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Category: Speeches

  • Keir Starmer – 2023 Statement Following Death of Clare Drakeford

    Keir Starmer – 2023 Statement Following Death of Clare Drakeford

    The statement made by Keir Starmer, the Leader of the Opposition, on 28 January 2023.

    I’m deeply shocked and saddened to hear of the sudden passing of Clare Drakeford.

    On behalf of the whole Labour Party, I send our deepest condolences to Mark and all the family.

    They are all in our thoughts and prayers.

  • Nadhim Zahawi – 2023 Letter to Rishi Sunak Following his Dismissal

    Nadhim Zahawi – 2023 Letter to Rishi Sunak Following his Dismissal

    The letter sent by Nadhim Zahawi, the dismissed Chair of the Conservative Party, on 29 January 2023.

  • David Lammy – 2023 Comments on Dismissal of Nadhim Zahawi

    David Lammy – 2023 Comments on Dismissal of Nadhim Zahawi

    The comments made by David Lammy, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, on Twitter on 29 January 2023.

    Rishi Sunak is weak. That’s why it took him so long to act on Nadhim Zahawi when it was obvious to everyone else.

    Changing faces at the top of the Tory party won’t stop the carousel of chaos and scandal.

    We need a change of government.

  • Gillian Keegan – 2023 Speech to the Church of England National Education Conference

    Gillian Keegan – 2023 Speech to the Church of England National Education Conference

    The speech made by Gillian Keegan, the Secretary of State for Education, on 27 January 2023.

    Good morning – it’s fantastic to be here with you all today.

    As education secretary I often get asked what “education” means. Is it a particular subject, a skill, or is it something else?

    And you know – I think there’s one unifying factor.

    An education lets you do things that you couldn’t beforehand.

    Preparing for this speech gave me the opportunity to reflect on my own schooling which was always in faith schools.

    It was a different denomination – Catholic. I remember starting school aged four at St Mary’s, in St Helens, which is just outside Liverpool.

    It was a terrifying experience, I think it is always quite a terrifying experience when you start school. But not least because it was run by nuns and they were dressed in black robes and they absolutely terrified me.

    Through their kindness, I eventually overcame my fears and began to flourish in school. I learned an early lesson not to judge by appearance.

    Overcoming fear is a valuable life skill and one that I use everyday in the world of politics.

    Indeed, I’m using it right now at the annual conference of a church. A clear demonstration that I’ve learned to do something that I didn’t used to do.

    That is the power of education. Even if those nuns might say, I’m addressing the wrong denomination.

    I am grateful to Saint Mary’s and all my schools.

    All the teachers at the fantastic faith schools have got me to where I am today. They also instilled faith in me, which is still a core part of who I am today.

    Faith is something I think that everyone here can understand – and I want you to know how much I value the role the Church of England plays in educating our children.

    Its reputation for excellence in schools speaks for itself, and you are one of my Department’s most valued partners.

    You provide over a fifth of state-funded schools, a quarter of primary schools, and are the largest provider of academy trusts.

    Your schools are more likely to be good or outstanding than those without a religious character.

    There are Anglican colleges in every continent of the world, bar Antarctica. There is a potential growth opportunity there.

    You are transforming lives. You should be proud of the work you do, and on behalf of the children you teach, I am eternally grateful.

    Put simply, without the Church of England – pupils across the country would be learning less and doing worse.

    And a big part of that is that you have used the academy trust model. This is the structure that we think is going to make the biggest difference for our children, but we know it only works if focused on improving quality all the time, always striving for excellence.

    And I can promise you I will work tirelessly to support quality teaching and spread best practice. I’m taking forward the Review of regulation and commissioning, so we can do this to help improve outcomes for all our children.

    That’s also why I want more schools to be in high-quality trusts.

    To support you we will protect your schools, so that when they become academies they retain the statutory freedoms and protections that apply to Church schools.

    It means working in each area to shape the right plan at the right pace that builds the quality that pupils need.

    In the past 10 years we have made huge strides to give every child the chance in life they deserve. And all of you are central to that success.

    Today 88% of schools rated Ofsted good or outstanding, compared to 68% when we took office.

