The comments made by Ed Davey, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats, on 24 March 2026.
Donald Trump is the most corrupt President the US has ever seen.
Now it looks like he and his cronies may have used insider knowledge to enrich themselves while their war makes everyone else poorer.
The statement made by Ipswich Town Football Club on 24 March 2026.
Following Monday’s visit by the Reform party and its leader, Nigel Farage, the club would like to issue the following statement:
Ipswich Town Football Club has, over several years, hosted representatives from a range of political parties. The club remains apolitical and does not support or endorse any individual or party.
The club will continue to engage with representatives from across the political spectrum as part of its role within the community.
Ipswich Town is proud to be an inclusive, diverse, and welcoming organisation that supports all members of the local and wider community. This commitment remains unchanged.
The speech made by Chris Bryant, the Trade Minister, in London on 19 March 2026.
It’s a delight to be here. I want to start by slightly taking issue with the title of this session – because I’m awkward like that – which is ‘Britain walking the trade tightrope’. I suppose the implication is that we’re engaged in a balancing act between the US and the EU, or that our trade policy is a high-wire act, a dangerous risk in today’s climate, or that we’re navigating a narrow strait between an American and a Chinese ship, and that if we sail too close to either, we risk ruin. I don’t accept this characterization of the challenge ahead.
I don’t think we have to choose between the competing demands of different trading partners. The EU is our biggest trading partner. The US is our biggest single country for exports and imports. And I defy anyone in the room to spend an hour today without any Chinese product. Trade isn’t a push me pull you, that’s a reference to a film from my childhood, and your childhood as well, clearly. We need strong trading relations with all our partners, and I’m delighted to see our exports reach 926 billion pounds last year.
But I do want to go with the tightrope metaphor for a moment, because I’m told the key to tightrope walking is to maintain a low centre of gravity and focus your gaze on the end of the rope rather than your feet. We’ll be trying this later. When it comes to trade, I think that means two things. Firstly, a low centre of gravity means sticking to our values. In our case, that means a commitment, an absolute commitment, to the principle of free and fair trade. We have always prospered best as a nation that is open to two-way trade. It is no accident that at the very heart of the House of Lords lies the wool sack, a symbol of Britain’s early wealth that came from the wool trade – our key Middle Ages export. And over the centuries, we have sought out new markets, bringing in spices, silk and porcelain, tobacco and potatoes, mangoes and mangetout.
And perhaps more than most, our modern economy is based on give and take, endlessly exporting and importing. A British car, for instance, is likely to include components from many countries, just like a French-built Renault will include British electronics and braking systems, or a European Airbus plane would include British wings and engines, making it 30% British. So we, more than most, need to be proud beacons of free trade. If there are sirens beguiling us to perdition on the rocks, they are the arch protectionists who would make us retreat into narrow nationalism.
But I would add that it also has to be fair trade. Modern slavery, dumping, environmental degradation, deliberate anti-competitive subsidies – these all challenge free trade. And it is only right that countries like the UK take measures to protect key national industrial sectors, like steel, when they are threatened by global overcapacity. Hence the measures announced alongside our steel strategy this morning. That’s not a sign – I want to make this very clear – that’s not a sign of a shift in our philosophy away from free trade. It’s a reassertion of the principle of free and fair trade. Steel is a critical sector for the UK, especially at a time when defence expenditure needs to rise. We needed to take action to preserve and enhance our domestic sector after years of deliberate global overcapacity, unfair subsidy, and other protectionist measures have whittled it down from 27.8 million tonnes in 1970 to just 4 million tonnes in 2024. These measures are a reflection of our overall trade strategy: promote what we can, protect what we must.
They don’t undermine free trade. In fact, all the work we do to tackle unfair measures around the world, for instance through the Trade Remedies Authority, are specifically designed to bolster free trade, because whatever our political hue, the UK will always fight for free trade. Of course, free and fair trade isn’t just about trade remedies. It also provides opportunities for other nations, particularly developing countries, to grow their own economies. It’s a simple fact that as lower and middle income economies increased their share in exports, poverty in those nations went down. That’s good for the world and good for the United Kingdom, and good for a socialist like me.
