The comments made by Jeremy Corbyn on 14 June 2026.
I was meant to meet Hasan in person, until our government banned him from entering the UK.
We met online instead to talk about the repression of Palestinian solidarity — and why we will never stop speaking out against genocide and apartheid.
The comments made by David Gauke on 14 June 2026.
Why should people of working age have a lower personal allowance than pensioners? Age related allowances were abolished in the 2012 Budget and – even though it provoked a row about ‘the granny tax’ – we stuck to it. They’re unfair, expensive & create additional tax complexity.
The comments made by Jeremy Corbyn on 14 June 2026.
Solidarity to Grenfell survivors who suffer the eternal pain of loss, nine years on.
72 people died because of corporate greed and negligence. We still do not have justice.
In unity we must defeat austerity and privatisation for good — and defend housing as a human right for all.
The comments made by Kemi Badenoch, the Leader of the Conservative Party, on 13 June 2026.
These thugs fractured the spine of Sgt Kate Evans, who spoke in court of the medical and emotional trauma she still lives with.
Prison is where they belong.
Unlike Zack Polanski, I want serious consequences for anyone who attacks police officers risking their lives to protect us.
The comments made by Ed Davey, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats, on 14 June 2026.
I’m old enough to remember when Nigel Farage would hold a press conference at the drop of a hat.
So why is he now launching his divisive policies in a blog post from the safety of his keyboard?
I can think of 5 million reasons why…
The comments made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 14 June 2026.
Roy Hattersley was a giant of the Labour movement.
Through decades of service, including as deputy leader and a minister, he never lost his belief in a more equal Britain.
My thoughts are with his wife Maggie and his family.
The statement made by Yvette Cooper, the Foreign Secretary, in the House of Commons on 11 June 2026.
Tomorrow marks one year since Air India flight 171 crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad en route to London. This tragic accident claimed the lives of 260 people, including 52 British nationals and 113 others who lived in the UK—one of the largest losses of British life in any air accident. The continued heartache of the families and loved ones of those who died is impossible to imagine, not least for those who still have questions about the tragedy and the aftermath.
The thoughts of the whole Government remain with all those affected by this tragic accident. When I visited New Delhi last week, I joined Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar in commemorating the tragedy. I also raised the importance of closure for all those who have been left bereaved, as we continue to wait for the full accident investigation report, and as some families still wait for answers regarding their loved ones’ remains.
The UK Government response to the crash was both immediate and long lasting. Following the crash, officials initiated our crisis response to provide direct support to bereaved families and address the needs and welfare of all affected British nationals. Our high commissioner, Lindy Cameron, travelled to Ahmedabad on the day of the crash and has continued to support the UK deputy high commission team in the city. Trained consular staff were deployed to Ahmedabad to support families through the immediate period following the crash, along with experts from disaster victim identification, Red Cross and the UK air accidents investigation branch.
UK police family liaison officers also supported the families of deceased British and foreign nationals who were residents in the UK, and the FCDO continues to provide support to each family in need of help, including through dedicated consular caseworkers to hear feedback from the families and their representatives. As the Indian air accident investigation continues, AAIB family liaison teams have provided support to affected families. We also continue to engage with Air India and Indian Ministries to resolve outstanding issues that families have raised.
At every level, from family liaison officers to Ministers, what we have heard constantly from those who lost loved ones a year ago is that they want information and answers, to help them understand how a tragedy like this could have happened, and to know for certain what happened to their loved ones remains in the aftermath. Not knowing what caused the crash can only add to their sense of grief and frustration, and I hope that the accident investigation report, when completed and published by the Indian authorities, will answer some of their questions. The UK Government will continue to provide all the help and support we can as they seek answers to the rest.
In the meantime, my deepest sympathies remain with all those who lost their lives a year ago, and with all those who continue to mourn that loss today.
The statement made by Angela Eagle, the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs, in the House of Commons on 11 June 2026.
I am today updating the House on the sustainable farming incentive, one of this Government’s environmental land management schemes that pay farmers to manage their land in ways that improve nature, soil health and the environment, alongside supporting sustainable food production.
Farmers in England will soon be able to apply for the improved SFI. Building on previous announcements, the revised scheme is designed to be simpler to access and better suited to modern farm businesses.
The new SFI cuts unnecessary complexity while continuing to reward the practical actions that underpin productive, resilient farm businesses, from healthier soils and cleaner water to better habitats for bees, birds and other wildlife.
We have worked with farmers and industry to shape the new scheme, backed by £240 million for new SFI agreements and building on around £560 million already committed to farmers delivering over 39,000 live SFI agreements.