    From 2010, in just eight years we brought the UK up the PISA rankings from 25th to 14th in reading and 28th to 18th in maths.

    Your schools have played a massive part in this. But to really flourish, we must go further still.

    I am determined to ensure more children meet our expected standards at reading, writing and maths and I agree with the Prime Minister on maths to 18.

    We all use maths every day, from grocery shopping, to buying financial products, to mortgages, to understanding good debt from bad. And we must equip our children to deal with life’s complexities.

    But to make this all add up, there have to be great teachers.

    Many of you will have heard me praise my apprenticeship which provided me with a great start to my working life at 18.

    But that journey began with a school teacher called Mr Ashcroft.

    He would stay late to teach me and another girl technical drawing and engineering, and that allowed me to get 10 O-levels at a school where most struggled to achieve only 4 or 5.

    All thanks to one teacher at one school, helping me to realise my one opportunity.

    I want every child to be inspired by a teacher like Mr Ashcroft. That’s why we’ve put in place a world-class teacher development system.

    This includes the delivery of 150,000 fully funded National Professional Qualifications by 2024 and I want all school leaders to think about how NPQs can benefit both their staff and pupils.

    I know the Church of England is a valued provider of these.

    We also know they are hugely popular. So we want to see even more of our teachers doing them.

    But for teachers to have an impact, they need to be in school.

    I understand the pressures many people are facing including our teachers and we struggle with the economic challenges due to the war in Ukraine. Inflation eats away at all our pay checks.

    On the top of my in-tray when I got this job was a joint letter from the four major teaching unions – it asked for an extra £2 billion next year and the year after to support our schools with increased costs and to help fund this years pay awards.

    We were one of the few departments to be given money in the Autumn Statement.

    And yes, we did get £2 billion more both years. The unions asked, we delivered.

    That uplift means we will be funding schools, in real terms, at the highest level ever in history.

    It may not have been smart to use so much political capital in my first couple of weeks. But I hope it goes to show my personal commitment.

    I know from my speaking to thousands of teachers, many in your schools, that there is more to do.

    My promise to you is I will always listen.

    Saying my door is always open is a cliché but it is true. I am a very open person.

    My ask of all of you now is that you now work with me to keep as many children in school as possible during the disruptive strike action.

    I began by saying how my education had helped me in my career. I’d like to finish by sharing three key things I’ve learnt through that career.

    First, you don’t get far without acting on what you know works; second, you won’t achieve much without a visionary leader and finally, you’ll barely get out of the starting blocks without working together and collaborating with others.

    And I am looking forward to collaborating with you all to make sure our education system flourishes for all our children.

  • Laurie Magnus – 2023 Letter to Rishi Sunak on the Personal Conduct of Nadhim Zahawi

    Laurie Magnus – 2023 Letter to Rishi Sunak on the Personal Conduct of Nadhim Zahawi

    The letter sent by Sir Laurie Magnus, the Prime Minister’s Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests, to Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, on 29 January 2023.

    Dear Prime Minister,

    29 January 2023

    Introduction

    1. You have asked me to review the circumstances and facts concerning certain tax affairs of the Rt Hon Nadhim Zahawi, Minister without Portfolio, and that I assess these circumstances in the context of Mr Zahawi’s obligations under the Ministerial Code.
    2. This report sets out relevant facts that I have established whilst respecting Mr Zahawi’s right to taxpayer confidentiality. It provides my assessment of the Minister’s conduct under the Ministerial Code, both in terms of its specific provisions and its overriding principles.
    3. I should acknowledge that the Minister without Portfolio has provided his full and open cooperation in assisting with my inquiries. I am also grateful for the assistance I have received from officials at HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and the Cabinet Office.