So it’s time we waived the banner of free and fair trade more enthusiastically. I know people look at me with suspicion when I say that. Free trade, really, still, even today? I understand that suspicion. After all, it feels, when you look at the global trading landscape, that free trade is in retreat. We’ve seen nations disregard the rules, distort markets, and use trade to pressurize their neighbours. WTO members have regularly failed to be open and transparent about their state subsidies. And between 2015 and 2023, the number of protectionist measures around the world had more than quadrupled. Populists everywhere proclaim the importance of protectionism. But that doesn’t mean free trade is the wrong approach. It just means it’s even more important that we fight for it. Because for a long time, we have taken free trade for granted. When the WTO was set up over 30 years ago, well, set up earlier when reinforced for the GATT treaties, we assumed the war for free trade was won, that the debate was settled, And that in the future, barriers would wither and collapse in the face of an obviously superior philosophy of free trade.
And so, we stopped making the argument. But unfortunately, it is often the case that one generation believes something, the next generation assumes it, and the third generation forgets it. In the absence of a good case for free trade, 30 years later, rather than trade barriers coming down, we’ve seen more of them go up. And we must challenge that trend, because free trade is what’s best for all of us. But it only works if everyone signs up to it. And that means there must be rules, principles and boundaries that everyone agrees to work within, and a strong sanction regime to make sure those boundaries are strong. That’s why we need a strong World Trade Organisation. Without it, the multilateral trading system that we have all enjoyed will fail.
True, in the 31 years since the WTO was formed, the world has changed and the WTO needs to adapt and reform so it can continue to safeguard free and fair trade. That’s why our top priority at MC14 next week is to lay out a vision for a WTO that is more relevant, more flexible and more accessible. We need a WTO that works. A WTO that works now. And a WTO that works for everyone. And we’re going to MC14 to lay the groundwork to make that happen and deliver change by MC15. Global trade has suffered some quakes in recent years. Between COVID, the blocking of the Suez Canal, Ukraine, attacks in the Red Sea, and of course the current situation in the Straits of Hormuz, we’ve seen crisis overlapping crisis, all of which has shaken the rules-based order. That’s the only time I’m using that phrase in the speech. But if the WTO were to collapse or even fade into irrelevance, that would bring the whole thing crashing down. So yes, despite the rise in global protectionism, despite economic coercion, and despite a more complicated world, we remain committed to a strong WTO and to free and fair trade.
As I said earlier, that’s all part of sticking to our values, or to pursue the tightrope metaphor, keeping our centre of gravity low. Which takes me to my second point, keeping our eyes on the end of the rope, rather than staring at our feet every step of the way. The truth is, we tend to approach too many trade issues one at a time, line by line, step by step. That especially applies to our relationship with the European Union. But our trading posture in the world isn’t a question of one policy after another. It’s a much bigger existential question. Do we subscribe to a you in your small corner and me in mine approach, as the old schoolboy hymn went? Do we think of our economy as hermetically sealed? Or do we commit ourselves to a wholehearted passion for free and fair trade?
The evidence of history suggests that when General Franco tried autarky in Spain, it nearly bankrupted the country. And it’s the total of mutual trade that matters, not the balance of trade with individual countries. Imports, of course, keep costs down. Let me end with another distinction, drawing on the tightrope metaphor. The French for tightrope walker is funambulist. The real danger for the UK, I believe, as trade minister, is not funambulism, it’s somnambulism. We can be laboriously slow. By the time we decide to look at a new FTA and draw up a mandate, a whole 12 months will have passed.
And that’s before we start negotiations which go on for years. We can be too pernickety too. Of course we have to approach all our trading relationships with our eyes wide open, but we need to act with a sense of urgency, determination and drive. That doesn’t mean we have to throw all the cards up in the air and hope they land well. We need to work within the structures and the strictures that aim to provide a global level playing field. But we can’t be hanging about on the tightrope.
The text of the letter sent by Peter Mandelson on 11 September 2025 following his dismissal by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister. The letter has been released as part of the Mandelson files.
From: Peter Mandelson @fcdo.gov.uk>
Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2025 9:13 AM
To: DL US Network All Staff (External) @fcdo.gov.uk>
Subject: Farewell
Dear All,
As you will be have seen, my position as Ambassador to the United States has come to an end.
