’s upcoming White Paper on wider police reform, with legislation to follow. I do not expect the power to be used often, but it must be available at those rare moments when it is warranted.

    Sir Andy Cooke’s report is devastating. It catalogues failures that did not just affect the travelling fans but let down our entire Jewish community in the west midlands and across the country. I speak today not just as Home Secretary, but as a Member of Parliament for a Birmingham constituency. In his report, Sir Andy says that he believes that the police acted in an attempt to avoid long-term damage to local community relations; if that is the case, what a grossly misguided effort it was.

    Peaceful, harmonious communities rely on a police service that, above all else, pursues the truth. We live in a world where misinformation flows freely and dangerously; in this case, the police added further misinformation to the public debate, when they could and should have provided the truth, which could have allayed fears. In doing what it did, West Midlands police force did not support community relations; instead, it inadvertently made things worse. This must serve as a lesson to police forces throughout the country—a reminder that they are called to their profession to serve truth and the law, and to police our streets without fear or favour, and that community trust and cohesion depend on them doing that above all else. With that, I commend this statement to the House.

  • Steve Rotheram – 2026 Comments on the Government’s Northern Powerhouse Rail Announcement

    Steve Rotheram – 2026 Comments on the Government’s Northern Powerhouse Rail Announcement

    The comments made by Steve Rotheram, the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, on 14 January 2026.

    Two hundred years ago, we built the world’s first passenger railway between Liverpool and Manchester – and changed history. After more than a decade of dither, delay and broken promises, this is the start of a new era, with a genuinely strategic approach and a government finally backing Northern Powerhouse Rail in full.

    A creaking rail system has held the North back for too long. Our journeys aren’t just slower – our growth has been slower too. Poor connectivity doesn’t just hold people back – it holds our economy back. It limits our productivity, restricts freight capacity, and chokes off opportunity.

    Today that changes. This is the kind of ambition we’ve been crying out for. Not another empty slogan or back of a fag packet plan but real investment, delivered in a proper partnership with local leaders that will unleash our latent potential and unlock growth in all of our communities right across the great North.

  • Keir Starmer – 2026 Comments on the Government’s Northern Powerhouse Rail Announcement

    Keir Starmer – 2026 Comments on the Government’s Northern Powerhouse Rail Announcement

    The comments made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 14 January 2026.

    I spent three happy years in Leeds as a university student, a vibrant city I was proud to call home. But I’ve seen first hand what underinvestment and empty pledges do to cities across the North. 

    A reliable commute, a secure job, a thriving town centre – these are all things that everyone should expect. But over and over again people in Northern communities, from Liverpool and Manchester to York and Newcastle have been let down by broken promises. 

    This cycle has to end. No more paying lip service to the potential of the North, but backing it to the hilt.  

    That’s why this government is rolling up its sleeves to deliver real, lasting change for millions of people through Northern Powerhouse Rail: a major new rail network across the North that will deliver faster, more frequent services. 

    This investment is proof we’re putting our money where our mouth is, working with local leaders to deliver the transport links that will help working people do what they need to in life – getting to work, taking the kids to school, or days out with the family.

  • Andy Burnham – 2026 Comments on the Government’s Northern Powerhouse Rail Announcement

    Andy Burnham – 2026 Comments on the Government’s Northern Powerhouse Rail Announcement

    The comments made by Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, on 14 January 2026.

    Finally, we have a government with an ambitious vision for the North, firm commitment to Northern Powerhouse Rail and an openness to an underground station in Manchester city centre. A modernised Manchester Piccadilly could become the Kings Cross of the North, acting as a catalyst for major growth in our city region and beyond.  

    Over the past decade, we’ve become the UK’s fastest growing city region, but underinvestment in rail infrastructure has long acted as a brake on further growth. Today marks a significant step forward for Greater Manchester. We’ll now work at pace to prove the case for an underground station and work up detailed designs for the route between Liverpool and Manchester.

  • Ursula von der Leyen – 2026 Speech to New Year’s Reception of the Presidents of the Commission and the European Council

    Ursula von der Leyen – 2026 Speech to New Year’s Reception of the Presidents of the Commission and the European Council

    The speech made by Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, on 14 January 2026.

    Thank you, dear Antonio, for sharing your ‘home’ with us.

    Dear Presidents and Vice-Presidents of the European Institutions,

    Dear President of the Belgian Senate,

    Dear Ministers,

    Honourable Members of the European Parliament,

    Excellencies,

    Dear Ambassadors,

    Dear Directors-General,

    Dear colleagues and friends,

    And dear students of the European School,

    Happy 2026 from me and the whole College. Let me start by saying how much I cherish this tradition. It is so nice to come together for a toast and to listen to the music of the European School, before we dive in the difficult business of the year ahead. Because it will be another challenging year, and these first two weeks are proof of that. Every day, new events unfold that could reshape our world for generations, from Greenland to Iran. And of course, this can feel unsettling. But I think we, Europeans, have a very clear mission ahead of us. A goal that shall drive us in everything we do and give us a clear sense of direction in an unpredictable world. I am talking about the mission of an independent Europe. Different people may have different views about what this means. But to me, it boils down to something quite simple – that is having the freedom and the power to shape our own future. Today, I would like to briefly touch upon three ways we can do so.