    Scope of work and areas of inquiry

    1. The matter under review concerns the fact that Mr Zahawi was the subject of an HMRC investigation that resulted in a determination that tax was owed and that a penalty should be applied, falling into the HMRC category of “lack of reasonable care”. Mr Zahawi and HMRC have confirmed to me that this matter was resolved in principle in August 2022 with a settlement agreement signed in September 2022.
    2. The technical detail of HMRC’s investigation and their determination is outside my scope. I have focused on Mr Zahawi’s handling of the matter in light of his responsibilities as a Minister who is subject to the provisions of the Ministerial Code. The Ministerial Code makes clear that Ministers are expected to “maintain high standards of behaviour and to behave in a way that upholds the highest standards of propriety”, observing the Seven Principles of Public Life and having an “overarching duty … to comply with the law and to protect the integrity of public life”.
    3. As well as considering the above overarching obligations, I have considered three specific areas under the Code:
      1. i)  How the existence of an ongoing HMRC investigation was declared by Mr Zahawi with reference to his obligations under Chapter 7 of the Ministerial Code (up to August 2022).
      2. ii)  How the settlement of the HMRC investigation was declared by Mr Zahawi (from August 2022), and in particular in relation to his current role as Minister without Portfolio.
      3. iii)  The accuracy of public statements made by Mr Zahawi in relation to the matter, in view of his obligations under the Ministerial Code to be open and honest.

    Findings
    Declarations of ministerial interests

    1. The Ministerial Code sets out that “Ministers must ensure that no conflict arises, or appears to arise, between their public duties and their private interests”. All Ministers are subject to an extensive and rigorous framework, designed to provide clear guidance on how interests are declared and handled. This includes a requirement that Ministers complete declaration of interests forms (which include questions about the status of their tax affairs), ensuring these are kept up to date at all times, and also discuss potential conflicts and other relevant matters on an ongoing basis with their Permanent Secretary. Ministers are also expected to disclose any relevant issues, including those which might give rise to possible conflicts, during the process of their appointment to any ministerial role. As a Minister of long standing, Mr Zahawi has operated within this framework over a significant period and should be familiar with its requirements.

    Declaration of interests – HMRC investigation

    1. With Mr Zahawi’s agreement, I have met with HMRC and received some details, including the timing, of his interaction with them. This commenced in April 2021 and included a meeting which he and his advisers attended with them in June 2021. Mr Zahawi has told me that he had formed the impression that he and his advisers were merely being asked certain queries by HMRC concerning his tax affairs, and that this impression persisted until he received a letter from HMRC on 15th July 2022 (dated 13th July). The principle of taxpayer confidentiality continues to apply. However, on the basis of the confidential information to which I have had access, including correspondence between HMRC and Mr Zahawi personally, I consider that an individual subject to the HMRC process faced by Mr Zahawi should have understood at the outset that they were under investigation by HMRC and that this was a serious matter.
    2. I consider that an HMRC investigation of the nature faced by Mr Zahawi would be a relevant matter for a Minister to discuss and declare as part of their declaration of interests. I would expect a Minister to inform their Permanent Secretary and to seek their advice on any implications for the management of their responsibilities. I would likewise expect a Minister proactively to update their declaration of interests form to include details of such an HMRC process.
    3. After his appointment as Chancellor on 5th July 2022, Mr Zahawi completed a declaration of interests form which contained no reference to the HMRC investigation. A later form acknowledged (by way of an attachment) that Mr Zahawi was in discussion with HMRC to clarify a number of queries. Only following receipt of HMRC’s letter received on 15th July 2022 (dated 13th July), did Mr Zahawi update his declaration of interests form to acknowledge that his tax affairs were under investigation, but he provided no further details other than the statement made previously that he was clarifying queries.
    4. Given the nature of the investigation by HMRC, which started prior to his appointment as Secretary of State for Education on 15th September, 2021, I consider that by failing to declare HMRC’s ongoing investigation before July 2022 – despite the ministerial declaration of interests form including specific prompts on tax affairs and HMRC investigations and disputes – Mr Zahawi failed to meet the requirement (at paragraph 7.3 of the Ministerial Code) to declare any interests which might be thought to give rise to a conflict.