Being Ambassador here has been the privilege of my life, and Reinaldo’s. I could not have wished for a better welcome by you all, a better introduction to the job or better support while here. Your professionalism has been superb, more so than I have experienced in any public role. For this I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
The circumstances surrounding the announcement today are ones which I deeply regret. I continue to feel utterly awful about my association with Epstein twenty years ago and the plight of his victims. I have no alternative to accepting the Prime Minister’s decision and will leave a position in which I have been so incredibly honoured to serve.
The relationship between Britain and the United States of America is a unique one. I know that you will continue to serve and deepen that relationship from DC right across our brilliant network.
I wish to thank you for all of your efforts in serving me as your Ambassador. In a short time we have achieved so much. We leave the relationship with the US in a really good condition, with a magnificent State Visit and the new US-UK Technology Partnership – my personal pride and joy that will help write the next chapter of the special relationship – set for next week.
Thank you from me, Reinaldo and Jock. I will treasure the experience and memory of having worked with you all.
Very best
Peter
The email sent by Peter Mandelson on 17 September 2025 and released as part of the Mandelson files.
From: Peter Mandelson
Sent: 17 September 2025 14:35
To: Mark Power < @fcdo.gov.uk>
Subject: Re: Further correspondence
Thank you for your letter. These dates are right given the delay in obtaining Jock’s veterinary certification.
My chief concern is leaving the US and arriving in the UK with the maximum dignity and minimum media intrusion which I think is to the advantage of all concerned, not least because I remain a crown/civil servant and expect to be treated as such.
How is the FCDO assisting in this ?
I am not sure what you mean by paras 12 and 13. My understanding is that I have common law employment rights but this will be better understood by lawyers than by me.
Very best
Peter
The document written by Olly Robbins on 6 October 2025 and released as part of the Mandelson files.
The speech made by Bridget Phillipson, the Secretary of State for Education, on 9 March 2026.
Today I want to start by telling you about a child with an inspiring story.
His name is Joshua – and he’s a happy boy from Brighton.
At age five Joshua was diagnosed with Autism.
In his own words, it’s a part of him, but not what defines him.
Now his first experience of school wasn’t great.
The school wasn’t set up to meet his needs – and so he could only manage 10 minutes in the classroom a day.
Too noisy.
Too many people.
He had to leave the school because it just wasn’t working him – his education was suffering and he wasn’t achieving all he could.
That’s when he started at West Blatchington Primary, part of The Pioneer Academy trust – and his path in life changed.
Joshua benefitted straight away from the school’s on site SEND unit.
He learned how to manage his feelings and build friendships – so that soon he was ready to join his classmates in the mainstream class.
He went from barely coming in to being in school all day, every day.
Joshua achieved and he thrived – in school and out. He became a Beaver, then a Cub, then a Scout. He’s made lots of friends.
And now he’s sharing his story with children across the south east and raising awareness of autism – giving assemblies in 14 different schools.
He even gave the keynote speech at the Croydon Inclusion Conference and at the Brighton and Hove Inclusion Conference too.
Joshua proudly tells people that he ‘smashed’ his SATs and is now doing well at a mainstream secondary school.
He shows what can happen when we get it right for children with SEND.
For his primary school’s celebration of 30 years of their SEND unit, Joshua wrote a message of thanks:
“West Blatch changed my life and for that I’m eternally grateful.”
That’s what we do this for.
You’ll have your own stories of success… the children in your schools who you were able to support and who did well.
That feeling of having made a difference, there’s nothing like it.
The young people like Joshua, living better lives because you were there for them at a crucial time.
Thank you, for everything you do for the children of this country.
But you’ll know that the system just isn’t set up to meet the needs of most children like Joshua.
I’ve spent the last year speaking to teachers about this.
And they tell me that the stories of success are despite, not because of, the system we have.
Leaders tell me that the system doesn’t deliver success as standard for children with SEND… it usually only comes when your heroic staff go above and beyond.
