Category: Speeches

The remarks made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, at 10 Downing Street on 14 August 2025.

I know so many people here in the garden and across the country will have their own memories of family and loved ones.

And it is a real privilege for me to welcome you to Downing Street and into this garden.

This is the centre of government, this is where I work, it’s where I live and it is a privilege to have you here – and right that you are here…

Because this is a government of service, and therefore it is a government at your service.

And so many of you have served and got family members who served so it is really fitting that you’re here and its more than juts a kind invitation for the afternoon.

It’s a reflection I hope of how important it is to us that we’re able to have you here.

So when I say it is a privilege, it really is my privilege to have you here…

And I know that people have come from far and wide to be in the garden this afternoon

To remember 80 years since our victory in the World War II.

And to take the opportunity, and it is the opportunity, to pay our respects to the many who fought…

Who were captured…

And of course who made the ultimate sacrifice in the Far East.

And we do pay our respects here this afternoon as we do so often.

It’s a reminder that in the Cabinet Room just a few yards from us that the new Prime Minister then, as it was, Clement Attlee, just been elected into office at the end of the Second World War received the news of Japan’s surrender.

And it was in there that that news was broken and the nation begun to understand that now it really was the end of World War II.

And as you can imagine people took to the streets, we have spoken to many people who took to the streets on those days and that feeling that they had of freedom and peace at last…

But I think alongside that feeling of joy and victory, relief of peace, was really a shared determination, a shared moment across the nation that victory also had to be a turning point for our country.

Not just for a world that was crying out for peace.

But for a country that owed a huge debt…

to those people that had fought for a better future.

Those who had made huge sacrifices….

So we have the freedoms and the life we enjoy today.

And when we say we pay respects, that’s what we mean by that, because we are exercising those freedoms every day, because of what they did and the sacrifices that they made.

And that in a way is the lesson we carry with us today, it is the lesson that we must hold up every day.

Our duty to honour that sacrifice…

With every new generation.

That’s what it means when we say we will ‘never forget’.  Because it doesn’t juts mean we will never forget a particular moment, the end, the final end, of World War II, but we must never forget what that gave us…

What that gave our country, what that gave the world in terms of the freedoms and the values that we fight for.

And of course those values are still contested here.

I sat on this terrace this very morning with President Zelenskyy, who is fighting for the same values as we were fighting for.

And so when we say never forget, we must pass on the stories of those who have gone before us.

Those incredible stories and the stories that many others have shared.

I’ve seen some of the extracts from the letters that were sent, which were extraordinary, exquisite memories and experiences and vignettes into life as it was then.

Stories of camaraderie, of courage, real courage…

From fighting in jungles and blistering heat…

To the immense suffering of prisoners of war on the Burma railway and elsewhere – and it was immense suffering as many of you will know.

But we also remind ourselves of what that was fighting for.

A peace that is precious, that is fragile…

As I say, that we can see on our own continent today.

And the possibility of a better future for the next generation.

That is what the Attlee government took as its mission.

Creating an NHS, building homes fit for heroes, the welfare state. They were all good, important things for a government to do. But they were done with a sense of mission, that we had to repay the debt that we owed to those who had made such a contribution in the Second World War.

By building a new Britain that reflected the dignity of its people.

And that is what my government is determined to do today.

And that’s why I stood outside Downing Street the day after the election last year and said we wild be a government service – that same sense that we are here to serve the country, to create a better country.

A part of that of course is working with our allies to secure peace abroad…

It is a continual project, it’s not a project that ended 80 years ago by any stretch of the imagination.

To rebuild Britain once more so it’s a country we can be proud of. That is capable of playing its full part on the world stage to deescalate tensions and bring about just and lasting peace in areas including in our own continent.

A country worthy of the soldiers that marched under our flag…

And showed the world that Britain is – and will always be…

a beacon of peace…

And hope…

in a dangerous world.

So thank you all – for your service.

Thank you for being here.

Thank you for sharing your experiences and keeping that story alive.

And I really hope you have a wonderful afternoon.

The statement made by Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 8 August 2025.

The Israeli Government’s decision to further escalate its offensive in Gaza is wrong, and we urge it to reconsider immediately. This action will do nothing to bring an end to this conflict or to help secure the release of the hostages. It will only bring more bloodshed.

Every day the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens and hostages taken by Hamas are being held in appalling and inhuman conditions. What we need is a ceasefire, a surge in humanitarian aid, the release of all hostages by Hamas and a negotiated solution. Hamas can play no part in the future of Gaza and must leave as well as disarm.