    Declaration of interests – settlement of tax matter and penalty

    1. Following an in-principle agreement in August 2022, in September 2022 Mr Zahawi and HMRC reached a final settlement of his tax investigation. As Mr Zahawi has intimated in his public statement of 21st January 2023, the settlement included a penalty applied on the basis of “carelessness” which, in this context, according to the HMRC Compliance Handbook, indicates an individual’s failure to take “reasonable care” in relation to their tax affairs.1
    2. As set out at paragraph 11, I consider that Mr Zahawi should previously have declared the fact of the investigation. The subsequent fact that the investigation concluded with a penalty in relation to the tax affairs of a Minister also requires declaration and discussion. It is a relevant interest which could give rise to a conflict, and particularly so in the case of HM Treasury Ministers and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who has responsibility for the UK tax system. As a result of my inquiries, I conclude that Mr Zahawi failed to update his declaration of interest form appropriately after this settlement was agreed in principle in August 2022. It was not until mid-January 2023 (see paragraph 16) that details of the earlier HMRC investigation and its outcome were declared.
    3. I also conclude that, in the appointments process for the governments formed in September 2022 and October 2022, Mr Zahawi failed to disclose relevant information – in this case the nature of the investigation and its outcome in a penalty – at the time of his appointment, including to Cabinet Office officials who support that process. Without knowledge of that information, the Cabinet Office was not in a position to inform the appointing Prime Minister.
    4. Taken together, I consider that these omissions constitute a serious failure to meet the standards set out in the Ministerial Code.
    5. Mr Zahawi informed me that on 16th January 2023 he submitted, to his Permanent Secretary, his declaration of interests form in relation to his current role as Minister without Portfolio, to which he was appointed on 25th October 2022, and that in that form he included detail of the outcome of the HMRC investigation. At the time of my investigation this declaration was under consideration by the Permanent Secretary and had yet to be submitted onward to me for consideration. Given the seriousness of this matter, I would have expected Mr Zahawi to attend to his submission much more rapidly and, as stated in paragraph 14 above, to have notified Cabinet Office officials at the time of his appointment.

    Public statements

    1. On 10th July 2022, following media speculation, Mr Zahawi made a public statement. He said:

    “There have been news stories over the last few days which are inaccurate, unfair and are clearly smears. It’s very sad that such smears should be circulated and sadder still that they have been published.

    “These smears have falsely claimed that the Serious Fraud Office, the National Crime Agency, and HMRC are looking into me. Let me be absolutely clear. I am not aware of this. I have not been told that this is the case.

    “I’ve always declared my financial interests and paid my taxes in the UK. If there are questions, of course, I will answer any questions HMRC has of me.”

    1 HMRC internal manual Compliance Handbook: https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/compliance-handbook/ch81140

    1. Mr Zahawi has told me that at the time of this statement, he was under the impression that he was answering HMRC’s queries, but that he was not under investigation. As set out in paragraph 8, I consider that an individual subject to the HMRC process faced by Mr Zahawi should have understood that they were under investigation by HMRC and that this was a serious matter.
    2. Under section 1.3(d) of the Ministerial Code, Ministers have a duty to “be as open as possible with Parliament and the public”. Whilst this duty clearly does not extend to disclosing personal tax information, it does include a general duty to be accurate in statements to ensure a false impression is not given or maintained.
    3. Mr Zahawi did not correct the record until 21st January 2023, when Mr Zahawi’s public statement indicated that he had reached a settlement with HMRC following an investigation. I consider that this delay in correcting an untrue public statement is inconsistent with the requirement for openness.

    Conclusion

    1. The General Principles of the Ministerial Code are very clear. Paragraph 1.1 states, “Ministers of the Crown are expected to maintain high standards of behaviour and to behave in a way that upholds the highest standards of propriety”. Paragraph 1.3 states, “The Ministerial Code should be read against the background of the overarching duty of Ministers to comply with the law and to protect the integrity of public life. They are expected to observe the Seven Principles of Public Life”. One of the Seven Principles of Public Life is Leadership, which requires that holders of public office should not only exhibit the principles in their own behaviour but also actively promote and robustly support the principles.
    2. A Minister of the Crown has a responsibility to lead by example, demonstrating not just compliance with the Ministerial Code, but being an exemplar for integrity in public life. This means upholding high standards of propriety in their conduct as citizens and being actively conscious of possible conflicts between their private interests (financial or otherwise) and their ministerial responsibilities. Paragraph 7.2 of the Ministerial Code states that, “It is the personal responsibility of each Minister to decide whether and what action is needed to avoid a conflict or the perception of conflict”.
    3. I consider that Mr Zahawi, in holding the high privilege of being a Minister of the Crown, has shown insufficient regard for the General Principles of the Ministerial Code and the requirements in particular, under the seven Principles of Public Life, to be honest, open and an exemplary leader through his own behaviour. I want to commend Mr Zahawi for his willingness to assist with my inquiry. I also fully appreciate the pressures faced by Ministers as they address the complex issues of government and the difficulties they encounter in balancing the demands of their personal lives and their ministerial responsibilities. These factors, however, cannot mitigate my overall judgement that Mr Zahawi’s conduct as a Minister has fallen below the high standards that, as Prime Minister, you rightly expect from those who serve in your government.