Applications are scheduled to open from 30 June 2026 for two groups: small farms and farms without an existing ELM revenue agreement. A second application window will open in September 2026, giving all farmers and land managers the opportunity to apply.
The first application window opens with up to £60 million available, followed by a second window opening in September to all farms with the remainder of the £240 million budget available.
The SFI offer in 2026 is an iterated version of the 2024 scheme. For continuity, the large majority of scheme features will remain as they were—the look and feel of SFI should be familiar to farmers who have applied previously. However, we have made some improvements to produce a simpler and more streamlined offer.
In the previous version of SFI, a quarter of funding went to just 4% of farms. For SFI in 2026, we have introduced a new £100,000 annual agreement cap to help ensure funding reaches more farm businesses. Each farm business will be able to hold one SFI26 agreement, helping spread available funding more fairly across the sector.
The new offer also contains several actions which encourage the reduced use of synthetic fertilisers in favour of more sustainable options, cutting input costs and boosting resilience to global market shocks such as the closure of the strait of Hormuz.
The Government have listened to farmers who said they need time to understand the offer before applications open. We published “Get ready to apply” guidance on gov.uk on 6 May and near-final versions of the scheme guidance, terms and conditions, and actions last week on 2 June, allowing farmers to review the offer available and consider which actions may work best for their farm business. Final scheme guidance, developed with industry input, will be published next week.
Alongside the new SFI offer, the Government are making at least £50 million available for new countryside stewardship higher tier agreements this year, helping farmers and land managers deliver targeted environmental improvements where they can have the greatest impact.
The Government are also progressing the next group of landscape recovery projects expected to move into implementation this year, supporting large-scale action to restore rivers and habitats across England.
Together, these schemes form a comprehensive package of support for farmers, helping to boost food production, strengthen farm resilience and drive nature recovery, while underpinning the UK’s long-term food security.
The speech made by Joe Powell, the Labour MP for Kensington and Bayswater, in the House of Commons on 11 June 2026.
This Sunday will be the ninth anniversary of the Grenfell tower fire. With thousands of others, I will join the silent walk on father’s day to remember the 72 people who lost their lives in an entirely preventable and foreseen tragedy, and to support families who lost parents, siblings and children in unimaginable circumstances.
I know that for the bereaved and for survivors, and for our community in Kensington and Bayswater, this is always a difficult time, because nine years on, there has been no criminal accountability for those responsible; nine years on, the pace of change at local government and at national level is too often too slow; and nine years on, the cladding crisis still affects hundreds of thousands of people across the country. I pay tribute to all those who continue to advocate for truth, justice and change for Grenfell, and to everyone across the country affected by this national scandal.
But it would be a mistake to give up hope. The Metropolitan police said last month that it will hand over files to the Crown Prosecution Service in September this year and that the CPS will make charging decisions by the 10th anniversary in 2027—20 organisations and 57 individuals could face criminal charges, and potential offences under consideration include corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter, fraud, health and safety breaches, and misconduct in public office.
Dawn Butler (Brent East) (Lab)
Justice delayed is justice denied. It is great that the Met has now come to this position. Does my hon. Friend agree that we should try to ensure that the cases are fast-tracked in our criminal system so that justice can now be speeded up?
Joe Powell
My hon. Friend is right. We have seen, in recent history, that with events of national significance—from Southport to the recent disturbances on our streets—the criminal justice system has moved really quickly because of the importance of showing that justice is seen to be done. I hope that once the CPS has made its decisions, we will do everything we can to ensure that the court capacity is in place to deliver the trials as soon as possible. I hope the Minister can reassure us that the investigation will continue to be fully funded and that that planning is already taking place with the judiciary and the Ministry of Justice so that the cases are prioritised. If those trials take place, which I obviously hope they will, they will be some of the most complex ever held in the UK. I therefore hope that consideration is also given to a special court or a Nightingale-style court. I know that is being looked at.
Corporate manslaughter convictions are incredibly rare, so it is essential that those responsible face the full force of the law. I also believe that it is completely wrong for any company cited in the public inquiry still to be receiving public contracts. In December I uncovered dozens of contracts with implicated companies, including two current NHS contracts with Rydon, the main contractor for the refurbishment, which was cited in the public inquiry. I urge all public bodies to do a full audit of their contracts, including subcontractors and supply chains, and publish exactly what they find. It is good news that this Government have introduced new powers to exclude companies on grounds such as professional misconduct. Now is the time for procurement offices to start using them.