Together with our allies, we are working on a long-term plan to secure peace in the region as part of a two-state solution, and ultimately achieve a brighter future for Palestinians and Israelis.

But without both sides engaging in good faith in negotiations, that prospect is vanishing before our eyes. Our message is clear: a diplomatic solution is possible, but both parties must step away from the path of destruction.

The statement made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 24 July 2025.

The suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza is unspeakable and indefensible. While the situation has been grave for some time, it has reached new depths and continues to worsen. We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe.

I will hold an emergency call with E3 partners tomorrow, where we will discuss what we can do urgently to stop the killing and get people the food they desperately need while pulling together all the steps necessary to build a lasting peace. We all agree on the pressing need for Israel to change course and allow the aid that is desperately needed to enter Gaza without delay.

It is hard to see a hopeful future in such dark times. But I must reiterate my call for all sides to engage in good faith, and at pace, to bring about an immediate ceasefire and for Hamas to unconditionally release all hostages. We strongly support the efforts of the US, Qatar and Egypt to secure this.

We are clear that statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people. A ceasefire will put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution which guarantees peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis.

The comments made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 17 July 2025.

Good afternoon.

It’s a real pleasure to welcome Chancellor Merz.

And it’s great to be here at Airbus today. I’m always amazed at this place when I come to visit, it’s not my first visit.

Thank you for showing us the amazing work you do here.

This is one the most cutting-edge facilities in Europe.

Home to the Exo-Mars Rover, designed with German expertise and built right here in Stevenage.

You are driving innovation in defence and space technology, making us all safer – leading us into the future.

And this is at the heart of what brings Friedrich and I together.

We see the scale of the challenges our continent faces today and we intend meet them head on. But we also see the scale of the opportunities. So, we have a shared resolve to shape this new era with new leadership.

The UK and Germany side by side, delivering growth and security and delivering for working people.

And that’s why, earlier today we did something genuinely unprecedented. Building on our new agreement with the EU, together, we signed the Kensington Treaty, the first ever major bilateral treaty between the United Kingdom and Germany.

Two great, modern European nations. It is an expression of our shared aims and values.

But more than that – it is a practical workplan, setting out 17 major projects where we will come together to deliver real results which will improve people’s lives.

So a historic treaty and statement of intent and ambition. And we intend to do, amongst other things, as leading NATO powers in Europe, committing not only to our mutual defence but also to maximise the benefits of our defence spending, in the shape of more jobs, more growth and more security.

Under this treaty we will bring our industries together to boost defence exports by billions of pounds and we’ll speed up our collaboration on high tech weapons and equipment, strengthening NATO – and keeping our people safe.

Our economic links already support half a million British jobs.

So under this treaty we’ll go further, with eGate access for frequent business travellers. I know that’s something very popular here.

A direct rail link, and a new UK-Germany Business Forum to boost investment, starting today with new investments into the UK worth over £200 million.

We’re also deepening collaboration on science and innovation, supporting great jobs, like those here at Airbus.

And we’re delivering new infrastructure projects, including in the North Sea Energy to produce power that is cheaper, greener and more secure.

Crucially – we’re also working together on illegal migration. I want to thank Friedrich for his leadership on this.

Pledging decisive action to strengthen German law this year so that small boats being stored or transported in Germany can be seized, disrupting the route to the UK and it’s a clear sign that we mean business. We are coming after the criminal gangs in every way we can.

We also discussed the appalling situation in Gaza. We are both working to support efforts towards a ceasefire and also to demand the immediate, unconditional release of the remaining hostages and the immediate, unconditional humanitarian access that is so desperately needed to deliver aid at volume and at speed.

Finally, we discussed the situation Ukraine. Just a few days after Friedrich took office in May earlier this year we were both in Kyiv shoulder-to-shoulder with President Zelenskyy during one of the toughest moments in this horrendous war.

Now we’re leading the work to get the best kit to Ukraine as fast as possible. We’ll keep pushing this forward – together with the US and other allies because ultimately our security starts in Ukraine.

So this is a partnership with a purpose. And I think it illustrates what our work on the international stage is all about. It’s about building the foundations of stability across our continent that make us safer, boost our economy and deliver change across for our people. It’s about delivering results and that’s what we’re working towards.

And, in a dangerous world, we do this together.

So thank you Friedrich –  for your partnership and your friendship.

Now, over to you.