    Yours sincerely,

    Sir Laurie Magnus CBE

    Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests

  • Rishi Sunak – 2023 Letter to Nadhim Zahawi Following His Breach of Ministerial Code

    Rishi Sunak – 2023 Letter to Nadhim Zahawi Following His Breach of Ministerial Code

    The letter sent by Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, the Nadhim Zahawi, the Conservative Party chair, on 29 January 2023.

    Dear Nadhim

    When I became Prime Minister last year, I pledged that the Government I lead would have

    integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level.

    That is why, following new information which came to light in recent days regarding your personal financial arrangements and declarations, I asked Sir Laurie Magnus, the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests, to fully investigate this matter. You agreed and undertook to cooperate fully with the inquiry.

    Following the completion of the Independent Adviser’s investigation – the findings of which he has shared with us both – it is clear that there has been a serious breach of the Ministerial Code. As a result, I have informed you of my decision to remove you from your position in His Majesty’s Government.

    As you leave, you should be extremely proud of your wide-ranging achievements in government over the last five years. In particular, your successful oversight of the COVID-19 vaccine procurement and deployment programme which ensured the United Kingdom was at the forefront of the global response to the coronavirus pandemic. Your role was critical to ensuring our country came through this crisis and saved many lives. And as the Conservative Party Chairman, you have undertaken significant restructuring to Conservative Campaign Headquarters and readied us for important work in the coming months.

    It is also with pride that I, and previous Prime Ministers, have been able to draw upon the services of a Kurdish-born Iraqi refugee at the highest levels of the U.K. Government. That is something which people up and down this country have rightly valued.

    I know I will be able to count on your support from the backbenches as you continue to passionately and determinedly serve your constituents of Stratford-on-Avon and represent the many issues and campaigns you are dedicated to. Thank you for your service to this and previous governments.

    Yours sincerely Rishi Sunak

    The Right Honourable Nadhim Zahawi MP

  • Daniel Kawczynski – 2023 Parliamentary Question on Broadband Coverage in Rural Areas

    Daniel Kawczynski – 2023 Parliamentary Question on Broadband Coverage in Rural Areas

    The parliamentary question asked by Daniel Kawczynski, the Conservative MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham, in the House of Commons on 26 January 2023.

    Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury and Atcham) (Con)

    What progress her Department has made on expanding broadband coverage in rural areas.

    Selaine Saxby (North Devon) (Con)

    What progress her Department has made on expanding broadband coverage in rural areas.

    The Minister of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Julia Lopez)

    I wish to echo your words about the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust’s important work, Mr Speaker.

    We are investing £5 billion through Project Gigabit to deliver lightning-fast broadband to hard-to-reach areas across our country. Last week, we announced that thousands of people living in rural Cornwall will benefit from a £36 million contract. We have now awarded six such contracts, covering up to 681,000 premises. More procurements are in the pipeline and we have also upped our voucher scheme so that more premises can benefit.

    Daniel Kawczynski

    I thank my hon. Friend for that answer. Obviously, I am delighted that last week we secured nearly £19 million from the levelling-up fund for Shrewsbury town centre, but we will never really have levelling up across the whole of the United Kingdom unless rural parts of our constituencies have broadband coverage commensurate with metropolitan areas in coverage and speed. What is she doing specifically to make sure that improvements are made in the county of Shropshire?

    Julia Lopez

    My hon. Friend is right to talk about the importance of digital connectivity to the whole levelling-up agenda, which is why we are prioritising our procurement to some of the really tough-to-reach parts of the country that have been poorly served by broadband previously. I know that he has been campaigning hard on these issues since 2015. He has good superfast coverage now in his constituency, but I appreciate that gigabit is not where it should be in his county. I am pleased to say that our Mid West Shropshire procurement is going to be awarded in April to June this year, and I hope that his constituents will benefit from that.