We have already had a public inquiry that has laid out in stark terms why the fire happened and where responsibility lies, and I am glad that this Government have accepted the recommendations in full and that important progress is being made. It is important not to forget that. The last report shows that 20 of 61 recommendations are complete and 40 are in progress. I am glad that those include progress towards a single construction regulator, the expansion of product regulation, the introduction of residential personal emergency evacuation plans, the idea of a college of fire and rescue, and proposed changes to the statutory fire safety guidance in approved document B.
I am also pleased that, under Lord Roe in the other place, the performance of the Building Safety Regulator is improving, including signing off remediation works more quickly. I welcome the remediation Bill in the King’s Speech, on which I look forward to engaging in this parliamentary Session, so that we can address the outstanding unremediated buildings and the knock-on effects, such as crippling insurance bills for leaseholders.
I acknowledge all that progress, but there is one missing piece of the jigsaw: oversight and accountability. The online tracker for Grenfell recommendations is no doubt helpful, but Grenfell would not have happened at all if we had properly learned the lessons from the Lakanal House fire in 2009 and listened to the coroner’s recommendations. Instead, they sat on a shelf, and an opportunity to save lives was missed. We need a proper system of tracking and following up, not just on major inquiries that get a lot of attention here, but on all the inquests and investigations that lead to recommendations for change. That is why I continue to support the idea of a national oversight mechanism as a legacy for Grenfell.
On 25 February, the Secretary of State said in this House, in answer to my question:
“Work is continuing across Government, including in my Department, on setting up a national oversight mechanism”.—[Official Report, 25 February 2026; Vol. 781, c. 363.]
I hope that the Minister can provide us with an update on that work and tell us when we can expect a decision to be made. Such a mechanism would sit alongside the Public Office (Accountability) Bill—the Hillsborough law—which I hope to see back here soon, as landmark reforms that put power in the hands of citizens: a real duty of candour for the state, a level playing field for legal aid, and clear deterrence for misconduct in public office. If we design those well, they will lead to fewer and shorter inquiries, more rapid lesson learning by the state and a culture shift towards openness, which can contribute to the rebuilding of trust in politics and in government in this country.
The culture shift that we need extends to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. I am deeply disappointed that the first decision of the Conservative leadership in the new council term last month was to remove an opposition chair of the housing scrutiny committee. Since Grenfell, that position has been promised to an opposition councillor. It is still unclear to me why or how that decision was taken, because avoiding scrutiny, especially for this council, which is so culpable for the fire, is an extremely bad look. I call on the leadership to think again and to reverse that decision.
Residents in RBKC know that the council needs scrutiny. The independent Regulator of Social Housing reported last year that the housing department was seriously failing, giving it a C3 rating. The council has the third worst complaints record in the country. It likes to say that it gets the basics right. Well, meeting the decent homes standard, so that everyone can have the minimum of a safe and healthy home, is surely a basic human right that any council should be delivering.
The Lancaster West estate surrounding Grenfell is a good example. After the fire, the promise was a model 21st-century housing estate, and that promise is still unfulfilled. I am glad that the Government have stepped in with an additional £8 million to ensure that there are no further delays to the current work, and that that will come alongside additional scrutiny on how that money is spent. I hope that the Minister can provide more details on how residents can be involved, including leaseholders and others, so that new oversight can be shaped by them and that they have confidence in the arrangement. I am also pleased that support was extended to NHS services through the period of the deconstruction of the tower, given the acute risk of mental health issues, and to five local primary schools to provide trauma-informed education around the community.
My final point is a simple one: with the passage of time, we cannot allow a return to business as usual before the fire. Already, we hear rumbles from parts of the construction industry and even, shamefully, some political parties, saying that Grenfell is somehow responsible for the slowdown in house building or that fire safety is a trade-off worth considering. There will always be policy choices for local and national Government to make, but putting life at risk should not be a trade-off we accept. I hope we can work together with empathy and respect—something I suspect Jo Cox would have wanted—and ensure that the legacy of Grenfell is that everyone in this country, regardless of class, race, geography or age, lives in a safe and healthy home.
The letter sent by Maithripala Senanayake, the then Acting Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, on 17 March 1976.
My dear Prime Minister,
Your High Commissioner in Sri Lanka has delivered your message informing me of your decision to relinquish the office of Prime Minister.
I was extremely sorry to receive this news. We are greatly appreciative of the distinguished role you have played in the affairs of the Commonwealth. We particularly value the initiatives taken by you to make the Commonwealth responsive to the needs and aspirations of the developing countries. I am sure that your colleagues will feel your absence not only in their dealings with your country but also at the Commonwealth Meetings.
I should like to express my sincere appreciation for the personal interest you have taken in fostering the relations between our two countries. I share your conviction that these close relations will continue to grow in strength.
I send you my best wishes for your good health and happiness.
Maithripala Senanayake,
Acting Prime Minister.