    Starting with peace and security in our continent. Less than one month ago, dear António, we agreed to jointly raise EUR 90 billion for Ukraine. To put it simply – our Union will support most of Ukraine’s needs, including military, for the next two years. Four years ago, when Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine, no one believed that Ukraine would survive, and that Europe would stand ironclad by Ukraine’s side. And even more, that there would be a Coalition of the Willing agreeing to robust security guarantees. And on the broader topic of European defence, we have done more in the past year than in the past decade. This work must and will continue in the year ahead. And the message is clear: Peace and security in Europe depend first and foremost on us, and we are taking full responsibility for it.

    Second, on prosperity and competitiveness. 2025 was a year of export controls and tariffs. So it is clear that we must drastically cut our dependencies. But we must also make much better use of the power that comes from our massive Single Market. For instance, we are building a deep and liquid capital market, with the Savings and Investment Union, so that companies can access the capital they need here at home. And we will soon propose the so-called 28th regime, so that businesses can operate under a single set of rules across our Union. We want our companies to find the best conditions to grow right here in Europe. This is also what it means to be more independent.

    But independence is not isolation. A more independent Europe can only be built on an even broader network of partnerships – with old and new friends. Mercosur and Europe have chosen a common path. We have chosen trade over tariffs, partnership over polarisation. With the Mercosur agreement, we are building a market worth almost 20% of the global GDP. With 31 countries and over 700 million people, we are sending a message of cooperation to the world. And a message of stability to our people and our businesses.

    Dear Ambassadors,

    We are at work with many of you, to renew and expand our partnerships. We hope to conclude our negotiations with India and Australia. Next in line are the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, the UAE, and more. Europe is open-minded for business. So let us keep the conversations going.

    Ladies and gentlemen,

    I want to conclude with the words of the great Austrian poet Rilke. He wrote: ‘And now, let us believe in the long year that has been given to us. New, untouched, full of things that have never been.’ This is my wish to all of us for the new Year. May we be able to build things that have never been and achieve what just yesterday seemed impossible.

    Thank you, and long live Europe.

  • Jens-Frederik Nielsen – 2026 Comments on Threats of War on Greenland by the USA

    Jens-Frederik Nielsen – 2026 Comments on Threats of War on Greenland by the USA

    The comments made by Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the Prime Minister of Greenland, on 14 January 2026.

    If we have to choose between the US and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark, Nato and the EU.

    One thing must be clear to everyone. Greenland does not want to be owned by the United States. Greenland does not want to be governed by the United States. Greenland does not want to be part of the United States.

  • Kemi Badenoch – 2026 Comments on Energy Prices

    Kemi Badenoch – 2026 Comments on Energy Prices

    The comments made by Kemi Badenoch, the Leader of the Opposition, on 14 January 2026.

    Labour promised to cut your energy bills. The opposite has happened.

    Ed Miliband cares more about ideology and his vanity projects than saving you money.

    If Keir Starmer had a backbone, he would back the Conservative’s Cheap Power Plan, abandon the absurd Net Zero ideological zealotry, and lower bills for everyone now.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2026 Speech on Freedom of Religion or Belief in Nigeria

    Stephen Doughty – 2026 Speech on Freedom of Religion or Belief in Nigeria

    The speech made by Stephen Doughty, the Minister of State at the Foreign Office, in the House of Commons on 13 January 2026.

    I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for North Northumberland (David Smith) for securing the debate and for his tireless work as special envoy. I thank hon. Members from across the House for their thoughtful contributions. I will try to respond to as many of the points that have been raised as I can in the time available.

    I declare an interest as a Christian who has worked with Open Doors and others in the past to draw attention to cases where people are persecuted for their beliefs. I genuinely welcome the chance to keep this important matter in the spotlight. I have engaged with the issue for many years, including when I was shadow Minister for Africa. I was glad to hear my hon. Friend mention Nigerian communities in the UK. I have had the pleasure of meeting Nigerian Christian communities in my constituency of Cardiff South and Penarth, and I know the amazing contribution that they make, alongside Nigerian communities across the UK.

    My hon. Friend is right that this issue should interest, concern and deeply shock us all because of the horrific things that we have seen. The brutality of the attacks against religious communities in Nigeria is truly appalling. The cold-blooded massacre of over 200 Christians in Yelwata, Benue state, last October was particularly shocking. We have heard many terrible statistics today, but last year’s Open Doors world watch list reported that armed groups murdered 3,100 Christians for their faith in Nigeria in 2025, and abducted a further 3,000. It is shocking to hear that extremists have stormed villages, killed worshippers, kidnapped families and burned homes, and we have heard some truly horrific examples today.