    Selaine Saxby

    The roll-out of rural broadband has made great progress in the past three years. Will my hon. Friend outline when the new framework and guidance for fibre community partnerships and the gigabit roll-out will be available, so that the roll-out can continue at pace across North Devon?

    Julia Lopez

    I thank my hon. Friend, because the progress has been substantial and she has been a key part of that by making sure that political pressure is maintained to get this kind of connectivity to places such as her constituency. On the fibre community partnerships, Openreach temporarily paused the registration while the supplier worked through the current requests. We have been working closely with Openreach to assist its review of that scheme. We hope it will be reopening it as soon as possible, but she will be pleased to hear that we are also on track to launch the Devon and Somerset procurements in April. Again, I hope that her constituents will stand to benefit from that.

    Drew Hendry (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey) (SNP)

    I recently met people from CityFibre in my constituency to celebrate the roll-out of full fibre in Inverness. CityFibre is now moving into the rural areas, and it has taken the full fibre coverage from 0.8% to 60%. What steps is the Minister taking to ensure that companies such as CityFibre, working in partnership with local councils and others, can continue to operate in this market as there is this competition, and that they have the ability to operate in and expand into rural areas?

    Julia Lopez

    I thank the hon. Gentleman for his constructive intervention and question. CityFibre been fundamental in driving stiff competition in this area, which has really accelerated the roll-out. We thank CityFibre and other altnets and providers for all the work they are doing. We absolutely prioritise having a competitive framework, because we think it has been so crucial to making sure that areas such as his are covered.

    Angus Brendan MacNeil (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP)

    As has been said, if levelling up is to mean anything, it would mean it in broadband. Often, what is needed is just a green cabinet and small amounts of money for rural areas. What confidence can people have that the Government will act in this Parliament? Other countries with a much worse topography have seen their rural areas get broadband years ago. What confidence can people have that the UK is going to act in the next two years—in this Parliament?

    Julia Lopez

    I am always grateful to hear from the hon. Gentleman. I know that his constituency is a very rural one with an island population, which creates particular challenges. Much of the broadband roll-out is being driven by the Scottish Government. Their R100 programme has had some problems, and I have spoken to Ivan McKee about how we can assist with those. We are keeping a very close eye on the matter, because we want to make sure that every part of our country is covered by this connectivity and is not disadvantaged by some of the local ways in which the projects are being managed.

    Esther McVey (Tatton) (Con)

    The Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme is not working as intended in the smaller rural villages of Tatton. The community groups have found that the scope of the local authority contract includes commercially viable areas, but excludes the remote areas. I thank the Minister for being very helpful, but, ironically, the more work that we did, the more we exposed the weaknesses. Will she meet me, representatives of Lower Peover and Building Digital UK to solve the issue?

    Julia Lopez

    I thank my right hon. Friend for all the work that she has done to make sure that Cheshire is connected. I have looked at the issues of Lower Peover. In particular, she highlights challenges with the voucher scheme. I want to assure her that we have upped the amount that can be claimed to £1,500 per premises. I am always happy to meet hon. Members on these issues, but I also hold BDUK surgeries regularly, so please book in for those, but, of course, I will meet her personally to discuss this.

    Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)

    I thank the Minister for her answers and for the help that the central Government at Westminster give to Northern Ireland for rural broadband. One issue is banking, online shopping and postal services. Has the Minister had the opportunity to assess how, in relation to rural broadband, these things impact on banking services in rural areas? We are moving forward to new technology and new times. We need help.

    Julia Lopez

    The hon. Gentleman highlights just how important good connectivity is to accessing all the services that are going online. One great thing about Northern Ireland is some of the progress that it has made on gigabit connectivity from its contract with Fibrus, and we thank Fibrus for all that it has done. I am happy to look into any of the issues that he raises, but, as I have said, he highlights very well just why it is so important that people do have that connectivity.

    Mr Speaker

    I call the shadow Minister.