I’ve spoken to parents and carers too. Mams and dads are fed up…
not of you and your staff…
they know how hard you work, they see your dedication…
rather they are fed up of the faceless, soulless system that governs what their child gets and how…
support that is not delivered freely but must be fought at every step of the way…
support that responds in the first instance not to need but to paperwork.
I know it’s a system that frustrates you just as much.
You’ll know that parents have had enough of seeing their child underachieve…
not through a lack of effort…
not through a lack of talent…
not through a lack of hard work from staff.
But because children with SEND suffer from a system of late support, inconsistent support…
support that only exists far away, so that at weekends and during the holidays they have no friends to play with back home.
Where is the connection to community in that?
Where is the sense that all children belong in our society… when the system sends so many of them away?
Children with SEND are being failed because the system we have inherited is not set up for them to succeed in their local school.
Not yet anyway.
But it will be.
I know that for too long, so much has been asked of you – by government, by parents and by society.
At times you have become a fourth emergency service, stepping up when wider services fail.
And I want to thank you and your staff for that, for going above and beyond, again and again.
You do it because you care, because you can’t and won’t just look the other way.
But you shouldn’t have to fill all these gaps…
and I’m determined that you won’t be doing it alone.
Under this government we are rebuilding childhood and family services.
Our Best Start Family Hubs give parents all the support they need for their child’s early years – and now including support for SEND.
We’ve delivered the 30-hours a week of government-funded childcare and begun to turn around the children’s social care system.
We’re expanding free school meals, rolling out free breakfast clubs, ending the two-child limit… fighting the disgrace of child poverty.
And by 2030, I am deeply proud that this government will have lifted more than half a million children out of relative poverty… and that we will see the largest ever reduction in child poverty in a single parliament.
I know change won’t come in full overnight, of course…
but over time you’ll see fewer children arriving for their first day of school in nappies…
you’ll spend less time supporting children to catch up thanks to early intervention in crucial areas like language…
and you’ll no longer be under pressure to run a foodbank as well as a school.
This is about providing the right support at the right time, so that when children reach your classroom, they are ready and raring to go.
Two weeks ago, building on those strong foundations, I launched this government’s schools white paper, setting a new vision for education in this country…
A future in which children grow up together, go to their local school together, achieve and thrive together.
A future of high standards and inclusion.
A future in which all children with SEND get the rights they deserve…
the right to be included in their local schools…
the right to enjoy exactly the same high standards and expectations that we have for other children.
And, colleagues, we get there through inclusive mainstream.
More children educated at a great local school…
with their friends, close to their family, a core part of their local community.
And to those who say that inclusion in our schools will come at the cost of high standards…
I say: you are wrong. The evidence proves it.
My department has looked at English and maths GCSE results for children with SEND.
And those children do better in mainstream schools than specialist schools.
Don’t just take our word for it.
Research from the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education shows that children with SEND in mainstream schools have a better chance of getting a job when they leave.
Inclusive mainstream can offer children with SEND the precious opportunity to go on to live a rich and fulfilling adult life.
And research also shows that, when they learn alongside their peers…
children both with and without SEND tend to do better, both academically and socially.
Because inclusion and high standards…
it’s not one or the other, it’s both.
These are the changes in our schools that I want to work hand-in-hand with you to deliver.
A new system of support as standard, layered to meet different needs.
Universal for all.
And where needs are greater, targeted support through Individual Support Plans.
Then specialist provision for children who need it.
I ask you to work with us and with your families to run this new system.
Establish an inclusion base for children with more complex needs.
Draw up an inclusion strategy, show how you’re going to make inclusion a defining strength of your school.
Join together with local schools in groups to pool ideas and resources, spreading what works… because the only way we succeed is together, partners in our shared moral mission to make education work for every child.
The spirit of collaboration – parents and teachers and support staff, schools and other schools, local services coming together alongside Government.
You will be at the centre of this generational change for our children and our country.
Your talent. Your dedication. Your expertise.
And to see these changes through, I’m backing you…
the Chancellor is backing you…
with £1.6 billion for an inclusive mainstream fund so you can build inclusion into school life…
£3.7 billion to develop inclusion bases, improve accessibility and create new special school places…
£200 million to train your staff to deliver for children with SEND.