    Nigeria’s constitution promises freedom of religion or belief for all. Every person in that country deserves the right to practise their faith or belief safely, without fear or persecution. When we defend freedom of religion or belief, we help to build trust between communities, strengthen Nigeria’s social fabric and create conditions for lasting peace and prosperity for everyone. That is why Nigeria is one of the 10 countries prioritised for targeted action in the Government’s strategy on freedom of religion or belief, launched last July.

    We welcome the President’s commitment to religious freedoms and his pledge to safeguard freedom of belief for all Nigerians. I am glad that my hon. Friend the Member for North Northumberland recognised that we are working closely with the Nigerian authorities, along with communities and faith leaders directly, to uphold and protect these freedoms. Indeed, my colleague Baroness Chapman, the Minister for Africa, continues to be engaged closely in this topic, and she is extremely concerned about the violence against many communities, including religious communities, in Nigeria.

    My hon. Friend asked about the work that we are doing to raise these issues at the highest levels. Baroness Chapman spoke directly with Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Tuggar about freedom of religion or belief in November. Our high commissioner and his team engage with local authorities, communities and faith leaders in affected areas, including with groups such as the Governors’ Forum, the National Peace Committee and the National Human Rights Commission.

    We know that criminality, intercommunal violence and insecurity make things worse for religious communities. That is why we focus on tackling the root causes of instability to protect people’s rights, whether they come from Christian communities or Muslim communities, or whether they are humanists, have different beliefs or, indeed, have no beliefs. We need to create a society where everybody is able to live and to practise in the way that they wish. I am glad that my hon. Friend mentioned the case of Mubarak Bala, which I remember raising on many occasions in the past. We highlight violations of freedom of religion or belief on the international stage and push for joint action, including at the UN, the G7, as part of the Article 18 Alliance and in bodies like the Human Rights Council.

    My hon. Friend and other hon. Members rightly pointed to the violent extremist groups, such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa, which continue to attack people in shocking ways in the north-east of Nigeria. They target anyone who rejects their ideology. My hon. Friend made the important point that it is not just Christians, but the mainly Muslim population of the north-east who suffer terribly as a result. However, the Christian minority faces extreme persecution through mass kidnappings and murders. Those are utterly unacceptable and have shocked the world.

    Intercommunal violence and criminal banditry are linked, and they fuel deaths and tensions. Criminals smuggle weapons into Nigeria, affecting both Muslims and Christians, and they use motorbikes and all sorts of other techniques to evade the authorities. Conflict over land and resources in Nigeria often takes on a religious aspect as tensions rise and violence escalates. Those ideologies can sometimes be used as psychological warfare, with attacks on churches and mosques being seen as acts of revenge.

    However, peaceful dialogue can resolve disputes before they escalate. Since our last debate on this issue in 2024, we have rolled out the UK’s Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria programme across Kaduna, Katsina, Benue and Plateau states; I was glad to hear that referred to. The programme is doing very important work in reducing violence by strengthening local peace and justice systems and supporting practical, community-led solutions. One early success is that 5,000 internally displaced people have returned and resettled after a peace agreement between the Bassa and Egbura communities in Nasarawa state. If we do not tackle the root causes of insecurity, religious communities will remain at risk of these terrible atrocities.

    My hon. Friend mentioned our co-operation with Nigeria more broadly on security issues, which I am very pleased to play a role in alongside my colleague, the Minister for Africa. Last July, we hosted the third security and defence partnership dialogue with Nigeria.

    Mike Wood rose—

    Stephen Doughty

    I will be generous and give way to the hon. Gentleman in his new position.

    Mike Wood

    The tragic case of Deborah Samuel Yakubu is a reminder of the culture of impunity that has been allowed to develop in too many parts of Nigeria. Can the Minister assure the House that the UK Government do everything and take every opportunity to stress the need for improved security in particularly vulnerable parts of Nigeria to ensure that people are safe to exercise their religious beliefs?

    Stephen Doughty

    I absolutely can. I mentioned a range of different levels at which we do that—indeed, the Minister for Africa has raised a number of these issues at the highest level—and we continue to engage. The high commissioner and the team do an excellent job of engaging at all levels to raise these cases. That is why we have this dialogue, the SPRiNG programme and the investment that we are making across a range of areas with the Nigerian authorities, who are close partners in many respects and on many issues not just in Nigeria, but more broadly.

    We agreed to strengthen our co-operation and provide practical support to defend against these threats. That includes very practical steps such as sharing operational lessons to counter new tactics being used by terrorists, including the use of drones and improvised explosive devices, which have tragically been used against civilians in too many locations.

    The UK is trying to address the wider issues of poverty and humanitarian concerns. We support hundreds of thousands of people through our humanitarian assistance and resilience programme. I assure you, Madam Deputy Speaker, as well as the special envoy that we will keep working with the Nigerian authorities and faith leaders to address the shocking violence against people who are simply trying to follow their faith or belief.

    I particularly welcome the concerns raised about Christian communities, but this issue affects many. We will work at every level to ensure that this violence is brought to an end, and we will also work globally on these issues. I really praise the special envoy for the work that he does on these important issues.