    Stephanie Peacock (Barnsley East) (Lab)

    Thank you, Mr Speaker. I wish to begin by echoing your words about Holocaust Memorial Day.

    From April, families across the country will face a 14% rise to their broadband bills, but, even before that increase, there were already more than 1 million households struggling to pay for the internet. Expanding gigabit coverage is vital, but it is pointless if families cannot afford a broadband package. How will the Department work with Ofcom to examine the impact of mid-contract price increases and wholesale prices rising by inflation?

    Julia Lopez

    I thank the hon. Lady for her question. She is right to highlight the cost of living challenges that are affecting so many households. We have worked hard on this. It is important that we have a stable regulatory framework that allows companies to invest, but we have hitherto had some of the most competitive telecoms prices in Europe and consumers have benefited from that. In relation to those who are really struggling with their bills, we have done a lot of work with telecoms providers on social tariffs. Unfortunately, the uptake of those tariffs is not where it should be, so I ask every Member of this House to help us raise awareness, because their constituents can get deals from as little as £10 a month. Trying to get them that connectivity is so important to people’s job chances, life chances and so on.

  • Barbara Castle – 1965 Diary Entry on Becoming Transport Secretary

    Barbara Castle – 1965 Diary Entry on Becoming Transport Secretary

    The diary entry on 21 December 1965 in Barbara Castle’s diaries, The Castle Diaries 1964-1970.

    TUESDAY 21 DECEMBER 1965

    At 8.45 pm phone call from Marcia [Williams]. Could I come down and see the PM? Harold [Wilson] waved me into his room, boyish and slightly dishevelled. “May I open my heart to you? You and I ought to talk more, only I’m so busy and you are, too. Have a whisky or brandy?”. When I said that I’d love a brandy, he said, “it’s the only thing that keeps me going. Fortunately I have a most intelligent doctor who prescribes it for me. It does something to my metabolism”.

    ……

    “I always knew that Tom [Fraser] was weak, but I was saddled with a shadow Cabinet, every one of whom expected a job” he went on, “I must have a Minister of Transport who can act. Tom has got a very strong Permanent Secretary whom Churchill got rid of in the Cabinet secretariat and brought in Burke Trend (though I’ll get rid of Helsby before I’m through). I am convinced he has killed integration. But we have got to have an integrated transport policy. I can’t hold the Party otherwise. And the Party is key to everything. We have offered Tom all sorts of advisers but he doesn’t know how to make use of them. Unless you accept my offer the reshuffle can’t take place. I hope you will, but, Barbara, if you say no I shan’t hold it against you. I know what you feel about Overseas Development, but I want you on the home side. I think you are the best person we have got. I want you to be Minister of Transport”.

    I closed my eyes.

  • Barbara Castle – 1966 Diary Entry on Meeting with Rail Unions

    Barbara Castle – 1966 Diary Entry on Meeting with Rail Unions

    The diary entry on 24 May 1966 in Barbara Castle’s diaries, The Castle Diaries 1964-1970.

    Tuesday 24 May 1966

    A vital day in the evolution of my policy. I met all three rail unions a BR’s headquarters in order to let Raymond [Sir Stanley Raymond] explain the proposed new rail network to them. My heart was in my mouth because I knew it meant the closure of 3,000 more miles of lines, although the outcome would be a network of 11,000 route miles instead of the 8,000 proposed in the second Beeching Report.

    I told Raymond to pile on the positive side of the policy and he excelled himself. I told them I had got my colleagues’ agreement to the survey into railway finances and stressed this meant a subsidy – open and overt – to the railways, something we had refused to other nationalised industries like coal. I then asked for questions. There was a long silence while I waited, hardly daring to breathe. As last Sid [Sidney Greene] said slowly, “I am very pleased with what we have heard. Clearly there is going to be a very good future for the men who are left in the system. Our trouble is, as I expect you know, with the men who will not have a place in it. I know you think we are always moaning and are against change, but we have to deal with our members and we have to speak for those who are affected. I shall to moan a lot more, but nonetheless I am pleased with what we have heard and not least for the fact that we have had it all explained to us so fully in this way, not like when the Beeching Report came out – that blue book – and the first we heard of it was when a copy was put into out hands two hours before publication”.