The new Experts at Hand service – in time, a bank of professional support for children…
occupational therapists, educational psychologists, speech and language therapists…
freed up to support students, not fill out forms…
ready to go when need arises, not only after a battle is fought.
And our RISE service is here to support you.
Our RISE inclusive mainstream offer has already been delivering webinars and setting up national networks for support bases.
And we’ll work to grow our offer of support, to guide you through these new reforms, especially by sharing and spreading good practice.
You are not alone in this. It’s a shared endeavour.
Schools will sit at the centre of a system of support that stretches through childhood and beyond.
And I will give you the resources you need to make your schools places of inclusion and excellence for all.
But I won’t leave this to chance.
Inclusion is no longer a nice-to-have.
It’s an essential marker of school performance, and Ofsted have changed their inspections to recognise it.
For the first time, inclusion has its own dedicated judgement when Ofsted inspect nurseries, schools and colleges.
We’ll highlight what works and multiply it so that all children can benefit.
But this isn’t the end of the conversation. We’ve launched a consultation – and I urge you all to get in touch and tell us what you think… have your say on how these reforms should be designed and delivered in practice.
We’re asking everyone with a stake to make their voices heard, in service of all the children in our schools.
Those children deserve a school system that moves to meet their needs, a system that knows inclusion is a strength, not a weakness.
Because the best schools are not those that shut themselves away, offering excellence only to a narrow band of children.
The best schools open themselves up to their communities, they offer excellence to all, and they are stronger for it.
I want to work with you to spread that into every school in the country, so that every child can benefit… so that Joshua’s experience is no longer the exception, but the norm.
Before us we have a once-in-a-generation chance for change.
So let’s come together now – members of our shared moral mission – and build a school system that works for each and every child.
Thank you.
The speech made by Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, in the House of Commons on 10 March 2026.
Today the Government are launching a national conversation on how we will build and use digital ID as the means to access public services digitally on a mobile phone or computer.
Public services are meant to be there at the most important moments of your life: free childcare hours to help your children get a good start in life, getting your passport to go on your first holiday, passing your driving test and getting your first driving licence, asking for help if you lose your job, or receiving your state pension in retirement. But today, as the House knows, it is often too hard for people to get what they need when they need it. The current legacy system of call centres, paperwork and the need for people to tell their story multiple times to different parts of Government, with hours on hold and not knowing where they are in the process, is not good enough. I want to change that, and this Government will.
In its place, we will build a truly modern Britain where public services work for the citizen, through new digital public services that come together on the gov.uk app, so that help is there when people need it most. To do that, Government need to build the foundations for these new modern public services, and that is exactly what this digital ID system is for. It will be free to access for anyone who wishes to use it, and it will be built on three core principles. First, it must be useful. It needs to be easier than the old telephone and paper-based systems. Secondly, it must be secure. People will have more control over what data they share, and we expect nothing less than the level of security protections provided by banks for online banking services. Thirdly, it must be for everyone. We will not leave people behind, and the Government will help those who are less confident with technology or do not have other forms of ID, such as a passport.
With a digital ID, citizens will be able to log in to the gov.uk app and then, crucially, prove who they are. But unlike an ordinary login, the digital ID will work across different Departments and services, bringing those all together in one place in the gov.uk app, so that the public can access all the services they need in one place. This is different from building one giant Government IT system—that is not what we are doing. Services will remain on separate IT systems in their relevant Departments, and the NHS app and citizens’ health data will always remain separate, but the gov.uk app and digital ID will, over time, bring all other public services into one app on mobile phones—the front door to modern public services.
This will not be a new experience for citizens. The public already use these systems every day, from banking to shopping. Other countries are already far ahead of us, from Denmark and Estonia to Australia and India. Britain is having to catch up.
It is an issue of convenience and efficiency, but it is also one of fairness and equality. We all know who the status quo often favours: those with the resources, the headspace, and perhaps the pointy elbows or the pushiness to get themselves to the front of the queue or allow them to play the system. But public services are meant Toggle showing location ofColumn 182to be there when people need them most, and how the legacy system has sometimes treated people in these stressful or difficult situations is quite frankly an outrage, piling them up with bureaucracy and leaving them without the help they need.
Who is it who struggles to fill in the forms correctly or lacks the form of ID required? Who are the one in seven people across the UK who do not have a passport? They are often the strivers who are juggling work and caring responsibilities. This Government believe that everybody deserves a fair shot, and it is up to Government to give people support and a leg-up when they need it.
Today we are launching this national conversation to discuss how we will build and use a digital ID. We want to know where frustrations exist with the current legacy system and which services could be made easier via the gov.uk app. Later today, I will share a prototype of how a digital ID could work that shows how “government by app” could become a reality, joining up different Departments and services so that the public do not have to do the work themselves.
In the initial stages, the digital ID system will start by making it easier to complete simple administrative tasks, such as proving one’s right to work when starting a job. Other tasks, such as paying car tax, ordering a passport or sorting childcare entitlements, could become part of the same app. I understand that the idea of a digital ID has sparked significant public interest, so I have instructed my Department to ensure that this consultation goes further than any other that the Government have done before.
As part of the public consultation, which is live right now, we will invite a representative sample of the public at large—from all walks of life and all parts of the country—to form a people’s panel. [Interruption.] That deliberative democracy process will build on our experience of supporting Parliament’s citizens assembly on net zero in the previous Parliament. Working with over 100 citizens, we will debate the difficult questions, find ways forward and build a system that can secure the trust and support of everyone. [Interruption.] To those Members chuntering from a sedentary position about having a conversation with the public, I say, “What do you fear?” This Government are very happy to talk to the public about what we are doing, and I look forward to talking to hon. Members’ constituents if they are selected to be part of the process.
I understand that this will not be for everyone. I hope that the services we build will be so good that most people will wish to use them, but for those who do not, I want to make sure that help is on hand in their local community. That is why the roll-out of the digital ID will be accompanied by a digital inclusion drive to help people to access and use the services. I do not come to Parliament today with preconceived answers, and we will of course need to ensure that any future scheme is value for money, but I am interested to hear ideas about how we might use the people and buildings we already support through public expenditure to help local communities. We could use local post offices and postal workers, or libraries and jobcentres, to ensure that the majority of people can, if they need to, access digital assistance to use these services. For those who really do not wish to, traditional routes will of course still be made available.
As right hon. and hon. Members from across the House know, by the end of this Parliament, digital checks to verify someone’s right to work will be mandatory when they start a new job. It is currently a legal requirement for employers to check that a new employee has a legal right to work in the United Kingdom, but the often paper-based approach of photocopying or scanning a passport or utility bills, without further checks, is vulnerable to fraud and does not create a clear record for enforcement agents of when and where checks have been carried out. That is why the Prime Minister has asked for those existing checks to be conducted digitally by the end of this Parliament. It will still be the employer’s responsibility, but employees will be able to choose between using their Government digital ID—as we are setting out today—and using a passport, e-visa or other alternative method. It will be easier and quicker for individuals to demonstrate their right to work. For businesses, it will streamline and reduce the cost of compliance reporting. For the Home Office, it will create a digital audit trail of where checks have been carried out, to support enforcement where checks have not been carried out and to deter those who think that it is too easy to work illegally in the United Kingdom.
This is quite a technical consultation, but it is also a deeply political one. When the public voted for change they also voted for better public services. That is what Labour Governments at their best are all about: building new and innovative public services to support opportunity for all, rather than for just the privileged few—from the NHS in the 1940s, to the Open University in the 1960s and Sure Start centres in the 2000s. Today we are continuing that proud Labour tradition by building modern, digital public services that extend opportunity and support for people when they need it. This stands in stark contrast to political parties that wish to conserve the unacceptable status quo, or that offer to tear everything down and leave people on their own.
We want people across Britain to want this system, we want them to be part of it, and we want them to have the opportunity to shape it. This consultation is that opportunity. I look forward to the involvement of Members from across the House and of our constituents. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Makerfield (Josh Simons) for his work on this issue to date, and the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Bury North (Mr Frith), for all the work that he will now do to make this a reality—for which I will take the credit if it goes well, and he the blame if it goes wrong. I commend this statement to the House.
The statement made by Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 1 March 2026.