    The other unions leaders echoed him in turn, ASLEF saying almost pathetically, “You must help us with our members”. Tom Bradley played into my hands by asking how we proposed to get private hauliers to use the railways more. I launched into a passionate appeal for open terminals through which even Kelly sat silent, at a loss for a wrecking question. And I warned them that I was having trouble with TGWU who suspected I was favouring rail too much – so they had better hurry up and get as much on to rail as they possibly could while the going was good. In all a most encouraging afternoon.

  • Michelle Donelan – 2023 Speech at Bloomberg

    Michelle Donelan – 2023 Speech at Bloomberg

    The speech made by Michelle Donelan, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport at Bloomberg in London on 27 January 2023.

    Good morning, thank you all for coming here today – and thank you to Bloomberg for hosting this morning.

    I am really delighted to be here, opening this event, and as Digital Secretary, to be in charge of what I think is one of the most important portfolios in government.

    Last year, this small island became just the third country in the world to have a tech sector valued at over $1 trillion – behind only China and the United States, and first in Europe by some distance.

    Our sector is worth more than double of Germany’s and three times more than France’s, and is home to hundreds of unicorns – including household names like Deliveroo and Monzo.

    And perhaps most importantly, we are world leaders in the kind of tech that is going to dominate our future, like AI.

    And this didn’t happen by accident.

    We got here thanks to the people in this room – thanks to your ideas, and your passion and your entrepreneurial spirit.

    We also got here because we have a clear vision for where this country is going, and a government that is prepared to match that ambition with action.

    I believe that Britain is uniquely placed in the world to become the world’s number one when it comes to tech.

    Now that we are outside of the EU, and with our proud history of being a nation where we offer measured, proportionate regulation, that sparks and enables innovation, where we also really value and encourage the entrepreneurial spirit,

    One where entrepreneurs have both the stability, but also the freedom, to invest and innovate.

    And that’s why in the decade or so since the start-up scene first began springing into life, the UK has seen a sustained explosion of investment and growth.

    It happened because we brought together a potent mix of four key fundamental things:

    The right people.

    The right money.

    The right ideas.

    And the right regulation.

    Which is why all of these four things underpinned the government’s Digital Strategy.

    And if we want to take things to the next level – to the very top – then we need to double down on all of those four things.

    To double down on people – through things like addressing the skills gaps, which is the theme of one of my roundtables.

    And having spent three years in the Department for Education prior to this, I have first hand seen how the skills element really can play a key role.

    And for me just two stats illustrate the urgency of that challenge very clearly:

    Firstly: digital roles are now increasing four times faster than the workforce as a whole.

    And secondly: there are an average of 173,000 vacancies per month for digital occupations in the UK. Those unfilled roles are costing us up to £150 billion a year in lost GDP.

    So we need to continue to focus on people.

    This is a country that has on average produced a Nobel Prize winner every year for the past two decades, and we need to keep it that way.

    We need to continue as well to focus on money: to keep venture capital investment flowing through, prioritise our science and tech budget and work together to drive investment in our 5G and gigabit networks.

    On ideas – we need to continue to foster investment in research and development, to help our world-class universities even more world-class graduates, and skills that will drive the tech sector forward even faster.

    And we need to keep providing the right regulation – to create the kind of competitive and innovative environment where people can start the next Deliveroo or DeepMind, and can scale it up, and go on to become global success stories.

    So we already have the right list of ingredients. We just need to double down on them.

    And I will just finish by saying I think it is the perfect time to be so ambitious and bold.

    There is no doubt that this is an extremely challenging time for our economy.

    We have just been through a once-in-a-century pandemic, we are experiencing war in Europe, soaring inflation and an increase in the cost of living across the globe.

    But let’s not forget our world-renowned tech ecosystem sprung up in the shadow of the 2007/8 financial crisis.

    And if any country has the brain power and ingenuity to repeat history, and use tech to drive us out of another challenging period, I genuinely believe it is this one.

    The Business Secretary, the Chancellor and I will work closely with all of you over the coming months to make this happen. We will ensure that your views and your ideas are represented as your voices in government.

    And on that note, I would now like to hand over to the Business Secretary, Grant Shapps.