Yesterday, I spoke to you about the situation in the Gulf and explained that the United Kingdom was not involved in the strikes on Iran.
That remains the case.
Over the last two days Iran has launched sustained attacks across the region at countries who did not attack them.
They’ve hit airports and hotels where British citizens are staying.
This is clearly a dangerous situation.
We have at least 200,000 British citizens in the region – residents, families on holiday, and those in transit.
I ask all our people in the region to please register your presence and follow Foreign Office travel advice.
I know this is a deeply worrying time and we will continue to do all we can to support you.
Our Armed Forces who are located across the region are also being put at risk by Iran’s actions.
Yesterday Iran hit a military base in Bahrain, narrowly missing British personnel.
The death of the Supreme Leader will not stop Iran from launching these strikes.
Their approach is becoming even more reckless – and more dangerous to civilians.
Our decision that the UK would not be involved with the strikes on Iran was deliberate.
Not least because we believe that the best way forward for the region and for the world is a negotiated settlement.
One in which Iran agrees to give up any aspirations to develop a nuclear weapon.
But Iran is striking British interests nonetheless, and putting British people at huge risk, along with our allies across the region.
That is the situation we face today.
Our partners in the Gulf have asked us to do more to defend them, and it is my duty to protect British lives.
We have British jets in the air as part of coordinated defensive operations which have already successfully intercepted Iranian strikes.
But the only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles at source – in their storage depots or the launchers which used to fire the missiles.
The United States has requested permission to use British bases for that specific and limited defensive purpose.
We have taken the decision to accept this request – to prevent Iran firing missiles across the region, killing innocent civilians, putting British lives at risk, and hitting countries that have not been involved.
The basis of our decision is the collective self-defence of longstanding friends and allies, and protecting British lives.
That is in accordance with international law. And we are publishing a summary of our legal advice.
We are not joining these strikes, but we will continue with our defensive actions in the region.
And we will also bring experts from Ukraine together with our own experts to help Gulf partners shoot down Iranian drones attacking them.
I want to be very clear: we all remember the mistakes of Iraq.
And we have learned those lessons.
We were not involved in the initial strikes on Iran and we will not join offensive action now.
But Iran is pursuing a scorched earth strategy – so we are supporting the collective self-defence of our allies and our people in the region.
Because that is our duty to the British people.
It is the best way to eliminate the urgent threat and prevent the situation spiralling further.
This is the British government protecting British interests and British lives.
The statement made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 28 February 2026.
Earlier this morning, the United States and Israel struck targets in Iran.
Iran has since launched indiscriminate strikes across the region.
I know the British people and communities across our country will be deeply concerned about what this means for security and stability and for the fate of innocent people across the region – which for so many of us includes friends and family members.
So while the situation is evolving very quickly, I want to set out our response.
The United Kingdom played no role in these strikes.
But we have long been clear – the regime in Iran is utterly abhorrent.
They have murdered thousands of their own people, brutally crushed dissent, and sought to destabilise the region.
Even in the United Kingdom, the Iranian regime poses a direct threat to dissidents and the Jewish community.
Over the last year alone, they have backed more than 20 potentially lethal attacks on UK soil.
So it’s clear – they must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon.
That remains the primary aim of the United Kingdom and our allies – including the US.
I condemn Iran’s attacks today on partners across the region, many of which are not parties to this conflict.
We extend our support and solidarity to them.
As part of our commitments to the security of our allies in the Middle East we have a range of defensive capabilities in the region – which we’ve recently taken steps to strengthen.
Our forces are active and British planes are in the sky today as part of coordinated regional defensive operations to protect our people, our interests, and our allies – as Britain has done before, in line with international law.
We’ve stepped up protections for British bases and personnel to their highest level.
We are also reaching out to UK nationals in the region and doing everything we can to support them.
I have been speaking with leaders today – from the E3, and across the region.
It is vital now that we prevent further escalation and return to a diplomatic process.
We want to see peace and security, and the protection of civilian life.
Iran can end this now.
They should refrain from further strikes, give up their weapons programmes, and cease the appalling violence and repression against the Iranian people – who deserve the right to determine their own future, in line with our longstanding position.
That is the route to de-escalation and back to the negotiating table.